Stella Arrives: Day 1

Miss Stella arrived this morning, and since she’s been here, she has shown only a little bit anxiety. The initial greeting between her and Glimmer was very positive – Glimmer actually surprised me by offering a play bow – and Stella has allowed Glimmer to be fairly close by ever since. Stella also met Violet from a safe distance away; Violet was watchful, but kept her back to Stella, which was great.

Stella did her business in the back yard – no problem there – and her first introduction to the kennel she’ll be sleeping in at night was very positive. I will have to work to encourage her to go into it, but she has a couple of her owners’ items in there to give her comfort. I’m hoping this will help her feel more comfortable when it’s time to put her to bed for the night.

About an hour after her arrival, Stella was relaxing in the dog bed in my office and decompressing. Because she was so calm, I removed her muzzle, and found that she had her halti on underneath it. Once the muzzle was off, she relaxed even further. About half an hour after Stacey, my assistant, left, I removed Stella’s halti and attached the leash to her collar. Almost right away, Stella curled up in the dog bed and went to sleep. She is currently fast asleep in the dog bed even as I’m writing this.

Overall, aside from some initial anxious whining, Stella has been becoming more and more calm and relaxed. She has shown curiosity about Violet, but she has not attempted to interact with the cat at all. This may change by tomorrow, but for right now, Stella seems to be content just napping in the dog bed while she processes the day’s events.

Because she is reactive to strangers, Stella will be muzzled again when my husband is on his way home. She and he have not met each other yet, so the muzzle is a necessity for his safety. It is my hope that being in a calm and relaxed environment most of the day will help her feel more relaxed about him coming in. We will find out in a couple of hours.

Stay tuned for more updates on this beautiful girl. We’ve already made a truly wonderful start….