Beans Beans the Magical Fruit!!

So Jade has acquired many nicknames by myself as well as friends and family. To name a few: JJ, JJ Bean, Beans, the beanie baby & Beaner. They seem to get sillier and sillier as time goes on but she totally loves them. When you get all excited and say them in that ridiculously high pitched female voice and talk to her like a baby she goes nuts for it! haha Crazy dog people eh?

Jade is also absolutely in love with the people she remembers now. Friends and family that spend a lot of time with her love her of course but she is really starting to love them as well. When she sees people she recognizes she gets so excited...its very cute.

My sister, or Auntie Lindsay to Jade, has also taught my little munchkin a new trick! Jade can now successfully crawl!! We have even fine tuned it so we don't need a treat to get her to do it. Smart cookie she is. It amazes me how quickly she learns.

A really good friend of mine also just adopted a rescue dog named Digby. He is soooo cute!!!!! Just a little ball of love that you want to cuddle all the time.  So she started coming to the dog park after work with Digby as well and he is starting to really enjoy it. Of course just like Jade the first few times he was a bit overwhelmed but he is so much more confident just in a weeks time and is so cute as he plays a little bit more every time.  Jade is really loving the park nowadays, she tries to entice the littlest dogs to play with her even with they are absolutely terrified of even their own shadows. I will have to video it some time as it is really adorable.

In training news Jade and I have been working REALLY hard on recall and she is slowly but sure improving. Stubborn like nobody's business when she wants to be but we are getting there. Jade is also getting much more comfortable staying with friends or family without me now. My sister has been taking her a few hours during the day to give me a break at the office and get Jade some exercise during the day and she is listening to her really well and not crying when I leave anymore.

I will definitely say that adopting a dog, especially in a case where you don't really know their history has its challenges, but man is it rewarding as well. Lastly I have included a cute little picture of Jade's new favorite past time. She now jumps up on the bed and watches people on the street through the window...My little guard dog! haha

10 Promises to my Dog.

So I found this list of 10 promises on a rescue site and thought that it was something every dog owner should read.

1. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

2. Place your trust in me. It's crucial to my well-being.

3. Be aware that however you treat me I'll never forget it.

4. Before you scold me for being lazy, ask yourself if something might be bothering me.

5. Talk to me sometimes. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when it's speaking to me.

6. Remember before you hit me, I have teeth that could hurt you, but that I choose not to bite you.

7. Take care of me when I get old.

8. You have your work, your entertainment, and your friends. I have only you.

9. My life is likely to last 10 to 15 years. Any separation from you will be painful for me.

10. Go with me on difficult journeys. Everything is easier for me if you are there. Remember I love you . . .

Success!!

I just received the most fantastic comment ever about Jade from a total stranger! Jade is at the office with me today and we were just heading outside for a bathroom break when a delivery driver pulled up. Him and our warehouse manager both started petting Jade and the delivery driver started asking about what kind of dog she was etc. I proceeded to tell him her story, of her coming from Taiwan as a street dog just a few months ago. He then said the comment that made my day, "wow she seems really good with people is she good with dogs as well?" Yes he was referring to Jade who used to be terrified to let people, especially men, even come near her let alone touch her! Less than two months ago she was SO skiddish and nervous and would jump at even the smallest movements! I can't tell you how amazing that was to hear...Jade and I have been working very hard together to bond, build her confidence and work on socialization and it feels great to see such improvement! Pat on the back Jade!!

On another exciting note I signed Jade up for beginners agility classes today so she will start her first class mid September. I really think this will be a great bonding opportunity for us as well as tons of fun and exercise for her. I am hoping this will help her to look at me for direction when she is unsure, in new situations and for direction. I can not wait to start classes and will keep you updated on how they go!

O Jade, why are you so stubborn?!

Well I have had Jade for just under 2 months now and she is definitely making progress! Still unsure of new people, still a bit skiddish and as stubborn as ever!!!! We went up to my boyfriends cabin for the weekend we a group of family & friends and 3 other dogs! All of them are under 3 years old and super playful. The cabin is on a lake so of course Jade loved that. Unfortunately I think Jade was very overwhelmed. There was a lot of people she had never met in a place she had never been. Every time we would go down to the lake I would try to let her off the leash to play but she would always wander too far and not listen when I called her back, so back on the leash she went every single time! I swear she sits there and laughs at me when I get frustrated! Everyone would try and give her love and affection but she was so scared and it took so much coaxing to get her to let people pet her. One night at dinner I honestly think I had to get up and put her back on her bed at least 15 times....O Jade you are lucky you are so cute! She is just so so stubborn, she tests me like crazy when she doesn't want to do what I would like her to do.

On a positive note when I first brought Jade home she wouldn't go anywhere near my boyfriend, she was terrified of him! Now she is giving him kisses and wants love and to be pet and snugged by him! She is starting to learn who my friends and family are and its so neat to see her getting excited to see the people she knows. She is also getting more and more affectionate everyday. She is starting to give kisses now, which by the way are the cutest littlest kisses ever, and she loves to rest her head in your lap and have her ears rubbed. She is the most affectionate in the morning, she just can't get enough and would snug with you all day if you she could.

She also loves her bed and knows that her bed and whatever room it is in is her safe place. It took a few weeks to get her to really like her bed and to sleep in it on a regular basis but now she loves it. At the cabin when she got overwhelmed or tired she would just wander into the bedroom where her bed was and go lay down. Even at home when she gets tired at night she just heads into the bedroom to sleep. It is great that she knows her bed and that where it is is her safe place, like a Jade sanctuary!

Jade enjoying her comfy cozy bed!

Training a rescue dog is so so different than training a puppy. They don't know the rules and boundaries yet like a puppy but an adult rescue dog is much more independent and stubborn than a puppy. But the reward is so much greater as they learn and improve! Jade will be an amazing dog and friend and she is doing so incredibly well. We have a lot of work still to do and I'm sure she will continue to test my patience for a while but I sure love my little Jade!!!