Meet Ginger--the newest Canine Kid

I cannot call her a replacement for Belle. There could not be one because just like all our human friends, each canine partner is unique and can only fill it's own paw prints but Ginger is the newest companion to come into my life. As of today she has been here a week. And of course has me 'trained' already!!

She is a sweet but very energetic and happy girl except that she has a tendency to get spooky and skittish and have small panic attacks. It is going to take some time and patience to help her get past this. She may never lose it entirely but I think in time will be much better. She is only about twenty months old and I have no way to even imagine what trauma she has experienced in her young life. Her prior Mommy seems like a very nice lady and certainly cared a lot for her but Ginger was becoming over-protective of her to the point she worried about her grandchildren. Also, Ginger would jump a regular yard-height fence and went off on some expeditions that may have put her into danger and fearsome situations--which is probably part of her current problem. I suspect a man has been cruel to her or at least scared her badly because she is very wary of Charlie and he is a total dog person and other than yelling now in then when he gets frustrated--mostly with "things" and almost never with dogs!!--he is every canine's best friend. She will take treats mostly and allow a quick scratch or pet now and then but we'll work on that.

Ginger is the youngest dog I have had for a long time, probably since we got Alanna as a puppy from the Humane Society in Colorado Springs back in May 1977! She reminds me a lot of Flash, my first dog, actually. She is, as near as I can figure, a mixture of Border Collie and Aussie. She loves to run and is incredibly nimble and agile, twisting and reversing and leaping as if she was nearly weightless. She plays ball well--just say 'bring it' and she is trotting back with her eyes sparkling to get it thrown again. She has a rope toy and loves to play tug and has had some mad running sessions with Beebee and Rojito gallantly trying to keep up--she can run rings around them! 

She has already pretty well bonded to me and in time will accept that she is now part of a pack and not a pair. She and Rojito get along well; he isn't quite the same to her as he was to Belle but they are both red and he clearly feels a kinship. By the way, despite my original intentions he now sleeps on my bed at night.... Mostly I am able to keep him off my pillow and out of my face and so far no allergy consequences seem to be happening! Ginger sleeps at the side or foot on rugs, just as Belle did and shows little interest in getting up. Only yesterday did she get on the couch to look out the living room window after seeing Beebee and Kaycee do it ever since she arrived.

Kaycee is healing from his surgery and now has the bandage off and the wound area is shrinking quickly and hair growing where he was shaved and burned around the edges. I got two kind of homeopathic cream/salve products and we have one the vet provided. he is still a grump and we still have to persevere in keeping him from worrying at the wound but if we can hold on, it will be well in time. He is jealous of Ginger and not nice to her which is no real surprise. He and Belle never did get along and we may not be able to leave him and Ginger unsupervised together but we'll see how that works out. Anyway I am glad to have a new dogster and one who is a daughter of my beloved herding breeds. She likes to ride and is going to be a good travel partner in time.