Training and Mischief Making

So, I've been with my family a little over a week now and am settling in.  I've given up trying to sleep in bed with my parents and just use my own bed.  It's more comfortable than the floor.  Mom has actually threatened to steal it from me a few times.  My training is comung along nicely. I can do 'sit' and 'down' consistantly now.  We just started with 'stay'.  That ine is hard for me.  I like being near my parents too much!  I did gef to spen all day with them Sunday.  That morning, after I woke dad up, he wasn't amused, I played wifh rhe vacuum cleaner, and fhen, theybheld me down and trimmed my nails!  I wanted nothing to do with that.  After all that they took me out to see the calf again.  I barked a few times, then watched him a little.  Dad had to give him some water, so I ran back and forth with him from the well to the calf.  Dad said that one day, when mom is done training me, I'll be trained up to go to work with him and herd cattle.  I do like to run and I love herding.  I tried to herd mom and dad for awhile until I learned it didn't work on them...After we were done feeding and watering the calf, we got back in the truck and headed to the grocery store.  I wasn't happy to be left in the truck, but theg were back fast.  I was ready to see where we would go next and it turned out to be home...I was fine with that until they mentioned this word bath.  I didn't jnow what that was.  Then next thung I know, I'm wet! I tried to get away but figurednthat it would go by faster if I held still. I was rewarded with a new treat though, then we went back outside.  Dad wanted to clean the garage out.  First we went to the pasture across the street and played fetch though.  Then I spent the rest of the day enjoying the weather and watching dad.  Mom also bought me this thing called a Kong.  I wondered what It was.  In the meantume, she gave me a bottle fikked with my food to play with.  I could only play with It when she was around though.  She didn't want me tearing the bottle up.  My Kong came in yesterday.  I just spent the last 24 minutes playing with it.  I'm getting a little frustrated though, one treat us jammed in there good!  Anyway, I need to tell mom to fill my water bowl!

Adoption Day and the Start of My New Life

Hello all!  My name is Molly and I'm an Australian Cattle Dog, also known as a Red Heeler.  I was adopted from an animal shelter in Oklahoma this past weekend.  My new parents had come in hoping to find them a Golden Retriever.  Them and another couple had shown up at the same time to look at all of us at the shelter.  The other couple ended up taking the Boxer.  (Boy did he bark loud and get happy at being let out of his cage!) My mom and dad kept looking at this Greyhound that was trying to choose them as her new family.  They were going to adopt her, but the shelter was in the process of tracking down her family, and they figured it would be best if she went back to the people she knew. They saw two others that they liked, but they weren't up for adoption yet.  They had seen me and liked me, but my tag said "hold", so they debated asking about me.  They finally decided to ask and found out that I was being released from the hold that day.  They let me out of my cage, played with me, then decided to take me.  We went into the office to fill out a card and off we went.  I was happy to be out of there!  Dad said that I was released from jail.  I will give kudos to the staff though for keeping our kennels clean and caring about us.  My parents were very impressed with the lady working there.  Mom said it must be a rewarding job when you get an animal adopted out, but a hard one when one has to be euthinized.  My parents tried to get me to potty before we left, but I ran straight for the truck and jumped right in when dad opened the door.  My parents had to stop at Walmart real quick to pick up some supplies becore heading home.  I was not haapy at first at being left in the truck.  They did let me out to potty, gave me some water, and left the windows down some for me though.  I cried for a few minutes then just sat and waited patiently for them to get back. While we were at Walmart, we did run into the family that took the Boxer.  He was still all smiles!  My parents came out 15 minutes later, loaded down with stuff.  They then had to run to Atwoods.  Mom stayed in the car with me this time and we watched some man wreck his truck into a lightpost in the parkinglot.  Dad came out with a few more things and gave me a toy duck and showed me a bed he got me.  He also brought me more water.  After that, we had one more stop at Carl's Jr. to grab a meal before we headed back to Kansas.  My new parents were so surprised at how well I behaved in the truck.  I laid down between them and slept for most of the ride.  My first full day in my new home was Monday and dad stayed home because he wasn't feeling good.  He did take me with him to feed his calf, then we played in a pasture, at home I chased this thing named Roomba, and I rode with him to get mom from work.  Tuesday was one of mom's days off, so she started training me.  She said I needed a few manners.  Yesterday was the first day I had been left by myself for a few hours.  Mom was very impressed when she got home.  I didn't potty in the house and had only moved a box.  I will admit, I figured out by Tuesday that I only potty outside.  I'm not dumb you know!   I also figured out sit by Wednesday.  My parents are impressed at how smart I am.  Now if only they would stop being so stubborn about me not sleeping on the bed with them.  And they have the gall to call me stubborn?!  Well, that's it for my first entry.  I'll try to keep you updated at least once a week about my new life "out of jail".