Meet Ruby!

We have a new member in our household.  We brought Ruby home with us last week and have all been adjusting to each other quite well.

Ruby is the sweetest boxer and we are so glad we were able to rescue her.  Her previous owner moved to a location that didn't allow dogs.  Rather than surrender Ruby or find her a new home, Ruby was walked into the woods and crated before being covered up by a blanket throughout the summer.  She lost 12 pounds and got very sick as a result.  So now she is on the mend and regaining weight quickly.  

Ruby is two years old and does a good job of acting like it.  She doesn't realize that she weighs 58 pounds now and isn't the ideal candidate for being a lap dog.  She also doesn't realize that she looks pretty silly squeezing herself into the kids' car seats when we go for rides.  Ruby is very smart and learning quickly that lack of manners do not pay in this household, so she is pulling less on her leash when we go on walks, doing better at staying off the sofa and beds with fewer reminders to get down and sitting to say please before eating meals or getting attention.  Last night when she emptied the water bowl in the kitchen, she picked it up and brought it into the family room to let me know it was empty.  And she mastered the pet door to go out to the backyard in no time.

Little Horse is feeling out the position of alpha dog and has growled at her a few times, which has been interesting.  He was always the dutifully submissive hound when Maggie was with us.  I think these two dogs will become fast friends.  They attempted to play together this morning and that was funny.  They both looked awkward as they tried to jump and bounce and then backed off from each other.

I am taking Ruby into the vet in a little bit.  Her left eye is red and swollen and I'm not sure why.  Want to get that taken care of before we have two one-eyed girls in this family!