A New Home

Duncan came home on Friday, February 2, 2007 - one month to the day after I lost Charlotte. It seemed fitting. I had taken the day off work so that I could have a long three-day weekend with him before leaving him alone for a full eight-hour work day. Glen pulled into my driveway at about 9:30 am, and I rushed to close Gracie in the bedroom to allow Duncan a few minutes to adjust without her sniffing at him. I watched through the window as Glen pulled my new little dog from the car and tucked him under his arm. Duncan hung there trembling, much the same as he had when we met him at Petco. The poor baby was almost terrified, and Glen was concerned that this would not work. I held the front door open as he carried Duncan in and put him down on the floor. My new Sheltie moved to the end of my small living room and cowered under my coffee table, his bottom jaw quivering. Glen and I talked for a few minutes as I signed my adoption papers. Then we took Duncan out to the back yard to see how he did there. He is so shy that when it is time to come back into the house you can't just hold the door open and call him in. He will not come in while you're standing right at there. Glen thought I would have to prop the door open and walk out into the yard and point for Duncan to go into the house. So once he had checked out his new yard, I held the door open, and Glen took a few steps into the yard and gestured for Duncan to go in side. He complied almost immediately. Very encouraging.

We came back in doors and I asked Glen to stay for a few more minutes while I introduced Duncan to Gracie. I let her out of the bedroom and she soon discovered the new roommate. Soon her tail was puffed to twice it's size, her back arched, fur on end. To tell the truth though, I was more worried about Duncan than I was about her. Gracie is by no means timid, and I was more afraid of how she would scare Duncan if she decided to hiss or slap at him (even though she is de-clawed in front.) But my worries were unfounded as Gracie neither hissed or slapped. The introduction went very well.

Glen and I talked for a few more minutes as he gave suggestions and told me some more about Duncan, and then he started to say good-bye. I always forget when I'm adopting a new pet that the fosterer is also parting with that animal. And in Duncan's case, he had been with his foster family for more than a year. I sensed Glen's emotion as he gave my new friend final pat and said, "Well Dylan, have a good life."