Todd Family Blog: Luke's first week...

You know, all dogs are very different from each other. In the week or so that we have had Luke we are already getting a preview of some of his "quirks". He is a very, very good boy. Lovable and energetic when playing, calm and curled up at your feet when relaxing. Just great. Then, just when you think he is normal, he breaks out the quirks.

It's a bit hard on poor Luke when you leave him alone. After all, he's been through a lot in his three years. But even just in a week he's become more comfortable being left alone. Now he tends to focus his nerves on items around the house. His favorites are placed on a counter, table or shelf. Seeing as he is almost as tall as me, this is hardly an obstacle.

Now, being the good boy that he is, there really isn't destruction or chewing involved. (Save for a butter dish that he knocked off and broke. Then all three dogs seem to have eaten the butter inside - wrapper and all! It simply disappeared!) He just really likes to "place" things. For instance, the blanket in which I'd been wrapped up, he lays on his bed; the box in which we place our mail is thoughtfully carried into the living room - all mail still nicely intact within the box. But tonight when I got home from rehearsal (Brad is in San Francisco) he had really outdone himself. I'm beginning to look forward (with only a mild sense of dread) to the surprises that await me when I walk in the door. See the visual aids below for Luke's latest, um, statement.

Luke, Cal and Gracie all had a bath this weekend, as well. I wasn't sure how that was going to work at the do-it-yourself dog wash, but we've got a good system, I think. We stuck Cal and Gracie in one tub and Brad washed them together, much to Cal's delight. It was as if he'd been wanting that all along. Gracie really didn't care either way. Meanwhile, I washed Luke in his own tub and he was fabulously calm.

The sad part was getting TO the dog wash. When I lead Gracie and Cal into the garage on their leashes, Brad following behind with Luke, Luke just FREAKED out! It was like he thought Cal and Gracie were going away. Makes sense when you think about all the dogs he probably saw come and go at the breeder's, shelter and rescue. I'm sure he thought they were being taken away or he was going to a new home. He got himself so worked up he was almost hyperventilating, poor thing. He was making the most awful doggy sobbing sound. We just stood there and waited for him to calm down, which took probably about 10 minutes.

The sweetest thing was when we returned home. You could tell that Luke was surprised to arrive at the same house and we were all still together. He was like a joyful puppy the rest of the day. I think it is starting to click for him that he isn't going anywhere, but he has a bit more to go. I remember the same process with Cal. That's the wonderful thing about a rescue dog. They are just so incredibly grateful.

So, enjoy these few pictures. I hope you are all well! Less than a month until our move to Indiana!

Curled up and innocent: