Bella: Our Lovely New Dog

[jesse_the_k]

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Bella has burrowed her way into our hearts. Last week the Underdog Rescue placed Bella in our care. We've enjoyed every moment of our time with her.

She's a remarkably lovely dog. She's a young adult, though we don't know her exact age. She herded all the children in her first Madison placement , so we suspect she's got some Border collie in the mix. Her fur looks black from a distance but up close it's a deep brown; so maybe there's some chocolate lab heritage. We're thrilled with how easy* she is:

• She greets everyone with a wiggle and a kiss, genuinely pleased to meet new people and dogs.


• Her fur is as soft as a rabbit's coat, and she's so soothing to pet.


• She enjoys playing, walking, and sleeping equally.


• When she sleeps, she emits comforting snores, snuffles, and wheezes.


• She came to us already potty- and crate-trained


• She already knows "sit," "no," "come," and "drop it." In less than 10 days she's well on her way to "down," "hupup," and "off."

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*: We assumed all dogs were challenging after 14 years with Teddy the Neurotic, then 15yrs with Lucy the Alpha Bitch.

Comments

[dogstar]

The brown in labs (ie chocolate) doesn't work that way - there could totally be lab in the mix, but it wouldn't show up as 'some brown on a black coat'. :D From the photos, i tmay be sunburn (natural sunbleaching, which can be intensified by nutritional deficiencies) on her coat OR possibly a coloration called "seal" which is a super weird color that no one can figure out genetically. It's most common in pit bulls, but it also pops up in a small number of other breeds. I think she's probably sunbleached though.

[jesse_the_k]

Fabulous info! Thanks. Re: sunburn, is this merely cosmetic or evidence of being chained out for too long?

[dogstar]

It *can* be 'omg was an outdoor' dog but it's just as common for it to just be a Thing That Happens.

She sounds like an awesome dog.

[bibliofile]

Neat! Does the same info apply to cats too? My housemate's two cats were both black, one with shiny, brown-black fur and the other with a softer, blue-based black fur.

(In fabric dyeing you get either a brown-based black or a blue-based black, depending on the fabric & chemicals used, so I thought it was funny that these cats illustrated each type.)


YAY NEW PUPPY!!!!! Sounds like a peach. if you get her in a large enough group, would she herd grownup humans too?

[jesse_the_k]

I would love to bring her to lobbycon to see, but I doubt that will be permitted.

(Another weird thing about Santa Fe. Everybody brought their pet dogs everywhere. Grocery stores!)