Cabana is Home...

...to stay! I feel such relief and peace about our decision. She may not be the "perfect" dog for us, but we love her so much. In the end, I couldn't bear to think of not having her in my life anymore. I can't wait to teach Cabana to play fetch with tennis balls, take her to obedience classes for further training, and give her Frosty Paws and other previously forbidden treats.

Part of the reason I was hesitating to keep Cabana was that I kept imagining her in a new home with a little boy, maybe about 8-years old, who'd play tug with her, run circles with her in the yard, go on expeditions through the wilderness. I could see her being endlessly entertained by a little boy because every time we see children in a store, Cabana is so enthralled. She was so sweet and gentle with my nephew who visited this summer. But--there was no guarantee that she would be going to a home with an 8-year-old boy or that she'd love him more than she loves us.

There might be a dog out there who fits our lifestyle better, but there also might not be. I'm happy to never know. I do know that I would have compared every subsequent puppy to Cabana. This one isn't as smart as Cabana was, or that one chews things up when Cabana never did.

I'd like to explain my not feeling "completely relaxed" with Cabana from my earlier post. I tend to feel overly responsible for people (and pets). Because Cabana was in training, I was always thinking about her future blind partner. I'd think maybe I should be putting her on tie down more often or take her to restaurants more frequently so she'll be used to that, etc. AND for the past 6 months, I've been waiting for Cabana to go into season (Martha was right about watching the pot--it never boiled)! I worried constantly that if a determined big male dog decided to get frisky with Cabana, I may not have been able to stop him. Plus, Cabana is my first dog, so everything is new to me.

As Cabana's new owner, I am fully committed to giving Cabana the things she needs. There's a big off-leash dog park near my girls' high school that I've been dying to take her to. After her spay and recuperation, I plan to take her there frequently, so she can play with other dogs until she's exhausted. If she needs a 5-mile walk or run, hey, I need the exercise, too! And my husband is a marathon runner--he'd be happy to take Cabana for runs, too.

When I picked Cabana up from the puppy sitter's this morning, she was SO excited to see me. She eagerly hopped into our car, and snuggled up against my hand as I petted her in the back seat. She was so happy to come home. There's no doubt in my mind that Cabana feels our love. Our home is her home, and she is our dog.

P.S. As you can tell from the new header, I plan to keep blogging about Cabana.