PUP-DATE: Zazu Again!

Zazu and her former foster dad

It's no surprise that I have a constant flow of Zazu (now Tallulah) pup-dates because her family lives right around the corner. One day I saw Tallulah's mom at the train station and heard that Tallulah ate a pair of glasses. Another day I heard about how Tallulah opened all the lower cabinets in the kitchen and helped herself to lunch. But these pup-dates are always followed with solutions they've come up with to keep Tallulah's insatiable curiosity at bay. And then: "She's such a wonderful dog, and we couldn't imagine life without her. Thank you for bringing us to her."

Tallulah is a great dog, but there's no doubt that her hound behaviors require a good deal of patience, lots of exercise, and, as her family pointed out, several trips to Pier 1 to replace household items she has helped herself to. It reminds me that every family has their own tolerance for issues they're willing to work with. For some, they can't tolerate a dog who jumps on the furniture or has an occasional accident in the house. For others, they're willing to work through behavioral issues (Jagger's family also comes to mind) or medical problems.

Today we were out for a long walk on a new trail in town and saw Tallulah herself for the first time since she was adopted in September. She jumped on us and gave us kisses. We'd like to think that she remembered us, but the truth is that she just loves everyone. She's taken to eating the contents of the garbage can, so her family takes out the garbage every day before they leave for work. She's doing great, and they couldn't imagine life without her.