You may recall that last week Ulla and I were trying to coax a small stray dog into coming home with us. Actually we were trying to coax her into going home with Ulla. We didn't have much success although we came close.
Ulla went looking and encountered Sweet Pea everyday after that.
Sweet Pea would always follow Ulla home but never come inside. Ulla couldn't put a leash on her, but the dog consistently followed Ulla to the apartment house. She would not come into the building. Sweet pea would pause, turn around, and trot back, through the streets of Jersey City, to the dump under the highway where she chose to live.
Thursday it stormed. Ulla did not see Sweet Pea when she went to the dump under the highway.
Ulla continued to leave food for Sweet Pea.
I went out to JC on Friday and went with Ulla to the dump under the highway looking for any sign of the dog.
We found the empty containers that Ulla had filled with food and left out for Sweet Pea. Even though Ulla had not seen her for one day and a half, we had definite signs that the pup was still in the area.
I went home. I wasn't sure we'd ever see the dog again. I didn't say anything to Ulla about my doubts. I really didn't know anymore than she did.
Then, later that night, Ulla called me.
She said 'Guess what!'.
I said 'You got her!'.
I guessed right.
Ulla went back Friday and encountered Sweet Pea at the dump under the highway in Jersey City.
As usual Sweet Pea walked Ulla all the way to her apartment house. This time Sweet Pea came into the building and followed Ulla into the apartment.
A new chapter in Sweet Pea's life is starting.
Think of that.
Here are some pictures of Ulla and the little dog we've been calling 'Sweet Pea'. This is Ulla and Sweet Pea canoodling.
Sweet Pea is an affection sponge. She loves to be petted and is always jonesing for a belly rub.
She seems to be sort of house trained. There have been no 'accidents' reported, as far as I know.
I gave her a belly rub yesterday.
We really know nothing about her... Where she's from.... What happened to her..., etc. She can't tell us.
I guess Sweet Pea is a Jersey dog, but that's ok.
Nobody is perfect.
She's now seeing parts of the city she's never seen before. Sweet Pea is easy to walk and is very well behaved.
She hasn't barked once when I've been around. She doesn't mind me.
It looks like Sweet Pea will be a winner after all. It might not have turned out that way.
But we don't have to think about that anymore.
Best wishes to you, Sweet Pea.
Thanks for posting, Martin. So it has been three days since Miss Pea made the wise decision to follow me into my building instead of rushing off into the dark scary streets of Jersey City (as she had done several times before). Although she was clearly wary at first, I think she realized fairly quickly that her risk paid off. Once upstairs, I immediately gave her some home-cooked chicken & vegetables.
ReplyDeleteAnd a couch.
This morning she met several nice dogs at the Paulus Hook waterfront and had a ball running around and playing with them. She was off leash the whole time and didn't run away. In fact, she knows her name by now and comes when called. As you mentioned, she craves affection and loves to reciprocate.
One of her favorite things to do is hang out on the balcony and watch everything that's happening outside.
She never barks.
She is terrified of dog runs. Must get to the bottom of that.
And so far, no "accidents." She lets me know when she needs to go out. Smart cookie.