The Dog with No Name

We adopted a dog this weekend from a shelter in Los Angeles. Witness the satisfied customer above, taking her first contented dog nap.

We'd seen her mugshot on the shelter's website and thought she looked like a good dog.  She was in a kennel with 2 other dogs about her size. When we approached she was nibbling on the others to prevent them from coming close to us. Not in a very aggressive way, but more like puppy gnawing on them as if to say - nope, these are MY people!

She seemed a little freaky when they moved her from the kennel to the outdoor space where we could see her alone, but she calmed down a bit and we decided that for a shelter dog, she seemed very mellow. We walked her around the block at the shelter and were pleased to notice she was an OK leash walker but needed a little practice.

She rode home well in the car, seemed relaxed and when we got her home we spent some time walking in our fenced back yard with her off leash. We came inside and she explored around then we took her for a walk around the neighborhood, again giving her more leash practice time. She's VERY interested in cats! Other dogs don't seem to rate much interest, nor do children, people on bikes or loud trucks.

She arrived at the shelter Dec 17, they estimated about 2 years old and pregnant. She was handed in by her former owner. She left micro-chipped and spayed. I'm glad she was spayed, but I wonder what happened to her pups.

She is very relaxed for a new dog. I think she is just relieved to be at a house, without other dogs and the smells and the drama that is inherent in a shelter. She has demonstrated to us she is house-trained and she enjoys her brisk walks in the neighborhood. She is getting much better on lead but still has some separation anxiety. She doesn't know it but when I go out for a while today she's getting a nice puzzle chew toy with treats inside. I hope she likes it because she's not terribly food motivated. In fact she hasn't eaten much since she's been with us. Her low food interest and worm problem will be addressed at her vet appointment.

For a shelter dog, she is surprisingly mellow and well-behaved. She's been one of the easiest dogs I've ever encountered.

Name-wise we've had a few ideas - but so far she remains without an official moniker.