PP day – where you the reader take over and send in whatever upon like about whatever you like, as long as there’s at least one photo. (email – peter.b.abrahams@gmail.com) And now onto the first of a two-parter from M. Laiuppa, who has lots to say and is very good at saying it:

Freyja Grey (formerly “Gray” A054353) adopted from Hesperia on June 29th, 2021

The evening of June 28, 2021 I was reading the ChettheDog blog and the dog owners were discussing birthdays that day and if they celebrated their dog’s birthdays. I said I did and started thinking about Diana and how she came to be with me. I started thinking about CA Labs and More and I went to their website to look at the dogs and puppies. I wasn’t planning on adopting a second dog. Just looking.Then I started thinking about Hesperia and went there to look at the adoptable dogs. Front and center was Freyja, who reminded me so much of our childhood dog, Cuppy, who was a Keeshond Mix. Freyja looks a lot like a Keeshond.

When I saw she was red-carded I sent emails inquiring if she was still alive and if I could adopt her even though I am in San Diego County and they are in San Bernadino County. The next morning I started calling and e-mailing (calling every 10 min and e-mailing every half hour). When I got a response she was still alive and available but I had to be there by 4pm I bundled Diana into the car and we headed out for a three hour drive to Hesperia to meet her.

The meet and greet went great and $90 later she became a member of our pack.

I was told Freyja had initially been picked up off the streets, had been adopted out twice and returned twice for destructive behavior. Possibly the first adoption she was left in the yard alone all day. The second time she was returned within 24 hours. I assume she had been left in a house/apartment and when her people came home from work that first day they found she had destroyed some clothes or furniture.

I was told she was a Siberian Husky/ Shepherd mix and about 2 years old. Both turned out not to be accurate.

She was red-carded because of two failed adoptions due to destructive behavior. This is classic people who don’t know dogs and don’t follow the 3-3-3 rule to allow them to decompress after shelter life.

Her history of destructive behavior was not a deterrent to me. I knew Keeshonds didn’t do well being left alone for more than a few hours and were very affectionate dogs. “Gray” had all of these characteristics. Since I am retired I don’t leave the home much and when I do not for very long periods of time. Plus I had Diana as a companion for her. I felt confident that her behavior could be modified and with a secure and consistent environment the destruction could be reduced or eliminated.

On the ride home Freyja slept most of the time and had no problems riding in the car. The next morning there were no accidents and it turns out she was house trained at some point. There was no food aggression beyond normal guarding. The first week she did chew a shoe and a blouse, but that is because she woke up early and was bored, so as Diana and I slept, she quietly amused herself. This was resolved by my setting the alarm for 6am and letting them both out, then every few days I set it a half hour later until Freyja was on the same schedule as the rest of us. I got up and let the dogs out, then went back to bed. But I did not feed them until my alarm went off and I got up for the day. This resolved itself within a month and they were sleeping in with me because right after I got up, they got fed. She has learned to wait quietly in the morning until my alarm goes off, I turn on the light, sit up in bed and open my arms to invite her for a morning cuddle. Then she jumps up and enjoys some personal petting and attention.

I did not like Gray as her name. The shelter said one of the previous owners had named her that and they had been using it but she never responded. She did not recognize her name and did not come when called. I’ve named all of my dogs after warriors and gods so decided to name her Freyja (thinking she was Norse) because it sounded similar to gray and kept gray but spelled it the European Grey. Freyja Grey. She responded to Freyja within a week. Mostly because if she came when I called she would get lots of pets. Diana is food oriented. Freyja is affection oriented.

I sent for an Embark kit and in the meantime I worked on her behavior. She did dig in the trash the first few weeks but eventually that stopped when she learned the routine of the house and settled in. I secured the lids on the cans.

She did not know how to play with toys and knew no basic commands or how to walk on a leash. She did not recognize the doggy play bow invitation to play.

She learned to play with toys within a few months. Diana had lost interest in toys until Freyja came and suddenly she wanted all of them and started playing again. She taught Freyja how to play with them and how to destroy them. I watch on the security camera and I see Freyja grab a toy and shake it or relax on one of the Coolaroo beds and tear at it. Recently she has begun to be interested in the balls that Diana is obsessed with. Freyja is picking up behavior cues from observing Diana. Diana has not only taught her to play with toys but also the doggy play bow. Freyja has also learned to sit on command as that is how you get treats and pets and Freyja loves treats but she loves pets more. She and Diana have a schedule, a raw bone on Saturdays and a bully stick on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In between they can sit for chicken strips, Milk Bones and other small training treats.

Freyja can be attention-jealous. She has learned to sit in order to get pets and I am working on controlling her jumping up and circling in the same way although the circling will likely never stop. She is a smart, inquisitive girl who yearns to please. She craves petting so much she has learned to come when called, sit and control her jumping to get pets and be allowed to kiss my face. This is enforced with verbal praise.

My vet believes Freyja is closer to just over a year old rather than the two years old estimated on her paperwork so her new birthday was June 3, 2020 but when I went to update her chip there was a birthday listed as March 6, 2020. So she was actually 1 year and 3 months when I adopted her and just becoming an adult. Close enough. So do I celebrate my dog’s birthdays? I sure do And their Adoptiversary.