Since I had decided to name the dog Canela, I started calling her like that
while my father drove all the way back home. She behaved rather good on the car,
not making a single noise. She was attracted by the things outside the car's windows
and looked at them intently. Her eyes were beautiful... a green I have never seen
in other dogs' eyes. She didn't weigh a lot, and I loved carrying her in my arms.
It always seemed to me she made a funny face when I carried her...
We finally got home, and mom was waiting for us at the door. When she saw
the dog, she gasped and exclaimed, "Oh, look!" This was a good sign, because
my mom doesn't like dogs way too much... Canela won the heart of the family
in one single afternoon.
Dad and I went to get some basic stuff for her: plates for food and water,
a collar, a shampoo, some dog food, milk... and my brother stayed with her at home.
We had made a bed for her in a small wooden box, covered with a soft rug and a few
rags to cover her in case it was cold in the evening. Since she had no dog house
yet, she would have to sleep inside... (boy, I was lucky!! I loved the idea of
her sleeping in my own room!!) She fell asleep quite quickly, and, after placing
her box in my room, I also went to sleep, hoping Canela wouldn't be missing
her mother too much.
At midnight, the dog woke up and started whining, waking me up too. I called
her by her name and she came running to me. I had to pet her until she fell
asleep again. Early in the morning I would take her outside, and she knew perfectly
well what she had to do. A few "accidents" happened inside the house, but no harm done ;)
Aftre a few days that Canela had been with us, we had noticed she was everything but calm.
She loved jumping, running, climbing the stairs up and down... But worst of all,
was that at midnight, she knew I was there beside her, so she wasn't scared anymore,
therefore, she didn't cry at night. If she did, I didn't hear her anymore, I had
lost lots of sleep trying to make her fall asleep again... she became very playful during
the night... And, since I couldnt' hear her anymore, she started making trouble in
my room while I slept... she chewed the telephone's cable, she started pulling the
sheets of my bed, she grabbed one of my plushies and used it as a chew toy (AIEE!
Good it wasn't one of my Lion King plushies!! I didn't have one yet anyway...)
When we finally bought a dog house for her, it meant she wouldn't be allowed
to be inside the house anymore. (Mom and grandma were relieved by this, because
they didn't like the idea of a dog inside the house) The first night she stayed
outside the house, was the first night in several weeks I could sleep without
interruption. I didn't hear Canela crying during the night, although my brother
says she was howling tremendously. Canela got used to her house very quickly,
even though during the first nights she slept outside of it. She realized that
if she would be less cold if she slept inside, and she did that. Everything
seemd to be going okay, but trouble began.