May 23, 2006

This month is our one year anniversary of Tequila’s adoption (formerly Rita) and in some ways it seems like just yesterday but in other ways it feels like we’ve had her forever. We changed Tequila’s name because Rita didn’t appropriately reflect her wacky personality.

When Tequila gets excited she darts off like she was fired from a canon, tucks her hind end under, and does 360 degree spins until she’s dizzy. She’ll continue until she’s totally exhausted if we don’t calm her. It’s quite a sight and looks like she’s just downed a shot or two of Tequila! Our neighbors and the other dogs think she’s quite silly but that doesn’t bother her at all. Tequila also loves to stare out the window and watch what’s going on outside. She’s become known as the neighborhood “busybody” dog, keeping an eye on whose coming and going.

Tequila is definitely a people’s dog and would probably leave with the UPS driver if I let her. She’s a bit more particular about her dog friends though so we have to be cautious when she mixes because she has tangled with a couple other female dogs. We knew she had an “alpha” streak when we adopted her and we’re careful when she encounters new dogs. We went to basic obedience school last year and she did very well, taking second place in class “finals.” (I admit there were only seven dogs but we were proud parents!) Mom and dad learned a lot too and we plan to continue her training.

We made the mistake of not crating Tequila the first couple months and suffered some destruction around the house that could have been prevented. When we decided to crate her she was very cooperative and we had no problems so we continue to crate her for everyone’s best interests. In fact, she’s so smart when she sees me going through my usual routine before departing the house she trots to her crate and gets in and waits without even being asked. She has two queenly dog beds for lounging and sleeping and she loves to curl up in them in a tight ball and snooze.

Tequila’s grandma flew up from Florida last year to stay with her when we took a trip out west and she’s coming again this summer to do the same, so Grandmas do spoil those grandlabs. Tequila’s other grandparents invited her to their cottage on a lake last year and we discovered she’d never been in water, which was obvious when she was spooked by tiny wave ripples. A neighbor’s Chesapeake Retriever, Bailey, came over and showed Tequila how to run down the dock and leap into the water like a gazelle after the tennis ball. Well, Tequila definitely figured out that tennis ball was out there and that water felt pretty good, but her leaps were more like a squatting bull falling off the end of a cliff. Those lake folks are real anxious for Tequila to come back and visit again so they can watch how the city dog does it!

Tequila enjoys working in the back yard with her dad, pulling weeds and wrestling with tree limbs. She definitely has a Tomboy streak but she’s also a big sissy, easily spooked by unfamiliar things. When we take her to wooded parks she always finds the biggest limb she can carry and proudly struts down the trail, struggling to hold her head high and wagging her tail nonstop. She gets a lot of laughs because she truly carries a big stick. She is also a tennis ball freak (and I mean FREAK). I think she’d climb a skyscraper if you threw a tennis ball on top of it. We buy them by the bulk because she wears them out quickly. She loves her toys too but believes they are meant to be destroyed so we give generously to toy manufacturers. I purchased one that was advertised to be “combat tested” but they obviously had never met Tequila.

Tequila has become my devoted companion. She always keeps an eye on me around the house, lays at my feet, and nudges for a head rub or better yet, a belly rub. She has an incredibly happy disposition and is full of energy and vigor. She’s not perfect but neither are we and wouldn’t we all be awfully boring if we were? She is however, entertaining, funny, the best company, and part of our forever family. We’re very grateful to LRR for the tremendous service they provide for so many needy labs (and families). We still maintain contact with Tequila’s last foster mother and encourage visits whenever they have time. Thank you Pam, Krista, Jeanine and all the other compassionate people who so generously support LRR - you’re the greatest matchmakers ever!