Happy Birthday, Sunny D. Lab

Dad's Home!

Who is that redhead on the porch waving two treats like semaphore code? I don't know, and I don't care because DAD is home!!

Sunny, the rescue, just turned 2. Adopted from a rescue organization that got her out of a puppy mill on a small farm, where she'd been left to grow in a too-small crate, her legs permanently "wonky," she has grown strong and healthy. She doesn't let her orthopedic issues slow her down at all.

The first six months were "challenging". We still had Lorelei with us (we lost her to sudden, inoperable cancer a couple of months later), Partner in Grime was on the road a LOT, and Sunny was 10 months old, with NO socializing or training, but TONS of energy.

She and Lorlei bonded quickly, but she was a handful when she wasn't sleeping.

Don't let this sweet face fool you.

THIS is the look you'd get after she'd do a zoomie in the house, launching off of the recliner like a Flying Wallenda to hit the sofa, which was just before "Bitey Hour" (that time before dinner when one has to gnaw on EVERYthing, including Mom's fingers, toes, and backside)  

There's a reason that since I don't drink alcohol any longer and I cut back on black coffee, I had to resort to THIS to get through my mornings.

We also had to do a little training on proper social interaction with our landscaping, including the large lilac bush.

But she's turned into a great dog, finally mellowing. Having gone through the "teen years," she learned how to burn off extra energy outside, first by learning to play ball in the yard, then with her new best friend, Napoleon, the Golden Retriever, whom the neighbors behind us brought home with them one day.  

Happy birthday, Sunny D. Lab. Like your predecessors, Lorelei Lab, Abby Lab, and always- Barkley, you are loved and you are safe now.