I couldn't be happier to see how much more confident Clover is each and every day.  She has impeccable house manners (if you don't mind a dog on the couch) -- no counter surfing, no accidents.  She's enjoying spring now that it's finally arrived and seems to like to spend time exploring the new smells in the backyard. 

She seems content to wander safely in the fenced yard with the rest of our dogs and is trying to make peace with the garden tractor and my husband's work to freshen the mulch in the flower beds.  We did hear her barking once again when she discovered deer just on the other side of our fence.  After a barking she thought it best to head back into the house and that's never a bad idea.

Clover is now ready for her forever family -- that family with a confident dog to help her learn the ropes, a fenced yard so she will be safe if/when there are loud noises that frighten her, and an experienced, dog-friendly family who know that she needs nothing but time and love to grow into a great companion.  She's affectionate and easy to live with and a girl who loves routine.  She has shown so much growth in the time she's been with us, we know the best is yet to come!

So many good things are in store for Clover -- she's showing us more and more of her personality and these last two weeks have been all about having fun!  She wakes up each morning charged up about breakfast (*Really* excited about her food!) and goes outside quickly so she can come back and have breakfast.  She doesn't just saunter in, she gallops back into the house and she is always full of smiles.  After breakfast, she's been enjoying play time in the house because it's still too cold for much outside play right now. 

She's learned how to play from some of the best playmates and she enjoys some active games as well as good, quiet chew time.  She really enjoys her dog toys and has a good selection so there's always something to chew on.   Clover has also learned how to initiate play and knows which dogs enjoy active play and which dogs would just like to nap.  She's a smart girl and has benefited from this time to learn about enjoying life and trusting people.

Clover follows us room to room and has a favorite place in each room.  She likes a dog bed and truthfully, she likes napping on the couch as well.  She's learned sit and takes treats gently but eagerly.  She is extremely food motivated.

We introduced Clover to sleeping on our bed and she thinks that's about the best thing -- but she's a bit of a bed hog so we've worked out an arrangement now where she sleeps in her dog bed and only gets on our bed in the morning.  Much better night's sleep for foster mom and dad!  She figured out the new system very quickly.

Clover now *loves* to go for a ride in the car and does so daily.  She's not active in the car, just settles in and watches traffic out the back window.  No pacing, no barking.

We think that Clover will be ready to find a new home in 2 more weeks -- we'd like to give her a bit more time with us.  She is still occasionally overwhelmed by new sounds, unexpected movements and can, out of the blue, get very worried about things that she's seen or done many times before.  She needs to build her confidence a bit more and then she'll be ready for her *real* family.  

Here are some pictures of lovely Clover.  You'll see that the stitches have been removed from the cyst surgery on the top of her head and she's got a bit of a new hair style while she waits for the shaved spot to fill in.  The good news is that she's slowly but surely growing in coat where she had just patches of fur before.  We don't know what happened -- maybe she was shaved, maybe a lot of hair just broke off because of poor nutrition, but either way she's starting to get that lovely golden retriever coat.  We have no idea if she'll have a long coat or a curly coat but we think she's beautiful, no matter what.

Clover is just a few days from her spay surgery so I wanted to share an update and some pictures. Clover is starting to feel comfortable here. That doesn't mean that she has totally mastered household noises, but it does mean she's growing more confident daily. And most interesting of all, she's made peace with the television. In fact, sometimes when we come into the room we'll find her sitting watching the television intently, really taking it all in. Very fun to watch her grow!

Clover is definitely a girl who loves routine. She now eats with gusto and no longer needs a bit of canned dog food to entice her at mealtime. She takes treats and is learning "sit." That's as far as we've gone, but she is definitely a smart girl.

She was worried for a few days, because we moved her kennel into another room (not something she relished at all). And then, we traded out her kennel for a wire crate, and that had her worried initially. But given time and patience (and a few special treats), she showed us that she could conquer these new things.

She is a definite snuggler and enjoys time with her people, sitting on the couch, and taking in the joys of her new world. Here are a few pictures of Clover. You can see that her coat isn't in great shape, but it is definitely starting to feel better - not as dry as it was when she first came to us.

She absolutely loves to be groomed as had been known to almost push other dogs aside to get into position to be combed. We think she's been shaved in spots including her skirt and tail. With time, we expect her coat will regrow and we will see the lovely and beautiful girl she really is.

This week's photos don't really do Clover justice. You can't tell how much more relaxed she's become and how much more trusting she is. But you can tell that she has a beautiful smile and knows how to nap in the sunshine. All good, Miss Clover!