I am Clover

Apparently I'm starting a new life, so I thought I'd start a blog, too.  Then I can stay in touch with my friends, especially all the wonderful people the from the Berkeley Animal Control Services shelter where I've lived since I was found running in traffic on Highway 80 in February.  Please don't ask me to write about how I got there, or what my life was like before---I'm trying to put all that behind me.  Let's just say I was really scared when I got to the shelter.

The people there were very nice to me, and I got a kennel and a bed all to myself.  I liked that part.  I didn't like the dogs barking on either side of me, so I barked back and tried to sound meaner than they did.  This could have been a questionable tactic on my part, as it might have been one of the things that kept people from being interested in adopting me.  Lots of volunteers and staff people walked me and wrote down nice things about me, though----I used to read their notes at night when everyone was gone.  In March, Joel told a new volunteer Janet that she was going to take me to Bad Rap training. "Training?" "What is this 'training?'", I wondered.  It turned out to be a lot of hard work!

I had to try to make eye contact, (which is still hard for me.)  I had to not bark or be grumpy with other dogs, even if they looked right at me!!  I had to sit, and lie down, and stay---"stay" is my VERY least favorite thing.  I did get some treats, which helped, but not a lot.  Sometimes people would watch me at class, and Janet would make me sit still while she told them how wonderful I was and how fast I was learning new things (all true) and how they should take me home with them.  But they never did.  I was always really tired at the end of class, and happy to get back to my kennel.

That was my life until July.  Then last week a WHOLE bunch of new dogs came into the shelter, and it got crowded and even barkier than usual.  All of us were stressing out and the people had very worried looks. Yesterday Janet brought her husband Bill to take me for a walk, and then everyone was smiling and petting me and telling me how lucky I was.  My Auntie Ferne brought me a bag of toys, too.  I love toys....

After the walk, Janet and Bill didn't take me back to the shelter.  They told me to jump into their car, and get in a big box.  I'm pretty sure I've done this before, and I knew just what I was supposed to do.  It was really comfortable lying on a soft blanket that Tim gave me, and I went to sleep.  We went a long way, to a place called Gilroy.

Janet says this is where my new life will begin!