Molly

On Saturday, February 5th, Molly's owner - a young soon to be college student, drove to my home in the Placerville foothills with Molly. She wanted to see for herself that Molly would be living in a "country" home on 5 acres of land. My husband and I were finishing up securing the 1 acre fenced area around the house when they arrived. Molly was let out and was met by a curious and little bit reluctant "Chico" our macho little Chihuahua. It took some time and some treats and soon Chico realized everybody was his friend. Naturally, Molly was curious about Chico and wanted to sniff him and Chico was being a little bit agressive so we put him inside so Molly could relax. Molly wanted to meet and greet me an my husband. She was very friendly and personable. But what she wanted most was to explore! She smelled a critter hole and started digging. This was OK because most of our property is "natural" and not landscaped. She was a little bit scared of the horse, mini horse and goat in the ajoining pasture. But she was very subdued and did not bark at them or provoke them in any way and they appreciated that about her and were curious and friendly toward her, willing to be her friends. We showed Molly and her owner the inside of our house and how parts have gates so that dogs can be carefully monitored on carpets. Chico is a little dog and sometimes has a problem in big spaces when left alone. Molly's owner had brought all her toys and her bed as well as all her favorite snacks. We put Molly's toys with all the other dog toys. She started to pick out some of the new ones and play. She showed us how good she was at making the toys squeek! Molly was adorable. As the day drew on Molly's owner reluctantly realized it was time for her to go. I knew how hard this was for her. She was genuinely relieved and happy to see that Molly was going to be happy in her new home. As she drove away through the property gate she smiled through her tears and we promised to keep in touch and let her know she was welcome to visit any time! I had Molly on her leash and we continued along the road. We walked to the neighbors who have a beautiful property full of rock formations, trees, and interesting planters and natural gardens. She also loves animals and has 5 dogs and 14 cats! She rescues dogs and cats and has a Basset Hound that is 14! Molly was happy to visit with the dogs and explore the area. The cats were smart and stayed out of sight. Everyone was very excited to meet Molly and happy that she would be the new neighbor. After the visit I took Molly on down the road for a long walk. We went around the lake nearby. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining and the air warm. Molly settled in easily and it has been 2 weeks and she has not had any accidents. Chico warmed up to Molly and they tend to go out at the same times and sort of hang out. We have 2 indoor cats and and one outdoor and Molly is still learning to control her urge to chase them. She tries really hard. We know from past experience that at some point the urge will be gone. We acclimate her to the cats who are both very docile and sweet. The outdoor cat likes to hang out with dogs and has his own way of "training" new ones. Molly is no longer afraid of the horses or goat. In fact one evening I had to walk the horse because he had signs of collick. I walked him all over areas of our property even unfenced areas and Molly stayed close by without wandering off. The horse acted gently toward her and seemed happy that she was not the type to tease or herd. Molly is very sweet and loves to hang out and be close. She is a great cuddler. She is adorable and plays with all kinds of toys. She sleeps through the night and eats well and is an all round great dog. We are so pleased to have Molly as part of our family. Thank you to everybody at Golden Gate Basset Hound Rescue for all that you do - for making this match possible. Sincerely, Judie Stanley