Those of you probably remember I had a dog for about a week a little less than a year ago. He ended up biting a kid and I had to give him back. Well, now I am working with a group called Pets for Vets that finds veterans companion dogs. It's even better then the last rescue I worked with which was a great place...Pets for Vets trains the dogs before you get them and they make sure they aren't aggressive and will be a good fit. Of course they do the pre screening and everything and find out what you want from a dog and then they work on finding the right dog for you. For me, I want a companion and a dog that will get me out walking so I can take care of my diabetes.

So today I met Lola, She was a greyhound mix and a very sweet dog. She didn't start off that way. She barked at me when she first met me which the lady said she never has done. The lady wasn't sure if she was going to be able to place her after the barking but things got better quick.

After we went out to play fetch she warmed up to me and was giving me kisses in no time. We went out to my yard and played fetch with a tennis ball. She was really fast and jumped really high to catch the ball which was awesome. (the greyhound in her!) Then she came right back and placed the ball at my feet. The awesome thing about her is she doesn't need a leash except for when walking her because as long as you have the ball in your hand she will follow you anywhere.

She said I could take her to the beach and just keep tossing the ball as I walk and she will always come back to me. We took her out for a walk and she was really good on the leash! She stopped when cars were coming and she didn't even pay attention to another dog that barked at her or when a bicyclist rode by.

Lola was very active but she was really good in the house. She knows all the commands and will come, sit, stay, lay down, give a paw (or 2!) and if you have a treat she will follow you around doing anything you ask to get that treat!

The lady wants me to meet another dog that is a shepherd mix. He is more laid back and not as active. Winston, the shepherd, is more calm so she wants to me meet him on Thursday and then make my decision on which one I like the best and then I can keep one for 1 or 2 days to see if it's a fit for me. The awesome thing is they give you everything. They give you a big bag of food, a cage, leashes, bowls, toys and free training.

She showed me a picture of Winston and he looks like an awesome dog. The only thing with him is that he would need to be on a leash more because he would go meet other people. But that's no big deal. Winston wouldn't be a dog that plays fetch but he is a good walking dog. She said she wants to give me a medium size dog as opposed to a little dog like a pug or Shih Tzu because she thinks I need to walk at least 1-2 miles a day and a smaller dog wouldn't be up for that, where the greyhound or shepherd would be perfect for that.

She also recommended that I feed him or her their meals from my hand for the first couple of weeks because that will cause the dog to bond really well with me. I was able to feed Lola some pieces of cheese from my hand and she was really well behaved. So, I can't wait until Thursday to meet Winston because I know if he's not a match I would love to have Lola!