Ellie Roosevelt Williamson

I came back from a baby shower a couple of weeks ago and found Sam pouring over the Humane Society website with a mischievous grin on his face. "I've been to the humane society..." he started. "I fell in love with this dog. I almost brought her home but that's not how the Williamsons do things. I hope you say it's ok to get her." The next day we went back and checked her out again. I have to say the people at the Humane Society LOVED her. Every time we would start talking to an employee they'd say in a half-whisper "You know Ellie is the best dog here." She is 10 months old, and fully housebroken. Apparently when she first arrived as a pup she was WILD so that won her a ticket into the PPUPS program, a doggie school in the women's prison here that trains dogs as part of the women's rehabilitation. She spent four months there before returning to the Humane Society, and knows a long list of commands (I'm still trying to memorize them all).

At first I was a little disappointed at the prospect of having a fully trained dog. Being that my work background involves behavior modification, I've been relishing the thought of molding a young pup into a well-behaved furball. But, as I've gotten to know her, I'm seeing there's still things to work on. She's rather skiddish at night and especially wary of bushes (yes, bushes). She gets separation anxiety whenever Sam and I leave for any period of time (which is a real doggie ailment that involves whining, and pacing the house with anxiety). She also loves other dogs and wants to play with them whenever we see one in the neighborhood. She is what I would describe to friends as a "boy dog," ie, she's a little too big to be a lap dog (although she tries anyway) but she can run really really fast and jump really really high (characteristics which I've always found that boys appreciate in dogs more than girls).

A few other things Ellie loves:
Chasing Bunnies
Riding in the Car
Going for Walks
Throwing dog toys up in the air and catching them
Birds
Running like a cheetah

A couple of years ago, I started really wanting a dog. I came up with an imaginary name for her: Eleanor Roosevelt. The fact that her name was already Ellie was funny to Sam and I and of course, as she already answers to it, we'll keep it as is.