Motherhood Monday What Was I thinking? I am already busy enough

Bring her home from the Shelter

New Friends

What am I doing? What is She?

We have been looking for a dog for over 10 years or as I put it. It was either a dog or a kid. Well the kid and now kids came first.  We have been looking at shelters for just the right dog. However with sick kids I started craving the need to escape to go walking but I can't go alone at night.  With my husband on his feet all day he has no desire to go walking at night.
Fast Forward to Saturday we went to a shelter to an open house and we found a 5 month old Yellow Lab Mix at least that is what they thought.  She fell into my lap and started to cuddle right away.  She didn't bark like the rest of the dogs, didn't even try to playfully bite.  She was calm but hated the leash. I figured it was because of the busy and crazy going on at the store. (more on that later)
My heart broke open and I felt she was perfect for out family since I have once daughter terrified of dogs.  No reason for it just scared.
After we brought her home. Renamed her she kind of just laid around the house. Sunday we scared her as she decided to jump on her new fathers chair and he yelled causing her to pee and hide.  4am it took twenty mins to get her to come out from behind the couch.  Did I forget to mention my daughter was up thrown up all night?  Or that her brother and sister had been throwing up for the last week? NO? Add in an ER visit and I am pretty sure I have lost my ever loving mind?

YES

( Not Ellie formerly known as Rio)

Yesterday I started to wonder if I had made a huge mistake? She is submissive and see me has her alpha right now which is great because I am the one home all day but she doesn't see the kids as part of her pack which worries me. I am scared she will bite the kids and if that happens my first thought is off to the shelter she goes.  Now this is where I feel horrible know the shelters are so full of dogs that want to be loved.

We are taking one day at a time.  Things I thought I would never do with a dog are the things everyone is telling me to do to keep a peace of mind.

She caught on quick to her dog door but sometimes she seems lost with getting her back legs in.  She loves to run around the backyard with her monkey stuff toy.

I have to realize that she isn't just a shelter dog but at some point in the last 5 months she was abusive, table feed and afraid of the broom. She has scars on her side, under her arms and on her legs each one different.  

Thankful for all the request for me to read books on dogs and raising them. Please keep them coming because I might have grown up with dogs but I realize I know NOTHING about them.