A Campus Walk

One day last fall the principal of a local university invited me to come take a walk with Beily and his dogs. I know him through a friend and he is a very friendly older gentleman, who has a great love and fascination for Belgian Shepherds (Malinois). He has about 8 of them on the University campus, where they help out as guard dogs at night. They live a pretty good life, since the university is full of trees and grass, and quite honestly, it's huge! I was really excited to be invited with my dog, both because I knew Beily would love a walk around campus, but also because I find it so fascinating to see dogs interact with each other. I was also excited about the opportunity to TALK about dogs.

I won't lie, I was a little nervous at first. The university dogs are pretty impressive looking, and when we walked up to the fence they barked at us as if they wanted to swallow us (or at least Beily) whole. Luckily, Beily is a clever dog, and she knows when to show her submissive side. She said nothing when they barked at her, I could tell she was a little scared, but she kept her cool and threw herself down on her back to let the other dogs check her out. She was clearly telling them that she wasn't going to be of any trouble, and that she wasn't a threat to them. After that they were all friends, and me and the principal could begin our walk. The university is completely surrounded by a tall fence, so I could relax and let Beily run around as freely as she wanted to. ...She wasn't as good at being off-leash back then as she is now, I kind of have to admit. =) She's great at it now though.

We walked around for a little over an hour, and the dogs ran up and down and here and there. I think sometimes when you have just one dog, they adapt so much to your lifestyle as a human, that you tend to forget they are actually dogs. And then, when you see them run and play with other dogs, it becomes obvious that they automatically fall into this kind of a pack behavior. I find it pretty incredible. Beily loved that walk, and they probably ran more than she had ever run in her life.

For me; that afternoon walk really high-lighted the importance of letting your dog interact with other dogs. It was a very full-filling experience to see how these guard dogs went from hostile and to very accepting, and how they welcomed my dog to come run with them. It was definitely something of a transition, and I am glad it went well. I hope we'll be invited for a walk again someday, it was great.

Back in Town

Last Thursday night I packed my bags, left my dog at a kennel and took of to Guadalajara for a couple of days. I hate that aspect of traveling; the moment where I have to say goodbye to my dog, since it makes me feel like the worst doggy momy in the universe. So far I have always left her at home with someone dropping by to check on her, or I've left her at a friend's house, but this one time I really couldn't find anyone I trusted to take care of her. I decided to leave her at her regular Vet who offers pension for dogs. It was definitely not the ideal solution, far from it, but I felt it would be the place where she would be the safest. This time I chose safe rather than 100% happy, since I knew she would be locked in a large kennel for most of the time. I am not sure I made the right choice, but at least she was with people I trusted (it's an amazing vet). She got fed every day and a couple of walks, and she got to be inside with aircondition. Sometimes you have to take what you get.

To give you yet another update; just like I expected, the person who had offered to give us a ride from AZ to D.C pulled back her offer. Trouble with her boyfriend, she told me. Funny as it is I think it was for the best, since I never had a good gut feeling about it. It never felt like the right option. I found this out before I went to Guadalajara (which by the way is an amazing city), and I just got back now this morning. The first thing I did was to check my email since I posted an ad last week, and I had one reply from a woman who sounds really cool and who would be up for driving over to D.C in June. Again, perhaps it's too good to be true, but who knows..! This person I feel really good about, which I never did about the other, so I genuinely wish that it'll work. I need to double check that the guy who promised to drive us from here and to AZ on the 17th is still up for it, I've found an awesome couple to stay with in Tucson that night, and if things works out we would begin our road trip on the 18th.

If this worked out it could be so cool..! I love adventures! Last summer I chose to take a bus from AZ to D.C rather than to fly, it took me 55 hours to get there with all the stops, but I loved it. I did it simply because it was different. This trip that I'm planning for this summer could be amazing if t works out, and I would love to make a photo diary of a road trip with my dog. I'm dying for this to work out.

Now back to my return today. I got back at 3am actually, due to a delayed bus, and I went to pick up Beily at 11 this morning. If it had been up to me I would have been there the second they opened, but I was asked to come pick her up at 11 so that they would have time to give her the bath I had asked for. It was so great to see her again, even though I was only away for about three days. It sounds stupid, but I miss her when I'm away from her. It is so heart-warming to see how happy she is to see me whenever I have been away. Such a simple thing makes the extra "trouble" with my summer plans far more than worth it. Having such a sweet and happy dog really is a blessing. I'm lucky.

Potentially Reconsidering

I have to admit I have started to think a little bit more about the potential option of flying from Arizona and to Washington D.C, mostly because it feels like more of a sure thing. I mean I would have taken driving over flying anytime (not for me, I love flying, but for the dog), I thought, but at least if you book a flight ticket you know that you will be able to get to where you plan to go. IF I find someone who could drive us... what if they pull out in the last minute and I find myself stranded in Tucson, Arizona? That wouldn't be cool. Still, I haven't given up on the idea of getting from AZ and to DC by car yet.

Does anybody have an opinion on this? Would it be a better idea for me to fly myself and my dog over to DC? Has anyone ever flown with their dog here? I could really use some advice. I'm not sure why I find it so scary to fly with my dog, and especially since I am planning to fly her with me to Sweden someday. I guess it's just that I don't have any experience with things like that, and it feels almost like this completely impossible mission! What if something happens to her? It's silly, I know, but... you know. I guess I should be looking into it though. Perhaps it might be our best (or only?) option.

Why the Name?

There is a funny story to why Beily is named Beily. When I first got her we were trying to come up with a name, my roommate and I, and we happened to spot bottle of Bailey's on the kitchen counter. Bailey... I liked it, and so did my roommate. We decided to name her Bailey. For a little while that is how we spelled it,  but some friends started making fun of it, saying that we'd chosen such an American name for her, and that in Mexico it should be spelled "Beily". ...Exactly the way it would be pronounced here. It was nothing but a joke, and everybody laughed at it, but after a while I decided to change the spelling of her name. Bailey went on to becoming Beily - same pronounciation, different spelling. Why? One of the biggest reasons was that the new spelling would always remind me of my friends, and the inside joke that lead to the change in spelling. Everytime I see her name in writing now, I have to smile, just because of all the memories it is connected to. I call it a Mexicanized version of the name Bailey, which is funny to me. However, yes, her name used to be Bailey and she is originally named after a bottle of Bailey's. ...An empty bottle of Bailey's, I have to admit.

It is hard to name a dog! I have to say. I mean whatever you choose to name your dog is something you'll have to put up with for the next 10-15 years. When I first named my dog Bailey I have to admit that there was something that didn't feel quite right, and I had just felt the pressure to name her SOMETHING after my roommate gave her to me, since all the people that were there were looking at me, waiting for me to give her a name. I never felt that Bailey was the right thing for her, and it didn't feel original enough. Once we decided to change the spelling it felt right though, because I felt her name reflected a sense of humor that my Mexican friends (and Mexicans in general) have, which would forever be that reminder of my time here. That is the simple story of how Beily got her name.

Bad Luck Beily

This is just so ridiculous, but I had an accident yesterday and I've ended up with a screwed-up foot and ankle! I've been told it's most likely not broken, but I'm in a cast either way - "just in case". This prevents me from doing absolutely anything, which is a huge problem when having a dog! Thank higher powers that I have a fenced-in front yard so that Beily can go out and pee whenever she wants at least, but I'm suffering so badly by not being able to walk her..! It feels horrible, and I feel like the worst dog owner in the universe. A friend has promised me to come help me later this afternoon, but when I usually walk her 3 to 4 times per day, this cannot be a fun situation for her. It just feels so unfair that she should have to suffer too just because of my bad luck! All I want is to take her out.

An interesting thing though is that she sleeps on my hurt foot whenever she can..! Last night I woke up and she was in my bed, resting her head on my ankle. Today she goes to sleep next to me wherever I am, and rests her head on my foot. Perhaps she finds the cast funny, but it's really sweet.

This is just a really bad timing. I am planning to go away for the weekend so I'll be leaving her at a kennel for a couple of days, which was why I really wanted to spoil her with walks and play now before I go. Such bad luck. I've tried to find someone who would be up for walking her so that she would get several walks a day as usual, but so far I haven't had any luck with that. Bummer. As for our summer plans it looks like there is a small glimpse of hope again..! Like I said before I have found someone who can take us to Arizona, and now I have also found a place to stay there for a night. The person who claimed she'd be driving from Arizona and to the East Coast seem to be back in the game, so we'll see if she sticks to the plan this time. I am definitely concerned, and I will be looking for more reliable options. I wish I knew someone (like really knew them) who would be planning to do that drive somewhere around June 18th. This is definitely one of the biggest challenges I've faced.

Progress..!

I'm back! It's been an intense weekend with little or no time for blogging, and that is the reason to why I disappeared off the radar for a few days. There has been some potential progress regarding moving with Beily out of Mexico and over to Washington D.C. It seems like I have found a guy who is willing to take us with him when he leaves from a town close to here to drive up to Tucson in late June. I've found him through a forum, and it seems pretty legit, so I'm hoping he sticks to his word. He's given me a date when he's planning to do the drive and everything, and he told me he has no problem with giving my dog a ride as well. He also told me he has driven with his own dog several times, and that he has never had any trouble crossing the border with the dog. ...That took some concern off my shoulders. I mean I didn't think there would be trouble since I will be going prepared, but it's still nice to hear it from someone who have done it, that there shouldn't be a problem to get a perfectly healthy dog across the border. I have to say I love nice people who offer to do others a favor for no reason.

Secondly, I have found a woman who seems to be planning to drive from Arizona and to Pennsylvania around those dates. She told me she'd be happy to give me and the dog a ride, but I guess it's hard to know if she'll follow through or not since June is still pretty far away, and I don't know her. She doesn't owe me anything. In a perfect world it would work out though... I would come up from Mexico one day, stay a night in Tucson, head to meet this woman the next day and head out on a roadtrip over to the East Coast. ...Sounds too good to be true though, doesn't it? Something tells me she'll change her mind pretty soon, because quite honestly she seems a little odd. Anyone planning to drive from Arizona and over to the East Coast in late June? Anytime after June 18th. If you are or if you know someone who is - please let me know. ... Because funny as it is she is telling me right now that she's not getting any replies from the person she was planning to go meet, which seems a little like she's about to blow the whole thing off. ...That sucks. Well at least I know how to get up to Arizona, right? One step in the right direction. One way or the other we will get there...

Meeting My Dog

I remember when I first met Beily. She moved in with us on a hot September day and she was such a happy little creature..! Funny, considering her rough start in life and all those flees and ticks that taunted her and sucked her blood. I know she had at least one sister, because when her rescuers (a wonderful rescue organization that we have here) found her in that box she was together with another puppy from her litter. Sometimes I think about that puppy, and I wonder what happened to her. I know for sure she was adopted by a "nice man", but I wonder if she became one of those outdoor dogs that spend most of their life outside in the backyard. Probably. After all, that's the life most bigger dogs I know here live, and it's simply the way people here are used to keeping dogs. It's not because they're bad people - not at all, and lots of people adore their dogs! It is just that they've grown up with the idea of bigger dogs being meant to live outside. To many, I am weird for having my dog inside.

This is Beily and her sister. The second one is the photo that was published on the rescue organization's Facebook page, and also the photo my roommate saw when she was deciding which dog to give me for my birthday. It is so weird for me, the idea of giving away puppies for presents. My family back home have two dogs, but we had to save money for years before we could get them, since they were both quite expensive! Gave us a lot of time to think about the decision to get a dog. It's not like that here. My whole life I had pictured getting a pure-breed dog whenever I was ready for a dog; not because I preferred them, but because I never really knew any mix-breeds while growing up. I come from a small town (as in VERY small), so the possibility never really occurred to me..!

A lot has changed since then. The rescue organization here they do an amazing job with rescuing dogs off the street, promoting neutering/spaying, going out and talking to primary schools and High Schools etc. etc... and living here in Mexico has made me realize how many dogs that are suffering due to irresponsible dog owners, and how bias people are when it comes to pure/mix breeds. I have no preference when it comes to pure-breeds or mix-breeds, I love all dogs the same, but I've really loved this whole thing with adopting a dog, rather than buying one from a breeder. It's pretty amazing. I dare say that any dogs I decide to get in the future will be adopted dogs, that is for sure.

I have no idea what Beily might be a mix of, and I don't really care. Of course there will always be curiousity there, but since there is no way of ever finding out, I don't think too much about it. The only thing that matters to me is that she is happy and healthy, and it's sad that so many people are hung up on breeds. I'm getting really nervous, I really just want to get her out of here, or to know that I will be able to get her out of here in the end of June. If I knew that for sure, and if I knew how to do it, I would feel so much better. She is such a good-spirited little (or not so little, anymore) furry fluff ball.