Dori in her sweater

I want first to tell you a new thing about our girl. If you have been following her story, you may really like this and think there is some kind of break through happening. I'm not sure I'm ready to go there yet, as, we still have so far to go, but I hope it is a good thing.

Dori got on the sofa. Now most would think, 'Oh, no! The dog's getting up on the furniture!' And I probably would have been one of those people. Up until now, she has not behaved like a dog, she stays in her kennel all day, even though we've taken the top off, she does not get involved in what's going on, even to watch. To get her to come out of the kennel, we have to leash her, which she tolerates without fear or fight. One day about two weeks ago, she walked around the coffee table and got up on the sofa. So, I put a blanket over her, rather than pet her or talk to her, to let her know that was an OK place to be. Except for when we get her off the sofa to eat or have a little water, she does not leave the sofa now. She does watch us intently walk around the house, whatever we do sitting in the living room, eating, watching tv, reading, visiting with company, knitting, folding laundry, talking . . . .

Here's our morning ritual, on days of tolerable weather, to go for a walk. Maggie's ready, Dad's about to harness Dori, who has sat up from her pile of blankets.
This is her new sweater. The pattern was sent to me by the Humane Society, the shelter where we found her, as a charity project. They were asking for sweaters for dogs at the shelter, two big rescues this month. (http://www.redheart.com/FreePatterns/tabid/118/Default.aspx?tabid=118&patternid=WR2036.pdf) I realised that I needed to knit some for MY dogs first before I can for charity so, I got started on one for Dori first. I knit it last weekend, although it is modified somewhat from the pattern. I knit it in the round so that there was no seam to contend with from the neck to the belly, skipped the button as we have the collar, the flea collar and the harness and the button probably would just hinder. As I worked on it, I sat on the sofa next to her and let the cast on edge trail off my lap so that she could watch. I actually held it up to her and let her sniff it. She's not a dog that sniffs anything, but I wanted her to see I was making it and told her it was for her. She did watch me work on it some, kinda hard to miss when you are sitting together. When we were kids, we would sit next to my mom while she crocheted and we would enjoy the afghans while they were in progress. So, when it was done, I did not put it on her immediately, I let it lay there. I wanted to clip her nails before we put it on her, because we have not trimmed them since she came. Well, I've tried, but she gets scared and we can't calm her yet. I was concerned that her nails would snag in her new sweater. When I went to get the trimmer, the battery needed charged so trimming her nails didn't happen. Anyway, Tuesday morning was pretty chilly out, there was a wind blowing. So, we put Maggie's old sweater on her first, up on the sofa so that Dori would see that this was the plan. Then we put the new sweater on Dori, it went easily. No scary episode occurred. It fits her width and length, is not bulky, but a little loosely knit so that it's not a bit stuffy. On the walk, she seemed comfortable. There wasn't any angst about the wind, she didn't seem affected by the cold like she had been.

This is us when we got back. Maggie seemed a little put out that she didn't have a new sweater too but it's in progress, same pattern. Here she's wearing one I made her last year, copied one she already had but was looking pretty ratty. I made it of acrylic because I was unsure how it would turn out, fit and all, never having knit a dog sweater before. Well, it fit perfect except the armholes were a little too snug. Hopefully, I will be able to get a third one done so that they each have two. The new ones are of 100% wool, chosen and because even if we get wet, maybe walking in the rain, they will still be warm, even in the lightweight texture. 12/27 ETA: Got Maggie's sweater done. Tough part is trying to get a decent snap of her in it.

Anyway, it needs some adjusting. Now that I've gotten in on her and off again, I need to take about 4 inches off the tail end. I hope you can't tell from the photos, it was a pretty silly skirt effect that needs to go away, because skirts don't work on dogs that need to poop and all.