Nutmeg and Nora Relocate

I hope I didn’t scare you. For all we’ve gone through with these cairn terrier rescues, the thought of giving up Nutmeg and Nora has rarely crossed our minds, especially because I’m not sure how well anyone else would handle them, and therefore, I would worry about their future welfare. So, when we finally found the house we had been seeking for many years, there was no question that Nutmeg and Nora would join us.

Before we moved in, we took the dogs to the new house, so they could have a look around. When they walked through the back door, I was surprised that they were curious, but not out of control. They sniffed around the house and seemed to approve.

Then, on the day of the move, we sent them off to the groomer, so they’d be out of the house for the day and safe from the movers’ work boots. They left one house in the morning, and they came home to a completely different house in the evening.

The most interesting result of the move is that it resulted in a sort of reboot in Nutmeg and Nora’s relationship. The territories that they had staked claim to in the old house were no longer valid, and because of that, there seems to be much less friction between them in the new house.

One of the first adaptations we made at the new house was to have our landscaper build a small fenced area for the dogs. Besides avoiding the expense of fencing the entire yard, a smaller fenced area allows them to do their business, but helps us avoid having to wrangle them into coming back inside, if they are not so inclined. I also have a fear of the dogs digging their way under the fence or chasing down a stray critter in a larger fenced area. Furthermore, apparently our yard is an occasional thoroughfare for deer, so I certainly don’t want to interfere with their routine. We have yet to see one, but our next-door neighbor brought us photographic proof last weekend.

So, life with Nutmeg and Nora continues to improve. They’ve come quite a long way since September of 2011, when we brought them home from Ohio in a laundry basket. They have gone from lost souls, disoriented and displaced, to happy and healthy pups, quite comfortable in their new home.

Here are a couple of pictures of Nutmeg and Nora in their new home. I apologize for the blurriness. These dogs are so small and move so fast, that it’s not easy to get a sharp shot of them.