I had noted in an earlier blog post that Darla had broken Rule No. 1 soon after arriving here: no dogs allowed in my ancient, woe-begon-but-still-beloved recliner. She quickly claimed it as her own, and I surrendered almost as quickly.
She broke Rule No. 2 — no dogs in our bedroom — shortly after that, with a little help from Alayne. One morning Alayne had gotten out of bed before me and was in the kitchen fixing breakfast. She saw Darla outside our bedroom, staring at the door, wondering what had happened to me. Alayne opened the door and said "Get your dad!" The next thing I knew, Darla had bounded across the floor, leaped on the bed, and plopped herself down next to sleepy me. She rolled over and waited for me to rub her tummy.
I still held fast to Rule No. 3, though, which was: No dogs on the second floor of the people wing. This is where our two offices are, along with a small spare room. The second floor is one of only three areas where we have carpet in the house, and it seems certain dogs (Aurora, we're looking at you!) find the carpet a nice alternative to going outside to pee. We've let dogs up there in the past, and sooner or later came to regret it for that reason.
Well, Miss Darla likes to follow me around, so she would head up the stairs behind me when I went to my office. I felt guilty about closing the gate on her and leaving her sitting on the stairs. I couldn't do it. So she began coming into my office with me and sitting under my desk.
It started out as a day room for her while I was upstairs … then became her bedroom at night … and these days it's just known as "Darla's Room." It's hers whenever she wants it.
And though it may be her bed and her room now, she still expects (and gets) a rub-down whenever we walk by and see her in there. The sound of a gentle tail-thumping on the bed summons us, and we attend to her needs. Some things are just meant to be.
But if she wants me to buy her a tiara, that's where I'm drawing the line. Rule No. 4: No tiaras on dogs.
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New Shelter Challenge Begins
The latest round of the Shelter Challenge is underway and runs until October 13. You can vote every day here. To search for us, type in our name, Rolling Dog Farm, and Lancaster, NH 03584.
They have redesigned the contest site and made other changes. Please note that I cannot help with technical or voting problems. I also do not have an "inside track" to anyone at the Shelter Challenge, and I don't know any more about the contest than anyone else does. So if you find yourself having issues, please consult their FAQ page here and their Rules page, which is a pop-up you can find linked on this page.
Thanks for your votes!
Rolling Dog Farm Blog 
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