Perri Turns 3!

Happy Third Birthday to Miss Perri!  This particular photo was taken on Perri's first Appalachian Trail hike.  I had only been in ownership of Perri for two weeks when we did this hike.  I was dogsitting Everett.  And I had Molly with us.  I thought that if I let Perri off leash there was no way she would leave Everett or Molly, both of whom she worshipped dutifully.

They ditched her.   They ditched her like two naughty friends ditch their annoying kid sister, and she could not find her way back to me.  She didn't know me well enough, didn't know her new name well enough (she used to be "Bella" - I called that name, too.)  I walked for miles calling her and whistling and fretting.  North and South on the AT, South and North.  I was dizzy and sick over it.  The day I drove Perri home she vomited and peed herself in my car and screamed the entire car ride home.  She crawled on my couch after her bath and sat eerily still like a lamb and stared at me.  I thought there had to be something wrong with a pup this calm.  She was not easy from the start.   Yet I loved her, adored her madly.  Some people have a hard time bonding with a new dog or pup but not me.  I fall right away.  And for Perri I fell hard.

I left the AT.  There was an easy walking trail in the woodlands near this stretch of AT.  I thought I might find some people out walking who had seen my girl.  I thought Perri might have found somebody, too.   She loved people.  In the distance I saw a couple and a child walking towards me with a dog trotting beside them.   I could have passed out I was so relieved, it was Perri.   It took me a while to trust her off leash hiking after that.  And now, she is truly as fine a trail dog as Ein is.

I must be feeling snowed in, hiking on the brain here on Perri's 3rd birthday post!