When is the wrong decision the right one?

We've taken on five pets in the past sixteen years. Without exception, each adoption has been disruptive, but it was only the first--two kittens within a week of moving into our first apartment in the States--that came with no doubts. When we got Sayla, the cats were seven years old and retreated downstairs and my heart broke when I realised what I'd done to them. Say didn't bother them much initially, but there was a huge disruption o their lives and they'd lost much of the freedom and center of our attention that they'd enjoyed. Eventually, though, they all came to an understanding, despite Say's obsession with herding Anzac.

When we first got Sayla, she was quiet and not very 'dog-like' - she didnt' know how to play and didn't really exhibit much 'personality.' She was recalcitrant in training and was fairly nervy. We certainly never fell in love with her in any kind of gooey, puppy-dog kidn of way. It took years for her to develop her beautiful, loyal, puritanical personality. And we miss it very very much, despite her 'quirks.'

Then a few years later, we brought Dylan into the house. Wriggly, bouncy, incontinent, dog aggressive, cuddly, completely out of control. And to Sayla, who needed to control everything, Dylan was the ultimate challenge. She never ever ever gave up on that task, herding Dylan constantly, punishing him for every minor transgression, checking up on him fifteen times an hour. Poor Sayla - she should have been an only dog. It was a mistake for us to get Dylan. But every time we sit on the floor and Dylan runs up to lie down and give us a cuddle, or performs his 'roawwwwwroawwwroawww' at 7 pm ont he dot for dinner, we fall in love once again.

So, having made two 'wrong' decisions in the past and lived to delight in them, I question my doubt over Tina. She's sweet and gentle and calm and completly biddable. But, she's proving slow to pick up commands, is ruining our lawn by peeing on it, possessive over toys and sandals and I don't think she has much 'spark.' She escapes and runs away at every possible opportunity which makes me think that she'll never develop that fierce loyalty that kept Say by our side even off leash.

So here we are then. I'm going to try and stop comparing her to Sayla and try to work with what we have, which is a gorgeous, friendly, funny new addition to our family.

And yes, she's still obsessed with shoes. She finds it difficult to settle down if Dylan is too close to one of my discarded sandals and it's not unusual to find sandals separated if she's nicked one during the day. Thankfully, she's shown no interest in chewing them. She does seem to 'herd' us when we come home, although I suspect it's really our shoes that she's herding - we just happen to be attached to them.