Miss Toulouse Nicolau

My sister Millie asked how Toula is adjusting to our family life.  I think the answer is - great!  She is super with the kids.  Plays with them, jumps up on the girls beds looking for Evie the Cat, loves to see Hugo hop off the school bus in the late afternoon.

She is still a puppy and likes to chew, a lot.  This is my problem with her, the chewing.  Our shoes are safe and fine, she prefers the kids toys.  Plastic or wood, she does not discriminate.  So we all keep our eyes peeled trying to catch her before too much damage has been inflicted.  She does like bones.  It took awhile for her teeth and jaws to mature so she could handle them, now she knows better what is okay to chew, her bones! When she takes treats out of your hand she is very gentle.  She still muffles them with her lips like a horse.

Toula adores balls.  Tennis balls, little bouncy balls, soccer balls, or huge bouncy balls that she can only move around with her nose, she adores them all.  She is naturally good at fetching and will drop the item in her mouth for you.  So glad she isn't one of those dogs who want to play keep away or tug and tug and will never, ever let go of their dear ball or drop a super slobbery ball into your waiting hand!  I do still play with "those" dogs, I'm just glad that Toula hasn't yet developed those ball habits.  Toula will do anything for you to play soccer with her. 

She rarely barks.  She does get spooked by odd sounds and will let out a funny sounding yelp/bark.  When the lighting is just right in the new living room, she sometimes catches a glimpse of her own reflection in the glass doors and will goes bananas!  She is excited and timid at the same time.  Funny girl.

Toula is also a surprisingly agile jumper.  When new people come for a visit, especially new kids, imagine an excited Tigger.  She likes to surprise you and jump to bonk your face with her nose.  She surprised my Dad by jumping up on him while he was sitting on the couch watching television, he nicknamed her Devil Dog.  Speaking of nicknames, Toula tinkles a lot, Cesar sometimes calls her Princess Tinkles.

Poor Evie the Cat is still her target.  Every chance Toula gets, she'll chase and bully our Evie.  I tell Evie to just swipe her good one time, but no, our Evie is too nice.  Evie actually slept on our bed last night, first time since Toula's arrival.  So, I suppose that we are all happy with our new puppy dog, except for Evie.  She might boot her on back to the Dakota's if given half a chance.

Toula is a very happy and curious puppy.  She wants to be where the action is.  She is a lot like the girls.  She naps in the afternoon when they do and she can hardly keep her eyes open once we make for the stairs to begin bed time.  She's a keeper.