Henna

On Tuesday afternoon we adopted Henna from the NH SPCA. She was a transfer from an Indiana shelter, as was Kodi, who we adopted three years ago this month. Henna is slightly smaller at just under 40 pounds, soft and sweet, but a little devilish at less than one year old.

Henna is a cross between an Australian cattle dog and something that we haven't figured out. To us she looks like a mix of hyena and tasmanian tiger. Her coloration is brindle. Since she did not know her shelter name, Parita, we changed it to Henna, more fitting to her color and looks.

She and Kodi are getting along quite well. They wrestle with each other and share bones and other toys. As young dogs do, Henna copies Kodi, licks his mouth, and harasses him more than he might like. Generally though, he is quite tolerant.

Kodi rides in a crate in the car, so we are getting Henna used to the same. I've taken them on the road several times and they are both completely silent during the rides, and wait patiently if I am occupied by work or errand. We've yet to leave her at home alone--too soon for that. Maybe in another week we'll see how she does at daycare. In time we will start taking her on long hikes in the Whites. She is full of energy and will easily take to the trail.

We have discovered that adopting a dog that is close to one year old or older is the best way to take in a new dog. Henna is mostly house trained and is calmer than a younger pup. She sleeps quietly through the night and has adapted to our schedule. Still, her personality will develop and change over the next year and we look forward to watching her mature and us all to bond.