I was already feeling smitten at this point and didn’t feel like it was time to head back to the shelter, so we headed to our apartment. We started outside where we let the two dogs explore a bit. Mango wanted to explore and sniff all the corners, and followed my husband around to “help” as he checked the compost and watered our plants, before plopping down in the shade for a rest. She and my dog coexisted quite well. She even briefly met my neighbor’s dog, and based on her interactions with the two dogs I’d say she’s pretty adept at taking cues from other dogs during play.

After some downtime outside we headed indoors for some air conditioned downtime. Mango plopped down on the floor and made herself at home pretty quickly. She was pretty content to rest for a bit, occasionally trying to initiate play with my dog. Our apartment is a bit too small for that, so we chewed on some bully sticks to relax instead.

A short walk around our neighborhood later (for a quick sniff/potty break before heading back to the shelter), and it was time to head back.

Folks, if we were in a place to foster…I would have kept her. She did so, so well outside, indoors, on trails, in my neighborhood. She jumped in and out of my car no problem and seemed perfectly content in the backseat. She liked being near us – following us around and laying down near us – but also started initiating close contact/cuddles near the end of our time with her.