Becoming a step-pawrent part 2

This...is Lucia.

Lucia comes as part of a package deal with the fiance. Actually, if you remember the story of how Justin and I met, you know that this Australian shepherd was responsible for introducing the two of us...

Lucia was an adorable puppy, and has grown up to be a beautiful young dog (she's 1 year old now). And, she started off as just a tiny thing...here is a picture of her and Theo at Halloween this past year (Theo won't let me dress him up, nor do I really like to...but he tolerated me putting the letter jacket on him...so we said he was a football player...haha)...

Ah, at only a few months of age, Lucia was the perfect size in my book! And now, her legs have seemingly grown like weeds...she's a tall leggy thing, but thankfully, she doesn't weigh very much! She started off being about the same size as my Theo, but now any tug-of-war fights are clearly in her favor...

Now that we're gearing up for our big move north, I started to realize that there is an aspect of my relationship that I hadn't considered...adopting a canine daughter!

Ok, so you may laugh and say, "what's the big deal?" Perhaps you aren't a dog person. But, if you are like me, you know that your dog can seriously be your best friend in the whole world. They are like a family member...one that can't speak English...but a family member nonetheless. In the past, my pups have always been small dogs, mostly mutts...and always around 10lbs. Lucia, however, is unlike all the others! Although she isn't huge, she is an energetic dog that likes to pull hard on her leash when it is in my hands, and many times she has been known to jump on me or playfully nip at my wrists or ankles (that shepherd in her...). Over the past few months, she has managed to become much more polite, and I've been impressed at the progress that my fiance has managed to make with her.

Ah, but here's the catch: she isn't my dog, if you want to be technical about it! As of now, I can honestly say that I think she is adorable, and for the most part she is very well behaved...but I don't have that connection with her yet. I know it sounds silly, but I can decipher between different wimpers, nudges, and looks that Theo gives me. I've got him down to a science. I know when he wants to be fed, when he wants to go out, when he wants to play...etc, etc. Lucia...not so much yet! Making the move to VA will be the first time that I will be sharing a living space with her, and I am hoping that it goes smoothly! I am optimistic that I'll be able to open my heart up to this dog, hyperactiveness, occasional nippyness and all...and she'll easily become my new "canine daughter." Because, well...she comes as part of a package deal...I can't have it a la carte! Nor would I want it that way, for that matter!

Have you had to adopt a new canine/feline family member into your life? How did it go?