“Hi, I’m Norma, but I respond to Norma-Jean, Norm, and Normy. I respond with enthusiasm if you are offering treats. I’m a female, about 3 months old, and I am excited to meet people and other dogs. I don’t know what cats are and every sound is a new sound to me – some of them make me a little skittish.

In early November I moved out of the AARCS shelter and in with my foster family. At that time I didn’t even know I had a name. In the week I’ve been here I’ve learned that my name is Norma and I know to come running when I hear the command ‘come’. I know ‘sit’, ‘lie-down’, “”wait’, and ‘okay’. I am pretty easy to work with because I am very motivated by food. Every day I get better at asking to go outside when I have business to do. My people keep saying ‘do-it’, so, yeah, I do it.

I am very happy to meet everyone who comes to the door and the kids in the neighbourhood come over to play with me quite often. They all comment on how soft my coat is. Being a puppy I have a lot of energy when I am playing. The dog that was already here at the house has taken awhile to warm up to me, but we play together now and we fall asleep close to one-another once we are tired. Funny thing, whatever toy she is playing with is the toy I want.

My kennel is a place I am very comfortable in. I am calm and settled as soon as I get in there and I sleep through the night – 7 hours – without complaint. I’ve only been walking on a leash a couple of times since I have been here and that is going to take some practice.

I’m not a tiger, but the pattern on my legs would make you wonder.”