Bringing Truly Home

You know how you're supposed to do your research, develop a comprehensive plan of action, and then everything falls into place?  Well, it always pays to use common sense and remain flexible, too.
Once Truly was ours, we left the adoption kennel and headed to the car.  In the back of the car sat a brand-new, giant-sized crate with a fluffly bed and several toys in it.
We thought we would have to lift Truly up and put him in the back of the car.  Wrong.  As soon as we opened the hatch, he jumped right in.
We thought he would willingly go into his crate and find comfort and familiarity in it.  He's spent most of his life in one, right?  Wrong.  The minute he was led into his crate, he began to demonstrate his disappointment.  By the way, Truly's method of demonstrating his disappointment is to bark.  A lot.
He was barking so much while we were still in the kennel parking lot that I urged Tim to drive away.  I was afraid they would come and take him back!
We absolutely knew he was stressed.  After all, he had no idea who we were or where he was or what was happening to him.  During the drive home, we talked and sang to him.  I got in the back and petted him through the crate.  Finally, he quieted down and seemed to enjoy the rest of the ride.  We stopped a couple of times for potty and water breaks.  He loved jumping into the car, but resisted getting into the crate.
We made it home.
We thought we would have to assist him up the front steps.  Wrong.  He took them with no problem.  He came in and explored the house and yard.  No problems.  The stairs were a challenge, but he overcame them quickly.  He was home and he seemed to know it.
Here's the part where common sense and flexibility become very important.