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Foster Time

So, I’m back to fostering dogs again.  I didn’t post about the first one this year because I almost immediately found a great home for her.

I’ve got a pair of puppies in now, and am drowning in all things puppy.   Mr. Watson isn’t happy.  For that matter, Mr. Tori isn’t all that happy either.

CharlieThe truth is, this is incredibly bad timing.  I have NO time to do the puppy dance right now.  But it was a favor for a friend of a friend kind of thing, and the other options were not good, and it isn’t the puppies’ fault that they are homeless.

So, two puppies and possibly a third on the way, depending on how it goes.

They are big. The person didn’t get them to me when they were young enough to just be in that stupidly cute puppy phase that people fall in love with.  They are approaching 20 weeks old, and really I need a second foster.  They are too old to still be together, it would be better for them from a behavioral development standpoint to be separate now.

To a large extent all a dog needs when looking for a home, is a place to safely stay, somebody to feed it, and somebody clean up after it.  That’s why shelters do work.  Foster homes means that at least they don’t have the added stress of being around all that commotion, which is very difficult on some dog temperaments.  I really try to do more though.  I try to have a foster dog boot camp, doing everything I can to help them on their road to being the best dog they can be, so that they are more adoptable, and more importantly, so that stay adopted.  People rarely admit they are the type to give up when the going gets rough while they are out looking for a new dog, but even rescues with rigorous screening procedures get returns.

So, I’ve got two puppies here, and we are working on crate training,  potty training them, teaching them to walk on leash, teaching them, Sit, Down, No, Drop it, Off.  They are still puppies, so everything they see goes in their mouth.  Their mouths are full of sharp little needles.

linus5Yesterday morning, I was trying to wrangle them both outside for their morning potty break at the same time.  I was running late, and in theory would definitely be more convenient if I took them both out at once.  We aren’t having in house accidents, but I am very restrictive about the time they can spend loose inside.  Outside, I have specific areas where I want them to go to the bathroom.  I’m not happy with just anywhere.  So, I was out there leading them to the approved potty area, when Linus decided he’d walked far enough and started to pee.  I said no, and kept moving him toward the right area, but then Charlie tripped me, and as I tried to get my balance, Linus started to pee again, this time down my leg, pee filling up my tennis shoe.  In case you were wondering, it is very warm and unpleasant feeling.  I had to still get him over to wear he could potty and be praised.  Got Charlie pottied, and then got the hose to spray down the areas that he was not supposed to pee, like, my foot for instance.

When it was time to leave the house I couldn’t find my other pair of shoes.  Pee shoes were out of commission while I tried to get them clean.  The other shoes… well I had a memory of having to take them away from a puppy and putting the shoes somewhere out of reach, but I couldn’t figure out where.  10 minutes later, I needed to get help from another pair of eyes.  We finally found them, out of puppy reach as predicted.

Last night, I’m ashamed to say, he then managed to pee on my foot again, yep, another pair of shoes down.  You know the saying.  Pee on me once, shame on you, pee on me twice, so much pee on me.  Yes, I was trying to shortcut having to walk them both separately.  Today I’ve done much better, only taking each one out on their own so far.  Soon they will get a play break to play together, but like I said, developmentally it is better for them to be apart at this point.  I let them play together because I am lazy and it tires them out faster.

 

Cars that pass in the night
You Can Pry My Booze Out of My Cold Old Dead Hand

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