PACK VALUES

Ooooo, I let too much time go by between entries. Luna had surgery to remove 4 "very concerning" lumps from various locations on her precious body. All were analyzed and found to be benign Thank You God! Her many many stitches and itchy itchy nights distracted me from sharing the sweet things she and Foster do every day as well the things they teach us.


Two of Luna's 4 Incisions...the inflatable e-collar was a good safety collar for her because boy did these itch!

Having Foster enter our lives definitely brought new thoughts and experiences right away. What I didn't expect was to see strengths materializing so quickly in our relationship.

Luna is perfection. She has given me insight to myself and to nature that has brightened my life immeasurably. She has given me a confidence I can never adequately thank her for, and a definition of happiness we understand without words. I've always thought the goodness of Luna is simply her, revealed through the routine of our family-centric home. Foster is showing me that maybe, just maybe, the goodness of our dogs has a tiny bit to do with us.

I tend to waver between complete confidence and insecure modesty. I'm very confident about my values and life philosophy, but I'm often uncomfortable with voicing success. There are situations when I'm asked, or when I feel it's important to share a success story, but in general, I prefer to just live my life my way and accept that others are doing the same thing. I'm too frequently let down by people not doing what they say they are going to do, or by a judgment that hurts my feelings, but I keep doing what's right for my family. Sometimes it's just Us - me, Luna & Foster - here in Slightville, but we never feel lonely because we're always together. I'm always confident in that.


Anywhere we can go together, we suit up in seatbelts and go!


Foster LOVES to be in the car...here he is super sleepy while we wait for Jason's flight to arrive from SF...the car battery died and we had the fun experience of "getting a jump"!

It's been a long time since we've had to acclimate a dog to The Ways of Casa Curtin-Hess, and I've learned a lot about myself and dogs since then too. Foster has been a bit of a "guinea pig" in that, with him, I'm trying all the things I've read about, and helped other people do with their dogs. It's The 24 Hours of Dog Whisperer. Foster is showing me that at Casa Curtin-Hess, we're pretty much already The 24 Hours of Dog Whisperer. We're Livin' The Dream!


Foster has a unique blend of comforts here...

An example:
I documented Foster's Fantasy Day when he ate a ton of raw chicken off the counter. Since then, he's not been given the opportunity to interact with kitchen items unsupervised, but I have tested him with wide open garbage bags at his level, and most recently, an empty raw chicken container.

With these tempting kitchen items, I've had Foster lie down in the kitchen and for any eye contact or physical move toward the items, he's been corrected with my favorite jibberish "Aaaakkhhhh!" or "Ah-Ta-Ta-Ta-Ta!" He's done really well and he gets lots of praise in the kitchen for being calm and for just hanging out with me. I'm not ready to leave him alone in the kitchen all day, but we're building a great relationship. I don't only tell him what not to do, I tell him what to do and then I reward him for it. He loves it!


An Alert Foster Dog

Foster got me thinking more deeply when he got up out of his lay and growled at Luna who was walking in the direction of the empty raw chicken container I had put down on the floor to tempt and test him. I lunged at him with a "HEY!!!!" and kneed him out of the area. At the time, I thought he was "resource guarding" the thing, and I was really upset because I thought we had created an environment of safety and human ownership where Foster wouldn't need to guard anything because everything was ours and we provided it all for him.

I told Foster to lie down and I laid the chicken thing next to him. No looking at it. I told Luna to walk around us several times. Luna did it easily and confidently and Foster did nothing. I praised him for that. I had Luna lie down about 10 feet away from us, and I put the chicken thing near her. She knows she's not allowed to "interact" with garbage so she just ignored it. I told her how great she was and I petted her and everything was fine. Luna even rolled over to be belly up for scratches so I know she felt safe around Foster. She let it go and was over it. Foster seemed over it too. I felt good about how we all handled the mini-drama. The kitchen was a comforting, happy place!


NO LOOKING!

I had a thought later that maybe Foster was trying to "help" me in correcting Luna for going near the chicken thing. To me, even though Foster's reaction wasn't necessary, him knowing the rule is better than him resource guarding. I'm not sure if his actions were guarding or helping, but either way I had to correct him, and I think the experience strengthened us as a Pack. With that experience, our Pack Values became more clear. Luna showed us what to do and how to let drama go. Foster showed us what to be looking for and different ways to see, as well as how quickly we can learn. Hopefully, I showed that I'll let you know when you're making a mistake, calmly and confidently show you the right way, and then not hold a grudge.


You know all is well when we can sleep intertwined...

Firsts

Foster has had many firsts since arriving One Month ago. I've tried to document some of them in picture form because it's just so fun to remember when...


The First Time Foster Was Allowed On The Bed


Foster's First Vet Visit - it was mostly about Luna, but Foster got "checked out" a bit


Foster's First Bath - he kept licking his paws after


First Time Allowed Off Leash - He watched the birds across the lake most of the time


First Rollerblading Adventure - he LOVED it!


First Time On One of Our Favorite Trails


Foster is continuing to show us more of who he is, and so far all he's showing us is that he really really likes us and really really likes living here.

In Luna's Words

Leanne tells me lots of people want to know how I'm doing with "the new dog." Like always, I'm awesome.


Me in the grass at home

Jason and Leanne bring a lot of people over to see me. I take my job as Greeter very seriously and Leanne tells me I'm an excellent hostess because I always walk our guests to the door when they leave. I bring them a toy and wag my tail to tell them hello, and I wag my tail as I show them to the door to say goodbye. This is a wonderful job and I am excellent at it. I now have a new job, and that is to be a role model to "the new dog," Foster. Leanne tells me I am perfect. She's always telling me that.


This is what I might bring you if you come over

Foster is still adjusting to the routine around here. He smelled kind of nervous when he came and he doesn't smell like that any more. He used to stay sleeping when Leanne got up to get dressed, but now he seems to realize that when Leanne gets up that means we're going for the first - and I think best - walk of the day. He likes her a lot. I love her. I mean I really really love her. I keep asking him, "Don't you just love when she looks at you?" "Don't you just love when she stops everything that she's doing to come over and snuggle you?" "Don't you just love when she turns on the fireplace for us?" He's started to say, "You know, yeah, I think I do!" Like I said, he's adjusting.


Me & Foster in the wilderness of a morning walk

Me, I can roll with anything. Jason and Leanne make life easy and fun. They make only good things happen. I bet Foster's memory of a harder, more lonely, less lovey, less everything life is starting to fade. I can't even remember a life before Jason and Leanne. I don't spend any time thinking about it. I love knowing that every time I wake up, something good is planned for me. It's easy to do whatever Jason and Leanne ask. I trust them because they never steer me wrong.

Today, Leanne, Foster and I went for a walk near our house. I could feel how happy Leanne was. I could feel how excited and happy Foster was. I felt really good. Being outside, walking in the wilderness, is when Leanne and I are the most happy. We love it. Foster isn't ready to walk without that leash thingy attached, but it was easy to smell that he loves being in the wilderness with us too. It's like human time doesn't exist, and Leanne and her Pack (that's me and Foster) live in canine time - just for right now. We just walk and feel the breeze and smell the wild and be together.


Me and Foster on one of Leanne's favorite trails

So how am I doing? I'm doing great. Foster enhances our already great family. As long as Leanne smells secure and happy, and we keep walking, and that food keeps showing up in my bowl, and Jason keeps sharing his PopTarts, I'm awesome. Well, I'm always awesome no matter what. Actually, I'm perfect. That's what Leanne tells me every day.


Leanne telling me to pose as "The Perfect Peanut."

Individual

After the loss of a pet, some families get another pet right away. Jason and I learned that we are not like that. While I can't say when I would have ever been ready to add to our Pack, it took Jason about 7 months after Satchel's death to say that we should start the process. We had no vision of what our next Pack Member would look like or be like. Our Koko had been a mix of German Shepherd and Chow probably, and through DNA we found Satchel to be a mix of Yellow Lab and English Setter. Luna is 100% Labrador Retriever. We had never looked for a particular breed, or even a particular dog, at a particular time - they each found us and they each are perfect.


Our Precious Koko


Our Glorious Satchel


Our Perfect Peanut aka Luna

After Koko and Satchel died, we were asked not only if we were going to get another dog, but if we were going to get another dog "like Koko" or "like Satchel." I didn't know how to answer that question for a long time. I simply didn't answer it. I think it's a big risk to attempt to get a dog "like" one you've already had. Even among the same breeds, there are a multitude of personalities, and I think envisioning your "next" dog to be like your "old" dog puts an awful lot of pressure on your "new" dog.

There is no dog like Luna, and Foster is unlike any dog we've ever had. We're still getting to know Foster, but he has shown some behaviors that remind me of Satchel and Koko, and he's beginning to show us more of who he is. It's all touching, and a great adventure.

During our first walk together, I noticed that Foster loved tall grasses like Satchel did. I smiled, and I felt a sting of pain in my chest, as I saw Foster purposely brush his face through some dead tall grasses and then turn around and brush his face through them again. Satchie had always loved tall grasses and sought them out to brush his face through on a walk.

Foster seems to like the massage room, as all our dogs have. The massage room is warm and has a very soothing energy. All dogs and people tend to relax and enjoy the massage room. Satchel loved the massage room more than anyone. He would lie almost completely under the massage table during a massage, and if you ever wondered where he was, you'd probably find him snoozing there. After his first radiation treatment - a super stressful event - he came home and immediately went to the massage room. After his last radiation treatment - both a stressful and relieving event - he came home and had a long nap in the massage room. So far, it looks like Foster enjoys the massage room too.


Curled up into less than two square feet of space completely under the massage table!

Koko loved to lie on anything soft. If I dropped my clothes on the floor before putting them in the hamper, Koko would be curled up on the first thing to hit the floor. One of her favorite days of the week, was sheet changing day. As I removed the top sheet and threw it to the floor, there was my Koko ready to snuggle up on it. The fitted sheet and all the pillowcases only added to her snuggle-up bliss. I would let her lie on them as long as she wanted. She was just so happy, and it was just so cute to me. Foster did the same thing the other day. I burst into bittersweet tears...and then took a picture...


Just like my Koko used to do...

Luna LOVES the treadmill. During the year I couldn't really leave the house because it upset Satchel too much, Luna and I spent a lot of time walking on the treadmill. It seems to irritate her back and the stifle she has in her right knee, so I can't let her use it anymore, but we have walked many many miles on that treadmill. Foster is learning to walk on it too. He doesn't love it yet, but during our 5-minute treadmill training sessions, he finds a rhythm and will walk with me.


We'll be walking together on it soon.

I have seen some things that remind me of our past and present loves, and I have seen that Foster is his own character. He seems to be coming out of shock and showing us more of his unique personality.

One of the nicknames we've found for him is "Wonder Twin." He is very flexible and an excellent stretcher and performs "Downward Dog" all the time. The first morning after he was allowed to sleep on the bed with us, he did his "Downward Dog" and then slid off the bed as if in the "Form Of: Water." It was a crazy sight that made us laugh out loud! Because of that vision, we also started to call him "Slinky."

Foster's nose is very sensitive. He doesn't seem to like orange scents. I have two lotions I really love. One is Origins' Orange and Coriander and the other is Bath & Body Works' Orange & Ginger. After I wash my hands, I often use one or the other, and Foster always sneezes if I touch his face within a few minutes. He comes back to sniff my hands, and sneezes again.

Bobblehead McFosse's nose is so sensitive that he can flush out a mouse from under a wood pile and catch it...I'm not great with The Trials of Life.

Foster Dog loves evergreens. A pine tree cluster in the woods provides an afternoon of good smells and good back scratches. He weaves in and out and around the bases of evergreens; a yew bush will do in a pinch.

The Fos Man loves heat. He lays less than an inch away from a heat vent in the office. Happily.


Silly Jason was trying to dry his cycling gloves by "Foster's Vent."

I'm the namer in the family and thought Foster's name was True originally, but we were calling him "Foster Dog" at first and that seemed to fit because we were looking to nurture him and help him grow more comfortable in our home. He is actually nurturing us and helping us grow out of our grief. "Foster" also means "Of The Woods" so that's his name. He is Foster and he is what he is: an individual, unlike any other dog.

The Stairs

When discussing the behaviors we need to work on at Casa Curtin-Hess, a friend asked me how I expected Foster to not go up the stairs to the bonus room without a baby gate. I told her I'd never used baby gates as a nanny or a dog owner; it's just not something I've ever considered. Maybe I make things too hard on myself? I don't see it that way. I see Foster's comfort with walking up whatever stairs he wants and pooping in our bonus room as a lack of strength in our relationship. Foster has only been with us for 2 weeks. I shouldn't expect our relationship to be strong enough to override his survival instincts.

I have very little idea what Foster's life was like before becoming a member of The Pack. While interesting if I knew them, the details of his earlier life aren't necessary for me to build his trust in us so that he'll comfortably do whatever we demand. I don't need to know where he came from to earn his respect so that he'll want to follow our rules regardless of our presence. Every day is a new day for dogs, and they usually want to please humans because really great things come from living with us.

We are providing some really great things for Foster The Dog: cozy places to lay like in cushy beds and by fireplaces, walks in the woods, crunchy meals at 7am and 5pm, Milkbone and marshmallow treats, perfect companions in Luna & Jason, and snuggles from people all day long. None of these things kept him from jumping up on the counter or pooping in the house. We have to build a relationship in which Foster not only understands what I want and what I don't want, but in which he respects what I want - in which he respects me.

So how do you train respect? I think the respect of my dogs comes from the hundreds of interactions in our every day. Respect is built during our walks when we don't move if there is tension in the leash. It's built when I wait for my dogs to sit, be calm, and look to me instead of at the food before I feed them. It's built when they have to follow me through doorways and down the driveway and through the woods. Or when I tell them where they have to lie while I cook. I give them a million directions a day...until they get it, and make the choice I want them to make on their own. I make all of their choices until they learn how to make the right ones.

I'm not saying I know everything there is to know about raising dogs. I've read dozens of books on the human-canine bond and dog training, and I still refer to them often. I feel good about the way we nurture our family at Casa Curtin-Hess, but I try not to tell anyone else what to do...sometimes people ask, but if they don't, I'm learning to keep my mouth shut! Some things that dogs do don't bother other people. I get it. I try to think of what is best for my dogs, and even if it doesn't bother others, or even me, if it's not what's best for my dogs, I have to train for a different choice.

Stairs. They mean so much. Stairs take you from one location to an entirely different one. They separate sounds. When my dogs are in the gym with Jason, they look to the ceiling as they hear me come home and run up the stairs to find me. Stairs can unveil the fun surprise of who is making that noise up there! They can also be unsafe. You can trip up the stairs and break a wrist or slide down the stairs and break your butt. If your dog is on the stairs with you, he or she can trip you up in a heartbeat and then you're broken. I train about the stairs. And Foster really really really needs this right now!

Training your dog to wait for you at the top or bottom of the stairs is a great relationship builder. It reinforces sit, stay and come. It reinforces you as the leader. It reinforces the different levels as your spaces because you enter new territories first. It reinforces your dog needing your permission to enter a new territory. It makes stairs more safe! It's just great.

Here's how I do it...and how I'll be doing it over and over and over with Foster The Dog for the next 5 or 6 weeks.

1. Your dog needs to have the foundation of the commands Sit, Stay and Come.
2. Have your dog sit at the top or bottom of a stairway.
3. Tell her to Stay.
4. Begin walking the stairs.
If your dog breaks her Stay, put her back to the Exact Same Spot and command her to Stay again. I recommend a hand in a "stop" position so that you don't have to say "Stay. Stay. Stay. Stay." too many times. A leash can be helpful if you need to "catch" her, as long as there is nothing for it to get caught on, and you won't trip on it.


Guess they were tired from the day already...they laid down even!

5. Once you reach the end of the stairway, face your dog, pause a few seconds and then command your dog to Come.


Still staying...

You can also return to your dog if Come isn't a solid command, or just to switch it up a bit.


Foster is learning his name and that good things happen when he comes to it!

Praise her for her excellent skills in following your directions!
Treats for a Good Dog can make the game/lesson even more fun.
6. Repeat a few times.
You can do this a few times each day to strengthen your relationship and to give your dog something fun to do.
ALWAYS end on a success. Don't give up if it's not going perfectly. End when your dog does what you want - even if it's just Sit.

You may not have stairs in your home, but you may have them out your front door, or somewhere along your walks. You can do this exercise anywhere. It's always fun for your dog.

Luna has this lesson perfected.

Luna stayed even though I called Foster and he received a treat.
She is so awesome and we hope Foster is watching her as much as watching us!

Foster is learning. I'm planning on teaching him not just about the safety of the stairs, but that Yes, they lead to the bonus room, and he needs my permission to climb them!

Our Dogs' Needs

There have been a lot of new needs during the last 2 weeks. Let me start with Luna.

Our Precious and Perfect Peanut, Luna, has 3 lumps that need to be surgically removed. Before surgery and forever after, we need to reduce the inflammation in her body. I thought Luna had allergies, which she probably does, but did you know that fat is an inflammatory organ? I know that being overweight - whether you are a human or a canine - can cause all kinds of health issues, but I did not know of the new research showing fat as being a major player in the inflammatory processes of the body. Inflammation can feed some types of tumors and for Luna's general comfort and overall health, we need to reduce the inflammation within her. Even though we measure out every calorie for her, we need to be even more aware of what we give her and reduce her body fat. We can do that.

An oncologist suggested we change Luna's diet to home cooked. We could try to assess what food allergens may be inflaming her by providing her with one novel protein source and a variety of vegetables except for corn. No grains, nothing else. Since she's had chicken and beef and lamb and fish, we decided on venison. And since several of her supplements contain either corn or fish, no supplements. What dog wouldn't LOVE a diet of venison and carrots? Well, one named Luna.

First, it was quite challenging finding a resource for over 100 pounds of venison. We needed a three month supply of just over one pound of meat per day. I panicked about how much this home cooked diet would cost, but I knew I had to figure out a way to take care of my Luna. I found ground venison for $4.75/pound and ordered 20 pounds of it. Second, Luna wasn't able to tolerate the quick change. When Satchel was going through cancer treatment, he easily transitioned to ground beef, rice and kidney beans. Luna puked everything up for 2 days. Oh, the stress.


So we have some ground venison for the future of Miss Luna's tummy...or lots of venison chili.
She's worth it.

After some consultation, and some thinking about how well we know our Luna, we've changed our plans. I will be feeding Luna good old-fashioned Newman's Own Organics Chicken Dog Food for Active and Senior Dogs in addition to a few of her supplements. She will lose a few pounds, have those 3 lumps removed, recover, and then we will reassess her inflammatory issues. So far, Luna is feeling so much better. Therefore, WE are feeling so much better! Surgery will be scheduled once her thyroid panel analysis results are in.


Paul Newman has never done me wrong...

And there are the needs of our Foster The Dog. I was worried that Foster's digestive system had been compromised by his stress at the shelter. We were told that he was losing weight and that they couldn't get him to eat. In 3 days, Foster appeared to be increasing in his confidence and comfort because he was happily eating! But he wasn't pooping... When he'd gone 48 hours without an inkling to poop, I got really worried. Well, Jason discovered that Foster The Dog just wasn't pooping outside...he was running upstairs, as far away from his living spaces as possible, and pooping in the bonus room. We gave him too much responsibility too soon. Dang it! We have to tether him to us every second at home, and confine him to a crate when we have to leave. We've never done this in our doggy life! We happen to have a crate, but we've never used it in this traditional sense.


Ye Olde Crate for Le Chien Gentil

I wouldn't consider letting Foster off leash in the yard; it was a huge mistake to let him off leash in the house without complete supervision. Just because he was stressed being confined in the basement, doesn't mean I should have let him be off leash and unconfined in the house - especially while I was gone! I hate having to leave him, but it's even worse to make the bonus room his Poopy Field.

But then there's something even worse to do. I should have never left the house with a dog I don't know, unconfined, and approximately 4 pounds of chicken defrosting on the counter. Foster had the afternoon of his life annihilating the package of frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts. I was livid, but I can't even get mad at him. It's my mistake. I've been spoiled by the behavior of my dogs for the last 13 years. Foster doesn't know Our Ways yet. I need more time to teach him, and he needs more time to learn and succeed.


This is a replica of the Afternoon Annihilation victim

So Luna's eating with Paul Newman every day, Foster is living with a leash, and I am back on my A Game. My dogs need me on my A Game. That's their Number One Daily Need actually. I'd better get to the stadium. More commentary later!

No Questions With Luna

The first or second question we are asked after people learn of Foster the Dog is,
"How do he and Luna get along?"

First, we only allow Harmony at Casa Curtin-Hess. We introduced Luna and Foster in such a way that Foster could feel safe and wouldn't need to react in any way other than interest. Second, you can't shake Luna. Luna is the most reliably loving and calming and accepting being that has ever graced this planet. Even if Foster the Dog had lost his marbles, as was mentioned to me as I walked out of the shelter with him, "Oh yeah, I forgot, he doesn't like big dogs," Luna would have never escalated the marble loss. Luna makes everything better...

True, I would never put Luna in a position to be injured, or to do all the work. The responsibility lies with me to protect her and bring only good into her life. We introduced Foster the Dog to the structure, safety and expectations of our family from the moment he was allowed to jump into the Saturn. We didn't have Luna and Foster meet face to face. We walked with them first and shared calm when kneeling down to the side to offer treats. We had Foster sit with his back to Luna, and while it made him uncomfortable (he wasn't accepting any food), I feel confident it built trust between all of us. Luna could sniff him if she wanted to. Foster was in a passive position while we allowed only positive things to happen. Everyone was calm and no one had to defend him or herself from anything. Luna didn't wag her tail, but she was calm and wanted to walk, and she gave Foster space, so we took her advice: Foster needed a little more time. He was ok, no need to be stressed, but also no need to push anything. There is never a question with Luna's judgment. She always knows. So we kept walking.

Luna could smell the Milkbones in our pockets. We gave her some and Jason offered some to Foster. He stepped back. We all kneeled. I gave Luna a Milkbone from my palm and offered one to Foster from my palm. He took it. Luna was wagging up a storm. I put one in my hand and placed my hand over Jason's. Luna licked up hers. Foster paused and looked around and then took his. We broke some up and put some in my palm and some in Jason's while still touching. Luna slobbered up hers. Foster paused. Foster stepped back. Foster sniffed at Luna's drool. Foster licked up each of his. All of us super close, with food, and no one had an issue. There was trust and Luna had shown the way.



So how are Luna and Foster getting along? Luna is teaching him a few of her Keep-Away moves with toys and she's sharing her internal clock about when it feels time to eat. Luna knows the sounds of visitors arriving, and Foster looks to her cues for when it's time to go downstairs to meet new people.

She's helped him realize the king-sized bed is a great place for a cuddle up at night...


...but the Barkaloungers are also excellent...


We are a Pack. Foster is learning our ways and Luna is the best role model. Thee Best.

It's A Boy!

Guided by a Universal Intervention, we have added to Our Pack. It became official in my heart today when I felt he should sleep in the bed with me and Luna. I introduce you to Foster!


From shelter to front porch

The Story of Foster is lengthy, but here are some details....

Jason decided he was ready to add to The Pack. I said I wasn't ready. How could I be ready? I had no business adding to the family. I'm still crying every day about how I miss my Koko and Satchel and how I just want them back. I'd just had a dream that Satchel had come back from the dead and instead of calling all the news teams to come out and film his miracle, I felt it was just normal for him to be back with us. He still needed some physical support, but he could breathe and he was with us and that was right. Jason reminded me that Koko had come to me in a dream too...that was True.

A few months ago, my Sweet Koko came to me in a dream. It wasn't just a dream. It was Her. She told me that Of Course I would have more dogs in my life. I am me and I will have dogs. I hugged her and smelled her and soaked her in as much as I could. She told me that my next dog would be named "True." It physically hurt to wake up and not be with her.

Jason told me I would never think I was ready, but he could see that we were ready. The Pack was ready. There was an email for me to read.

There was a puppy without a solid home. A Boxador. The girl who was trying to care for her couldn't continue. Jason wanted to meet them both. I didn't have "that feeling" I've had with Satchel, Luna and Koko. That Feeling that That Dog Is Mine before I've even met him or her. But I also realized I've never felt like this before - so deep in grief that I'm merely functioning through many days. Though I felt the girl was very attached, we made a date to meet.

This started a process that I still feel removed from. I feel that I was completely guided by God and purposely removed because I have been in the way of my own happiness.

Before the Boxador was to come over, I filled out an application on-line for Almost Home Animal Haven. I was attracted to a dog they called "Jake" who was described as their "Office Manager." My application was approved about 12 hours later and I was to come meet him in about a week. We were to meet the Boxador in a few days. I felt completely crazy. How was this happening? Who was I? I wasn't ready.

The Sunday Boxador date was canceled. The girl and her family were going to figure out how to keep the puppy. I knew it, and it was ok. I wasn't ready anyway.

Last Tuesday was an important vet appointment for Miss Luna. I found out she's allergic to just about everything she's eating and is full of inflammation which is feeding 3 "very concerning" lumps that need to be removed right now. One seemed very similar to the type of lump Satchel had removed 5 years ago which required 18 radiation treatments as well. I felt faint. I definitely wasn't ready to add to Our Pack. I had to focus on Luna. Nutrition plan = HUGE expense. I'd figure it out. I made a million phone calls and was ready to take care of Luna. I was not ready to add to My Pack.

Who drove me to the shelter last Wednesday? The Hands of God. I thought I would be interviewed and have a home visit scheduled. I was given a dog to foster for 2 weeks. "Jake" was coming to Casa Curtin-Hess. The word TRUE had come through so many sentences and was in so many descriptions. I wondered if this whole experience could be True...

I didn't want to call him "Jake." We wanted to help him let go of all that was before, but I wasn't feeling that his name was "True." Did that mean he wasn't ours? He seemed awfully comfortable with us.


We wore him out within the first 2 hours...

We started calling him our Foster Dog and decided he needed to experience The Show...the busy days at Casa Curtin-Hess. He would be meeting dozens of people and several dogs, and we'd have to help him learn The Way To Behave. He performed fantastically.


He barked at something and Luna showed him how to assess what kind of vocalization is needed

We're learning his favorite spots and particular needs...

He LOVES the fireplace

...and just like everyone else who has ever lived in this house - he loves Jason best...

Jason has a buddy again

We're still getting to know each other, and the adoption can't become final for another week of "Fostering," but we're not a givesy-backsy kind of family. We're committed to meeting the needs of Our Pack and we are now a Pack of Six: 4 of the Earth, and 2 who I still meet in my dreams...