Once again, too much time has passed...
But enough about that; there is a story to tell.
The Pack has been pretty focused on Foster Dog for the last 4 months or so. He's needed our support to find his way into our family. We are asked two questions frequently.
1. "So, are you going to keep him?"
and
2. "Have you taught him any tricks?"
Answer Number One:
It never occurred to us that we wouldn't keep him. Sure, we were told we had to "foster" him for 2 weeks to make sure everyone meshed, but honestly, I didn't consider giving him back an option. I know that most people would have turned around and taken him back when he lunged at the dog in the parking lot 20 minutes after I met him. Or they would have taken him back when they found that he had been pooping in the Bonus Room. Or when he ate the 3 pounds of chicken off the counter - his Dream Day. Oh, and Fosse had a Dream Day #2 when he found the year-old Girl Scout Cookies in the bin in the back of the Saturn...some people probably would have taken him back to the shelter after that.
But enough about that; there is a story to tell.
The Pack has been pretty focused on Foster Dog for the last 4 months or so. He's needed our support to find his way into our family. We are asked two questions frequently.
1. "So, are you going to keep him?"
and
2. "Have you taught him any tricks?"
Answer Number One:
It never occurred to us that we wouldn't keep him. Sure, we were told we had to "foster" him for 2 weeks to make sure everyone meshed, but honestly, I didn't consider giving him back an option. I know that most people would have turned around and taken him back when he lunged at the dog in the parking lot 20 minutes after I met him. Or they would have taken him back when they found that he had been pooping in the Bonus Room. Or when he ate the 3 pounds of chicken off the counter - his Dream Day. Oh, and Fosse had a Dream Day #2 when he found the year-old Girl Scout Cookies in the bin in the back of the Saturn...some people probably would have taken him back to the shelter after that.
Or some people would have returned Foster Dog because he ran into the woods after a group of deer and was gone for 7 stressful minutes. But that's not Us. I look to myself and what I need to do differently to prevent those mistakes. Foster's mistakes are really my mistakes. And we've been working on them all!
Which brings me to Answer Number Two:
No, I haven't taught him any "tricks." Foster's been very busy learning Our Ways. Some of Our Ways include not jumping up and relaxing on the furniture; waiting at the top and bottom of the stairs until people have cleared them so there's no tripping; following me, not leading me, through doorways and on our walks; staying within the boundaries of our yard; not pulling on the leash; not jumping up on people when they arrive at our home, including not jumping up on us; giving me space in the kitchen while I'm cooking...it's a pretty big list. We've all been very busy teaching him and he's been very busy learning...and he's learning fast and well.
We decided to name him Foster because one of the meanings I read was "of the woods." That is perfection. We are not calling him Foster because we are a temporary family. We are calling him Foster and Foster Dog and FD and Fosse and Bobblehead McFosse and Buddy and Lovey Doodle and Dude because he is ours. And for the last month or so I've noticed that he knows he's ours...whenever I talk to him, or even look at him, he wags his tail. That kind of bond isn't temporary.
Which brings me to Answer Number Two:
No, I haven't taught him any "tricks." Foster's been very busy learning Our Ways. Some of Our Ways include not jumping up and relaxing on the furniture; waiting at the top and bottom of the stairs until people have cleared them so there's no tripping; following me, not leading me, through doorways and on our walks; staying within the boundaries of our yard; not pulling on the leash; not jumping up on people when they arrive at our home, including not jumping up on us; giving me space in the kitchen while I'm cooking...it's a pretty big list. We've all been very busy teaching him and he's been very busy learning...and he's learning fast and well.
We decided to name him Foster because one of the meanings I read was "of the woods." That is perfection. We are not calling him Foster because we are a temporary family. We are calling him Foster and Foster Dog and FD and Fosse and Bobblehead McFosse and Buddy and Lovey Doodle and Dude because he is ours. And for the last month or so I've noticed that he knows he's ours...whenever I talk to him, or even look at him, he wags his tail. That kind of bond isn't temporary.
