Confessions of a First Time Foster

I don’t remember falling asleep, but I’m startled awake by the sound of sequential peeps. Still fuzzy, it sounds like the smoke alarm. In reality, it’s Jackson, announcing that the sun is about to come up and demanding to be let out of the cage.

It takes a minute or two for muscles to work, especially after sharing the sofa all night. Brother and Sister have switched places, and she’s draped out over top of me. I don’t know why I’m trying to ease out without waking her. The entire time, Jackson is peeping and whining. I talk to him in reassuring tones, all the time asking myself why a puppy instead of a nice adult dog that could hold its bladder a little longer. When it’s light, I send my dogs outside, and then return for Jackson.

Still not fully awake. It takes too long to match the leash’s tiny hook with the collar’s tiny ring, and…too late. I laid down a pee pad to soak up the stain and took Jackson outside for his first walk.

The big dogs do their best to ignore him at all costs, and the only place he wants to be is between my feet.

Back inside, they continued to ignore the interloper while keeping an eye on him. I resisted the urge to go back to sleep, and instead grabbed a cup of tea and retreated to my office to check email. It wasn’t long before Brother ran in and jumped up on me twice, upset. I followed him back to the living room to see what was happening. Everything seemed normal — but I got the message when Brother hopped onto the sofa and did his tightrope-along-the-back move.

Brother has a treasure trove where he drops all the toys. It’s in the two feet of space behind the sofa where the tables don’t meet. The only way he can get there is to drape himself over the back of the sofa and pour himself down into the space, then grab a toy and jump back over the sofa. Sister, who won’t even climb stairs, won’t go there, so they’ve been safe so far. But now…there’s trouble.

Jackson was very happily scattering Brother’s treasures around the living room. All he had to do was walk through the end table, then between the legs of the sofa table, grab a toy and repeat to appear on the other end. I couldn’t help but laugh as he trotted back and forth, each time emerging with a toy almost as big as he…the unstuffed moose, the tennis ball, the squeaky squirrel.

This is all too much for Brother. He looks me in the eyes and lets out a long, low, breathy whine. He can’t ignore the puppy now, but still doesn’t want to acknowledge him. Before I can do anything, Jackson emerges with the Red Bobo*. Brother’s Sacrosanct Red Bobo. The only toy he’s allowed to hog.

It’s longer than the puppy’s body, but he proceeds to “murderdeathkill” the Bobo right in front of Brother. For a split second it seems that Brother might return the favor, so I stepped in and took it away. It wasn’t easy. Jackson had a death grip on the thing.

When I finally got it back, I offered it to Brother. He turned his head away. I squeaked both squeakers in it; still no response. I put it next to him and yes, he flung it onto the floor. Unclean!

Bobo Usurped!

I let Jackson continue his raiding. They’d have to learn to share eventually. Plus, he was bringing out toys I hadn’t seen in a year, and for some reason could never find whilst cleaning.

*What’s a Bobo? Click the graphic below or this link to find out. (Didn’t that guy used to be a Power Ranger?)

Message from Kathy:

Lester, who is about 2 years old has infected ears and ringworm in one ear. Other than that, Lester is healthy. Lester is already starting to bond with her other dogs and her family. He is young and that will make socializing him that much easier.

Message from Marilyn:

“I spent about an hour with Miss Darcy this afternoon and held her and loved on her and her body went limp. Still won’t look at me, but she didn’t try to get away from me when I held her. My son and his wife came, too and they both held her and she was okay…not fine, but okay. I see progress and that’s good. She will be okay…I know it. She is as cute as a button. Miss Darcy will be the toughest, since she is six years old and has known nothing but the Mill. The boys should be easier…Joan may have a shy one (Charlie), have not heard how her Vet visit went yet.”

Message from Joan:

Charlie needs to be dewormed and the open sore on his tummy is infected. The vet says it appears Charlie was in a fight and lost part of his ear, but whether the hair will grow back enough to cover it, we will have to wait and find out. Charlie has discovered stuffed animals. Joan proclaims, “It is a giggle to watch him throwing the little toys around to kill them. He is so bold but is so scared — It’s very clear he really loves other dogs and is really scared by humans. I had to feed him alone on the porch since I was still too close to him in the house. I bet he wouldn’t have minded if I locked myself on the porch!”