Gus (fka Owen) & Pudgie Pie Updates

First Pudgie Pie - unfortunately she wasn't a good fit for her adoptive family, so they've returned her to the rescue...so if you were sad you missed out on her, now is your chance to scoop her up!  She seemed to have some potty issues, but it sounds like it was marking, not accidents.  So if you have a home where Pudgie doesn't think she has to be the alpha, she might be perfect for you!  I maintain that she is just the sweetest dog, and if I wasn't so stubborn about retiring from fostering, I'd take her back in a heartbeat (I'm trying to set up a play date with her as I type).




Gus is doing well in his adoptive home!  I received this email from them last week:

- He loves to play with his toys, but his favorite one is the toy bucket. 
- His nickname is Goose. 
- He has potty bells on the door, he rings them when he has to use the restroom. He also rings them anytime he feels like he wants to go outside.
- Gus is a tough dude, he was found living on the streets in Alabama. Under that toughness is a cuddly boy that has to stop and say "hi" to everyone we pass.
- We live next to Chuck and Don's and Gus loves to stop in and pick out his own bone. He always picks one longer than him.
- I haven't set an alarm clock since he moved in.

Seriously so handsome with a proper haircut!

I can't believe they got him in a sweater...I  put him in a santa jacket once and I got glared at the whole time.

Such a spoiled and happy little boy!  I'm so happy to see he's doing well!

Pudgie Pie has been Adopted!!!

That's right...my adorable little Pudge has found her forever home.  She has a fluffy big sister (also from Fluffy Dog) that I just know she is going to annoy the pants off of.  :-)  As with every foster dog, I'm so excited to see Pudge go off to a good home.  She is so truly deserving of a forever family, that I couldn't possibly be sad for losing her myself. 

Pudge makes foster #23 that has come through my house in the last 3ish years.  I somewhat reluctantly say that I am in need of a break, so I've decided to (at least temporarily) stop fostering.  When I started this journey, I had no idea I would see that many dogs.  Sure...it didn't hurt that most of the time I had 3 fosters at once (one time I had 4 fosters, plus my own little guy!).  But that's 23 dogs and 23 families that I've seen have one of the happiest days of their lives.  Yes, there were hard times.  A few dogs I regret giving up.  Disappointment when a family was initially interested but then changed their mind.  Excitement when a dog did get adopted.  Sadness the next day when it was a little quieter around the house.  But I can honestly say that I wouldn't do any of it any differently.  My decision to take a break has nothing to do with no longer enjoying helping dogs.  I just felt now was a good time to be by myself.  As some of you may know from reading past entries, my own dog was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma in January.  He went through 4 months of chemo and was declared to be in remission.  Unfortunately, his cancer came back very aggressively and I had to make the tough decision to put him down on July 5th.  I was very fortunate to have Minaki and Pudge with me those first few weeks to keep me busy.  Because of that, those 2 will always have a very special place in my heart.

I can't say I'm quitting fostering forever.  But I've made the commitment to myself to be dog free at least through this winter.  If anyone reading this has ever considered fostering, I strongly recommend you do it.  It is easily one of the most fun things I have ever done.  Though I'm not going to be fostering, I will continue to post updates here on any former fosters if I get them.  And the email address will remain active, so if anyone wants to learn more about fostering, I'm happy to answer any questions!

I'm Happy to Announce...

Both Pachino and Minaki were adopted this week!

I was simultaneously happy and sad to see them both go.  Pachino was only with me for a month, so we hadn't had a chance to bond yet.  But even in that short time I knew he was such a wonderful dog, and I was secretly hoping he'd never leave me.  But I'm very happy to see that he was adopted by a wonderful mom who has vowed to spoil him.  Minaki was with me for over a year, so she and I definitely bonded.  There are very few fosters I cried about after they left...Minaki is one of them.  She was such a good girl for me, and she will definitely be missed.  Minaki was adopted by dad who I know will give her all the love she deserves.

I'm so happy for both of these pups and their new families, but I still have Pudgie Pie!  She needs to find her forever family!  She's Minaki's pup, so you know she's going to make someone a great pet.

The Three Best Friends that Anyone Could Have

I've had Pachino for almost 3 weeks now, and it's already like I've had him forever.  He trusts me and is comfortable coming around me, but he's still vary wary of strangers.  He's also very good with Pudgie and Minaki, as you can see from the video below.  He's not quite able to throw his weight around like the girls, but he sure tries!  And Pudgie and Minaki just love playing with him.

All three of these pups got new photos this week...check out their PetFinder profiles!

Pachino standing next to his friend, Spencer.  No worries from this guy if you already have big dogs in your house!

Pudgie, Pachino, and Minaki just chillin'.

Introducing Pachino!

Well...I was almost successfully down to 0 foster dogs.  As you know, I took in Pudge (Minaki's pup) a few months ago.  And now I've done it again...Pachino has joined my household.

Pachino is a teeny, tiny Yorkie who is cute as a button.  He came to me because his previous foster mom said he wasn't getting along with her other dogs.  So I admit that I was a bit nervous about how he'd be with Minaki and Pudge.  I'm proud to say that after 2 weeks we have had 0 issues.  And the girls have definitely done everything they can rile him up!  Pachino is able to hold his own with them.  He likes to run around the yard with them, and he occasionally instigates some play in the house.  He apparently had some food aggression issues in his previous foster home, but I haven't witnessed that at all so far.  He and the girls eat breakfast together every morning - the 3 of them share 2 bowls of food - and I haven't heard a peep out of any of them.  And speaking of making noise...in 2 weeks, the only noise I've heard from this cutie is when he snores.  :-)

Pachino is a shy guy.  The day I brought him home I set him down in the house and he immediately found a dog bed and has basically been posted there ever since.  He is starting to come out of his shell, however.  I noticed almost right away that he is much more outgoing when we are outside.  So I would sit down outside and he would come right over to me.  In just the last couple of days, he's starting to become more comfortable inside as well.  When I sit on the couch, if I call to him he'll now jump up next to me.  And just yesterday, when I was getting breakfast ready, I called to him in the kitchen and he came out to see what I was doing.  He is still a little wary when I'm up walking around.  But I've been noticing lately that he doesn't always immediately run back to his safe dog bed...sometimes he'll just stay a safe distance away and keep an eye on me.

I have been letting (aka forcing) Pachino sleep in my bed at night.  At first he would go to the farthest corner from me.  But now he's sleeping next to my pillow, and a couple nights ago he actually cuddled up right next to me.  I think he'd be perfectly happy sleeping in a dog bed, next to his humans or in another room.  I haven't tried crating him, but I can't imagine he'd put up a struggle with how submissive he is.

Pachino is housebroken.  As I've said many times, I have bells on my back door (easiest way to house train, in my opinion), and the second I tap one he comes running to go outside.  Fortunately the weather has been nice since I picked him up, so in the evenings I'm able to just leave the door open and he can come and go as he pleases.  So I haven't been able to learn his 'need to go potty now' signs.  He does struggle during the day...I'm gone nearly 11 hours...so that's understandable when you have a bladder the size of a pea.  But I've been setting out pee pads for him, and he is using them like a champ.

Slightly blurry - but what can you expect with a ball of energy?

That's all I can think of to say right now.  I strongly recommend you snap this guy up because there's a 95% change that I'm going to adopt him if you wait too long!

If You Need a Construction Helper...

Minaki and Pudgie Pie are your girls!

They are experts in verifying you properly use saw horses.

Will check the safety of your power tool cords.

Ensure the area around your work space is clean.

Will guard your scrap pile.

 

Add manpower as necessary to ensure the protection of said scrap pile.

 

And will spend a nice night relaxing after all that hard work.

P.S. That last picture was actually the first night I let Pudge sleep with me (and the first night I have let Minaki sleep with me in several months).  I'm very happy to say they both did an excellent job!  The only negative is that they slept pretty much in the position shown all night, which meant I couldn't adjust myself as much as I'd like.  A small price to pay for 2 VERY happy dogs.  :-)

Summer Pictures!

I apologize in advance for the lack of Minaki pictures.  She is a little camera shy.

Pudgie Pie is a very curious girl.

One of her favorite activities is to look under the gaps in the fence.

She prefers a freshly mowed lawn to this jungle.

But she really doesn't complain.

As long as she can be outside, she's happy as a clam!

The one and only good shot of Minaki.  It was worth the wait though, right?  She is stunning.

Weekend Progress

Sorry no new pictures today...but I wanted to just give a quick update on my girls!

Three separate times this weekend, I left the girls (and Hardy) to free roam while I ran errands.  Now, It's not like I was gone hours at a time, my  longest trip was maybe 30 minutes, but I am still proud to announce that every trip was a success!  There were no "revenge accidents."  No torn up furniture or knick-knacks I left laying around.  Frankly, no evidence that I had left 3 dogs running loose at all.  I am so proud of Minaki and Pudgie Pie for this!  Not that I didn't think they could do it (I wouldn't have attempted it at all had I not trusted them), but for them to be so good on 3 different occasions was absolutely amazing!

Oh, and I almost forgot.  I attempted to get a fire going in my firepit on Saturday.  I thought it would be fun to bring one of the dogs out to check out a new landscape.  Pudge was the winner (she was hanging out outside while Mini was napping on the couch).  Of course, Mini happened to see us walk out the gate and had a maybe 5 minute freak out until she realized she could still see us.  I think she was jealous that I had chosen Pudge for a walk and not her (she's not the anxious type when I leave).  Anyway, Pudge did pretty well with me.  She wanted to smell all the new things (so many sticks/trees/rocks), and didn't appreciate that I wouldn't let her outside her 6' leash range.  When I managed to briefly get a little fire going, she was quite interested.  Don't worry, not interested enough to check it out.  Just interested enough at the popping to cock her head to one side and listen for a bit.  I really think she'd make a great companion for a family that likes to go camping!

Gus (fka Owen) Update!

Another update from one of my greatest adoption success stories!

Hi Savannah! Hope all is well. Just thought I would send a quick Gus (fka Owen) update. After a rough start, he has turned into just the best dog. He comes with us everywhere, which was our hope! He loves visiting my parents house, where there is a big yard to play, and walking around the lakes. He does have a tough time with anything over a mile/mile and a half or so, so we got him a stroller that he actually loves 😂 We LOVE him and are so glad he's learned to trust us as his family.

I cannot get over the fact that this little bugger got himself a stroller!

I hate to say it...but I miss that face!

Typical good boy car ride.  :-)

So, just a reminder to everyone thinking about adopting a dog who has a not-so-great history...they can be success stories!  Give the cuties a chance!

Summer is Here!

So to start off with I want to share a quick photo of my Hardy and I.  We were able to attend Bark at the Park night at Miller Park last week.  I heard there were 900 dogs there.  That is insane if there were!  I thought it was very well organized with only a couple possible improvements that I could think of.  I really hope they do it again next season, and that you all go if you get the chance!  Cross this one of Hardy's bucket list!  (p.s. Today is his birthday.  All he wants is to be an only dog again.  *hint*)

Now, on to the important stuff.  Minaki and Pudgie Pie.  Why do I still have these girls?  They are honestly two of the best fosters I've had in my 3 years of fostering, so I am very confused by this.  They are both housebroken, and mostly crate trained (they won't go in on their own, but will stay quietly inside if you put them in) BUT I would be comfortable leaving either of them loose in the house for short periods of time (Pudge is still too young in my opinion to be left alone for a full workday, but you may feel differently once you meet her).  I have left them out for short (less than 2 hours) periods while I need to make quick trips to the store or to buy groceries.  So far, in several of these trips we have only had 1 casualty: a spool of thread that I left laying around.  So can't really be upset about that record, can we?!

Now that we FINALLY have warm weather (some might say a little too warm), the dogs are absolutely loving all their outside time.  Last weekend when we had temps up in the 90s I could barely get the girls to come in the house!  I had to bribe them with snacks (they are easily swayed).  But give Pudge a bowl of water and a toy of some sort, and she may leave you alone for several hours.  Minaki prefers to see her human a bit more often than that, but she's still quite content to stay outside for long periods of time.

Weird sleeping habits: Pudge laying on Minaki

Weird sleeping habits: Minaki putting her feet in Pudge's face

Feeding time.  There is a 3rd bowl (by my feet), I'm not forcing all three dogs to fight over food.
But Minaki prefers Hardy's wet food to her dry food.  So here she is waiting patiently for him
to finish so she can get the leftovers.  Pudge is much less picky.

Mini & Pudge

I got a cute picture last night that I can't not share.  :-)

Pudgie Pie on the left, Minaki on the right

I gave all the dogs a treat (milkbones).  Pudgie Pie immediately ran to this dog bed to eat hers, Minaki ran around in circles trying to find a good place for her to eat her snack.  I sat on the floor nearby this bed, and Minaki decided it was safe to eat hers right next to Pudge.  BUT she was torn between eating her snack and getting pets from me.  Unfortunately for her, pets won out and Pudge snatched the snack while Mini was preoccupied.  Mini was upset for a moment, but quickly got over it.

Is it Spring Yet?

Seriously...what's with this weather?  Hot and sunny one day, then cold and rainy for the next 2 weeks?  Not enjoyable at all.  Not by me.  Not by the dogs.  Pudge and Minaki are both afraid of thunderstorms, by the way.  Not in a howl-all-night-and-drive-you-nuts type of way.  But in a shiver-and-stay-close-to-my-person type of way.  I don't believe it's anything that should deter anyone from adopting either of them, but I think it's important for a forever family to be aware of.

You might have noticed that I finally got around to posting Pudgie's definitive guide.  I'm sorry it's taken so long.  I've just been really lazy I guess.  I don't really have anything new or exciting to say to you all, other than both girls are doing wonderfully...so here are a few videos of them playing (on one of our few nice days so far).  NOTE: in the videos below, Minaki is the more tan one and has a black collar.  Pudgie is the lighter, more white one and has a green collar.  Pudgie is also slightly larger than her mom.

Here's a glimpse of Minaki and Pudgie Pie playing.  Isn't it funny how they have the same mannerisms, not having seen each other in a year?

Here's Minaki and Pudgie Pie running around, playing.  Also please note: Hardy's favorite toy is that green guy you see in the beginning of the video.  Around 0:58 you see Minaki steal it from him.  No violence, just good old fashioned muscle.

And last, but certainly not least: a video of Pudgie Pie playing with a (very loud) squeaky ball (until she catches me filming her).

Definitive Guide to Pudgie Pie

Updated 24May17

Petfinder: Pudgie Pie's Petfinder Profile
Age: ~1 year
Weight: ~13lbs
Food:   1C dry food
Treats:  Pudge will eat any treats.
Good with Men: unknown
Good with Women: yes
Good with Children: unknown
Good with Dogs: yes
Good with Cats: unknown
Housebroken: Pudge is housebroken.  She usually only goes outside during our regularly scheduled breaks (or when one of the other dogs asks to go outside), but she has learned to use the bells on the door if she needs to go out too.  When coming into my home, it took about 2-3 weeks for Pudge and I to learn each others schedules/bathroom signs.  I would expect a similar break-in period in her forever home.
Crate Trained: Pudge does not like to be put in her crate, and will occasionally whine or even bark for a short time (<10 minutes).  But after that, she is quiet as a mouse.
Leash Trained: Yes.  She gets very excited when she sees me grab a leash because she knows it means we're going on an adventure!  She doesn't yet have good walking skills, but she doesn't try to escape.
Other Skills: Pudge can sit on command and she is also learning 'wait.'
Personality: Pudge is a ball of energy.  She absolutely loves to play (with toys, dogs, people) and will do it all day if you let her.  She enjoys spending time outside if it's sunny; in the rain she will do everything she can to stay inside.  Pudge is very good at entertaining herself if no one is willing to play with her.  Give her a rope toy or ball and she might leave you alone for hours!  She does like to cuddle at night though.  Once she's all played out, she will curl up next to you and fall right asleep.
Toys:  Pudge does not discriminate against toys.  She will play with anything.
Nicknames: Pudge.
Ideal Family: Pudge's ideal family is one that is active and will spend a lot of time going on adventures with her!  The more time you spend outside, the better!  She is still a puppy and still needs to learn some skills, so a family that is willing to spend some time training her is a must.

Pudgie Pie

Just a quick note to update everyone on Pudge.  We've finished off 2 of her 3 medications, and she's doing exceptionally well.  Her wounds have all healed up and she's no longer itchy.  She does have a few bald patches, but even those seem to be filling in (it stands out on her because of how light her fur is!).  She has a few weeks (maybe a month?) left of her last medication, and then it'll be like she was never sick in the first place!

I've had this peanut for about 2 weeks now, and I have to say she is just the sweetest thing.  She LOVES to cuddle, but she's fine cuddling next to someone, not necessarily on top of them.  Out of all the dogs I've fostered (~20 at this point), she is by far the biggest fan of toys.  Doesn't matter what size or type, she loves them.  I keep them in a laundry basket in the corner of my living room, and every day shes grabs one or two and runs off with them.  If it's a nice day, she likes to take them outside and chew on them.  On rainy days (of which we have had many since Pudge came to stay with me), she will just take them in the kitchen where she has more open space to run around.  She's also very good at playing with other dogs.  She and Minaki play extremely well together.  We had a couple moments the first few days where they were learning each others boundaries, but now that that's all figured out they are like 2 peas in a pod.  She occasionally tries to play with Hardy, but of course he's his grumpy self.  Pudge knows her boundaries with him...sometimes she'll taunt him a bit, but she backs off when he's reached his breaking point.

Pudge's previous foster family taught her to sit on command.  That has stuck with her.  We are having a bit of a housebreaking issue.  It's only been 2 weeks, so I'm not too concerned yet.  She is figuring out the door we go outside from.  I still need to learn her signs that she needs to go outside.  I just got a replacement set of doorbells (mine broke months ago, but I never replaced them because all my dogs were housebroken).  And it's not as if she's having accidents all day, every day.  It's just one accident, late in the evening, maybe every couple of days.  And lately it's been near the correct door...so I really do think she's figuring it out.  Hopefully with the new bells she and I will be on the same page soon!

I did the laundry - including the blankets from Pudge's crate.  They ended up on top of the clean basket, so she thought it would be a good place to nap.

REUNITED!

As some of you may have noticed, I haven't been taking in any new fosters lately.  I made the decision to take a fostering break, to give my Hardy some peace for his last few months (his final chemo treatment is next week, and the doctors predict he has until the end of the year after that).

Well, on Tuesday I got an email from Fluffy Dog asking me if I could take in a pup.  Normally I'd say no.  But this pup happens to be Minaki's last un-adopted baby!  So obviously I couldn't say no to the possibility of reuniting these 2...they're family!

Pudgie Pie (I'm calling her Pudge, even though it doesn't describe her in the least), has a non-contagious form of mange, called Demodex.  I want to emphasize that it is non-contagious.  Considering Hardy's weakened immune system right now, I verified with my vet that it would even be safe for Pudge to be in the house.  They confirmed that there is no chance of Demodex spreading to other dogs (it's passed from mother to pup during birth).  She has surprisingly few sores, I assume she was well taken care of before I got her, and she doesn't appear to be itchy.  We do have her on medicine, and expect it to be completely gone in a month or two.

And that is the one negative I have about Pudge right now.  She introduced into my house (Hardy + Minaki + Dexter, who is a dog I'm currently dogsitting) as if she had been there the whole time.  Unfortunately, there was no mother-daughter, long-lost family member moment.  They just sniffed each other as normal introductions go, and moved on.  Pudge and Dexter became immediate frenemies.  They play together like they are best friends (Pudge LOVES to run around outside), but then fight over who gets the big dog bed (don't worry, no physical fighting just a lot of growling and posturing).  I bet Pudge is sad when Dexter goes home tomorrow.

Pudge is just slightly bigger than her momma, and has much lighter fur, almost white.  She also doesn't have Minaki's striking heterochromic eyes...but her dark eyes are still very striking against her light fur.  She may be housebroken - we had one accident the first night, but that's actually better than I expect when I introduce a new foster.  She also may be crate trained - I've been crating her at night with 0 issues/whining.  I'll put together a definitive guide over the next couple of weeks as we get to know each other.

In the meantime, enjoy this picture of Pudge (left) and Minaki (right).  Do they look like family!?

I think the ears give it away.  :-)

Gus (fka Owen) Update!

Gus (previously known as Owen) has now been with his family for a few weeks.  They did say it started off a bit rough, but I am so glad they chose to stick it out with him.  It takes time for a dog to adapt to entirely new people and surroundings, and with a dog with a history like Owen, we knew that wouldn't happen instantaneously.  So for him to find a family that is willing to work with him until he gets comfortable is absolutely amazing!

I did receive another update on him last week...it sounds like he's already making improvements, though still not perfect.  I have no doubts that this guy will be a bundle of love shortly though.  He and I had our moments when I first brought him to my house, but after we both spent some time training, I found him to be a huge lovebug.  And the fact that his moms loved him enough to stick it out with him through the tough times is enough to tell me that he'll eventually find his place.  They took him to get groomed already...and the following photo is yet more proof that I need to stop being so stingy with the scissors.  I am always so afraid that if I cut them too short that I'll be stealing a part of their identity...their personality even.  But when I see pictures like this (and this happens every time I get an update after a grooming session), I realize how much better they look and probably feel!  Just look how happy Gus looks on the right!  That is a dapper dog!

Left: Before
Right: After
(if it isn't obvious)

I also received a video of Gus doing some tricks.  The only trick I worked on with him was sit (he was about 50/50 on it with me).  Maybe a little bit of 'come,' but that was mostly just calling the dogs in from outside...not so much something I actually sat down to train him on.  I made some attempts to teach him shake, but he never seemed interested in that one.  Well, it looks like someone taught him to shake!  He's already a 'come, sit, shake' expert!

I love to see how Gus's story is progressing!  Can't wait to give you all more updates on him!

Owen has been Adopted!

That's right...after just over a year with me, my sweet Owen-bear has found his forever family.  I can't even begin to express how excited I am for the whole family!  He has moved to Minnesota, so hopefully he doesn't become a Vikings or Twins fan!  He's going to be an only child, but I'm told that the neighborhood is very dog friendly, so he'll be making a ton of new friends.

I can't wait to start receiving updates to see how he's doing!  It'll be great to see how he responds to finally being the center of attention (as he's always wanted)!




As an interesting side note: now 2 of my favorite/most memorable fosters are living in MN.  Is that the cool place to be!?!?

Who's a Good Boy!?!?

Owen is!  Does anyone remember how approximately a year ago this little fella wouldn't even let me touch him?  Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration.  But he didn't like to be surprise touched, and definitely wouldn't let me pick him up.  Well we spent this last year working on it, and while at times we both struggled, I'm happy to say this is a changed dog.  What you see in the picture below is a dog who not only let me trim his face hairs (what a handsome boy!), but also let me trim his nails!  Even 5 or 6 months ago that would have been unheard of!  In fact, over Christmas I told a friend that I'd give her $100 to trim his nails for me.  Fortunately she hasn't visited since then, because I didn't really want to pay her for it.  Anyway...Adopt this bugger today to get a real, quality pup!

Ryleigh has been Adopted!

You heard that correctly...my little bundle of energy has found her forever home!  She adopted a wonderful family that includes a high-energy dog sister!  I couldn't be happier for Miss Ryleigh and her new family.  Here are a few update pictures I've already received: 

Ryleigh in her new forever home!

Ryleigh (right) with her new fur-sister, Emmie.

Enjoying the Weather!

Minaki enjoying the sunshine.

Here's a good one of Minaki where you can see her eyes.
Wouldn't it be fun to have such a unique dog!?

Owen, coming in for his closeup.

This is Owen's supermodel pose.  Just a shy glance over the shoulder.

"Hello ladies." -Owen

Owen is really transforming into such a lovebug!

Ryleigh running at full speed.
Note that there are no legs on the ground in this picture.

Ryleigh coming in for her closeup.
Even though all these pictures were taking within minutes of each other,
I feel like she looks like she just got a fresh haircut in this one.

Ryleigh giving a pose.  Check out that tail curl!

Playful Pups

It was another nice evening last night, so as expected, Owen made the executive decision to spend it outside.  Honestly, if you have a yard that he can hang out in, Owen will be the best dog you could ask for.  I think he would be content to live out there if someone would let him!  Unfortunately, it was too dark out there for me to get any good pictures of him.  But considering how lovely the weather is supposed to be this weekend, I fully intend to get some!

Minaki and Ryleigh are more inside dogs (don't get me wrong...they do love their outside time, they just don't want to live out there like Owen).  So I got some really good playful shots of them yesterday.  Enjoy!

Love this peanut.  <3 Minaki is a perfect lady!

Love this peanut too!  <3 Can't believe I got a non-blurry shot of Ryleigh!

Minaki is such a playful gal!  Notice at the beginning how she uses her paw to try to get Ryleigh's attention?  She does that when she wants her human's attention too.  :-)  She will paw at your arm to get pets.  So adorable!

More Minaki and Ryleigh play-fighting over a bone.  As you can see, I have provided enough for each to have her own, but of course they both want the same one!  And there's Hardy in the background just trying to get someone's attention to play with him.  

Ryleigh loves her pets!  Normally she doesn't sit still long enough to get this much attention, but today she was all over it!  Notice how when I stop petting her she jumps at my hand to let me know she wants more.

Is it Spring?

It sure seems like Spring!  What a lovely day!  The dogs spent the day in and out over and over and over again.  Owen enjoyed it so much, he just spent 2 hours straight outside!  He didn't come in until he heard Hardy barking at something on the other side of the street.  Anyway, I have a nice, new picture of each of them!  So enjoy!

Ryleigh

Minaki

Owen

Quick Update

Just wanted to do a quick post to say that I updated Owen, Minaki, and Ryleigh's Definitive Guides over there on the right ------>.  I hadn't done that since October!  Yikes!  I am clearly very behind on these guys.  They each got a new profile picture, and some much needed info updates.  So check them out!  Feel free to email me (savvysfosterdogs@gmail.com) if you have any questions, and go to the Fluffy Dog website (http://rescue.fluffydog.net/how-to-adopt.html) if you're ready to adopt!

Also, if any of you read to the very bottom of my last post (sorry, I know it was long!), you read what's going on with my own pup, Hardy.  I'm happy to say that he had the stitches from his splenectomy removed last Thursday, and he will be starting Chemo this Thursday.  I'm hoping to convince my coworkers to let me bring him into the office on Chemo days.  He will enjoy that, and it will save me from a lot of extra driving.  Anyway...thank you to all who have sent kind words and thoughts...they are truly appreciated!

Updates Galore!

Many, many apologies for the lack of updates in a while.  My original excuse is the holidays...with so much traveling there just wasn't the time to get on here to write an update.  But that's all about to change!

First, an update on Henry (fka Tippy).  As expected, he is doing wonderfully in his forever home.  His mom sent me a few pictures, and he is just so cute!  Sounds like he's not a fan of the snow, but loves his walks so much that he tolerates it.  And with all his cute outfits, he probably doesn't even know that snow is cold!

Hiking at Devil's Lake.  Is this not a beautiful picture?

Wearing a sweater knitted by his mom.  What a handsome fella!  He looks so dapper.

Hanging out with his mom on a walk.  Looks like he's keeping warm!

Second, an update on Zuzu (formerly Queenie).  She is also doing wonderfully with her forever family, who added a new dog brother to their pack last year!  It sounds like they are the best of buds...as long as he knows that Zuzu is the queen of the household.  And what do you know, more puppies in adorable sweaters!  Clearly this is a trend I need to get on top of...

Leo and Zuzu posing beautifully for the camera.  I need to learn that trick!

 Third, updates on Owen, Minaki, and Ryleigh.  My pups are doing wonderfully.  Everyone is housebroken now (they have been for quite a while, but I don't know if I've mentioned it on here yet).  Owen and Ryleigh are crate trained and sleep in their crates every night.  Minaki is crate trained, but most of the time she is allowed to sleep in bed with me (she will go in the crate, but she doesn't like it).  I am going to be bringing these 3 cuties to the adoption event at Tail Waggin Doggy Daycare in Hartland this Saturday (11-1).

Look!  I did jump on the doggy clothing train!  They all have matching coats.
It was impossible to get a photo of all of them at once.  So on the left we have Owen and Ryleigh.
On the top right, we have Dexter (a friend's dog, not for adoption).
On the bottom right we have Hardy and Minaki escaping the picture.

Caught Owen mid-yawn in his coat.

Minaki is clearly not thrilled to be wearing her t-shirt and coat.

Ryleigh is just a happy pup 100% of the time.

I got a selfie stick for xmas, so now I can take better family portraits!
Left to right: Hardy, Owen, Minaki

The full family!

And the last update - and the most personal - is regarding my own puppy, Hardy.  I know some of you are facebook friends with me, so you already know the story.  But I wanted to share here as well for those of you who don't know.  I had noticed on New Years Eve that my baby wasn't feeling very well.  The following week, he wavered between acting sick and in perfect health.  So I didn't take him to the vet until a week later.  Unfortunately, they discovered a tumor attached to his spleen.  We did many tests, but they came back inconclusive.  So last Thursday, I dropped him off for surgery.  He had the tumor and his spleen removed in the process.  Post-surgery, the vet informed me that the tumor had broken off the spleen and he was bleeding internally.  If we hadn't caught it, he would have eventually bled to death.  So a bit of good news there.  The vet then sent the tumor into the lab to get it tested.  I just received those results yesterday, and unfortunately my Hardy has Hemangiosarcoma, which was our worst case scenario.  Prognosis with this disease, after the surgery, is a 1-3 month lifespan.  Fortunately, chemotherapy is an option, but it only extends the prognosis to a 9-12 month lifespan.  So we are going to do the chemo, because 1-3 months is just not enough time for me (9-12 isn't either, but I'll take what I can get).  My vet suggested I get a second opinion, so we have that appointment next Wednesday.  Then I will have a couple days to decide where to do the chemo (he can't start until he's fully healed from the surgery).  So...that's what's going on in my life!  I hope I didn't make anyone sad, as that is certainly not my intention.  I would love it if anyone reading this would go home tonight and give their pets an extra hug from me.  :-)