Two Weeks

You've been here two weeks now!  You no longer take my finger along with the treat, although you are still crazy about getting treats.  You'll run a little after Canon, but know you can't compete with him for the ball.  (I'm sorry.  That's just the way he is!)  You seem to really like the squeaky egg and the soft ball to chase, although you are mosr likely to run away and leave it for me to come get.  You don't spend as much time marking, and even take the time to squat to pee sometimes.  You actually laid down beside me on the floor for a couple of seconds.  Face licking is still your favorite activity.

We've moved your crate into our bedroom.  I'm not sure what this is saying, but I hope you like it.

Tomorrow the Poodle Club board is coming for a meeting.  I'm looking forward to having them meet you.  I'm still not sure you're all poodle.  The hair on your face is awfully straight.  But you're so darn cute!

The Joy and Pain of Loving a Foster Pup

Max, you have come so far.  Just a second ago you were sitting in my lap as I sat at my computer.  Still and comfortable, very different than two weeks ago.  Today you actually played with Caprice and Canon.  You and Caprice did your little play bows, wagging your tails.  Canon let you tear after him as he ran across the backyard.  It all feels wonderful.

Your personality is showing.  You wrangled a bag of tortillas from the kitchen counter.  You bark in the backyard and follow the other two.  You leave my side once in awhile to explore.  Nancy suggested I move your crate in the bedroom so you can feel part of the pack.

Then reality hit.  Someone has talked to Kathy about you.  She has questions.  Are you good with children?  Other dogs?  What you're good with is us!  It breaks my heart to think of you leaving us.  What will you think if you change homes yet another time?  I know dogs adjust to the situation, but I can't get past that.

My nose is itchy after having you on my lap.  Am I allergic to you?  It's possible.  Do I care?  I don't know.  I know that I love you.  Do I love you enough to give you to a better home?  Yes.  Will I ever think there is a better home?  I don't know.

More Firsts

Your first snow, as far as I know, and you didn't really like it.  It took coaxing to get you to go out to pee in the snow first thing this morning.  You were eager to get back in afterwards.  Caprice and Canon couldn't even coax you to taste some snow, which they seem to find delicious.

The other first, spaghetti.  The big dogs like to eat a piece from one end to the other.  The first time, it worked better for you to start in the middle.  By your third piece, you were getting better at it.  Who knew that a rescue dog would get  this type of training?

Getting Closer

Max, I've noticed that you won't lie down next to me, or sit down.  You're always standing as I pet you.  You gave me a nice surprise today.  I moved right up to you while you were lying on the floor chewing your duck toy.  While I was petting you, you rolled over and I was able to pet your belly for the very first time!  It's so nice to make progress.

I realize now that biting hard on toys (the five or six you destroyed your first two days here) and humping the pillow and the toy were stress reactions for you.  I'm glad to see you relax.

Squeakers in toys still confuse you.  You're less afraid of them than you were, and will even take a toy I squeaked, but you were bewildered tonight when Canon played with a squeaky egg and spent a lot of time just staring at him.

 

You played disappearing dog again today when I was making dinner.  You were very quiet while closed in the pantry by accident and found a snack bar, which you were not able to open before I found you.

Unscheduled Bath

Max, your tail and ears are still a little damp from an unscheduled bath this afternoon.  That's because you came to me in the office and your head and legs were wet.  I thought you'd taken a bath in the water bowl, or that the sprinklers had come on, however, when I walked into the kitchen, I found a rather large puddle of chicken broth dripping from the counter to the floor.  I had left it near the edge of the counter to put on your food tonight.  Well, that's one less think to mix in.

You should smell like tea tree oil shampoo, but really, you still kind of smell like chicken soup...

Easing into the Pack

You've been here a full week!  It looks like you fit right in!The three of you eat out of your own bowls (although licking someone else's bowl after the meal is fair game!).  You don't interact a lot in the house.  Canon did charge you this morning, right on our way outside and scared you.  I could see you shivering.  Little boy, if you don't stay with us, it won't be because you aren't absolutely wonderful, but because I want you to be safe and and confident.  Because I want you to be able to play without a big white boy taking away your toys.  He doesn't mean to hurt you, but he's so used to being top dog.

I think, Max, you must have been an escape artist.  You try to get out any door we go through.  After I came back from agility drills on Saturday morning, I couldn't find you.  I looked in every room.  I kept calling you in the backyard.  No jingling of your tag.  Michael finally looked in the garage.  You had slipped out as I came in!  I think you slipped away from your home and they weren't able to find you.

I don't think you were pampered like my pups.  You don't know how to snuggle next to a human, although you love to lick my face almost all the time.  Today I taught you to come on the couch with me, jump up and off, but you weren't super comfortable.  We'll see if you do it on your own next time.

Sometimes I see you as part of the pack.  When the big dogs bark at someone walking by, you run after them and bark with them.  Sometimes you've initiated the bark when you hear someone going by.  I love your bark.  Not a little dog shrill bark, not an overpowering big dog bark like Caprice and Canon, a just right bark.  Maybe you will fit in.

Every Day is Something New

Every day you do or discover something new, Max.  Today we took you to  Starbucks.  You were curious and friendly- a far cry from being the trembling pup you were just a week ago.  You also got to walk to the park with the other two dogs for the first time.  You were well behaved and eager to smell everything and pee on each tree you came to. Right now, you're resting from your busy day.  I like that when you've had enough, you go to your crate and curl up. Good boy!

                              

Today You...

...Started sitting more.
...Tasted scrambled egg yolk, cheese, and pizza crust.
...Discovered the trash can and got a taste of napkin and paper towel.
...Got some new toys, which you weren't too interested in.
...Waited your turn to get a treat.
...Sat calmly while I put drops in your ear and ointment in your eyes.


Max, every day you're changing, learning something new.  I see you wanting to play with Canon, yet knowing he can hurt you.  I hope to see you gaining confidence every day. 

You are a wonderful boy!

About Your Name

Max, the most commonly given name for a male dog.  My grand nephew's name.  My grandfather's name.  It doesn't quite fit the the musical names of Caprice and Canon.  But someone special gave you that name.  Someone who cared enough to pick you up off the highway and get you cleaned up.  Someone who cared enough to take you to the vet and have him give you shots to protect you.  Someone who put the date and your name on the back of your rabies tag.  I, at least, will honor that, Max, for someone who cared.

We Meet

Max, I first saw you in an e-mail to the Enchanted Poodle Club from  Jaime in Jal, New Mexico, asking us to take you on.  Her brother had found you running along the highway, and saved you.  He took you to the vet, had you cleaned up, matted hair shaved off, and gave you shots, even including one to protect you from rattlesnake bites. Your rabies tag, has 2-1-13 Max scratched on the back. There was talk about you being a standard poodle.

I fell in love with you then, your naked body and eyes glowing from the flash of the camera.  The shelter in Jal might not be able to adopt you out, so your best chance was to come to Albuquerque and have the club foster you and find you a good home.

Saturday, February 9: You were taken from Jal to Carlsbad, where you were driven with 4 smaller poodles to Vaughn, NM, where you were transferred to the Merlock's car headed to Albuquerque. Kathy is in charge of Poodle Rescue for the Enchanted Poodle Club.  We met the Merlocks in the Petsmart parking lot at 2:00.  Now it was love at second sight for me.  You were smaller than I expected, but unbearably cute.  After walking you around a bit, where you pulled like crazy, Michael took you to the car.  You were trembling, little boy-- so afraid.

After about an hour of waiting in the car, we took you to our house to meet our two standard poodles, Caprice and Canon. Forgive them, they didn't realize how little and scared you were. I had never seen a dog mark that much- the bushes, the rocks, the house.  But of course!  This is a strange place to you.

Dinner was a highlight for you.  You certainly weren't too scared to eat!
Lots of petting, sweet talk, and treats, and you were willing to follow me everywhere.

Sunday.  We hit the jackpot of foster dogs.  I think someone trained you.  You went out the dog door on your own, and eventually found the way in as well.  I wondered if you would play with all the toys scattered around our house.  You were interested in taking them out of the toy basket.  You're a chewer, not a mouther like Caprice and Canon.  Three, maybe four, soft toys found their way to the trash can.

We took a walk around the block. The leash is a bit unfamiliar to you.  You ran to the end of the leash, got pulled back, ran to the end, pulled back, but got better and better all the time.

You were settling in.  You were still afraid of Caprice, the barking one, and Canon, whose idea of play was to take your neck in his mouth, but you wanted to go outside with the others, even if it resulted in running back to me.

I'm already thinking about being a foster failure. You are so darn cute.  All that face licking doesn't hurt either.

Monday. Your eye looked a little red, so I took you to have our vet, Dr. Whaley look you over.  I'd never ridden with you in the car, so I asked Nancy to go with us to hold you.  I'm glad I did.  The back seat didn't work, and you wanted to crawl closer to me when I put you in the passenger seat. Dr. Whaley said you had conjunctivitis and an infection in one ear.  I wondered if you would sit still enough for me to give you your medications.

I notice, Max,  that you don't sit.  You don't lie down easily either.  Sometimes I've caught you standing and closing your eyes, as if you need rest, but be ready to run.  Relax, little boy.  You're safe here.

Sometimes you seem part of the pack.  When the other two dogs barked at something, you joined them.  Noisy as it was, I liked that.

Tuesday. I'm sorry, Max. You really don't smell that good.  I gave you your first bath in our shower.  Poor skinny thing! You shivered and shivered, but were a good boy and stayed with me.  Through your thin, short coat, I saw lots of large "freckles" on your skin.  I can't wait to see what you look like when your coat grows out.

I spent a lot of time trying to find the right toys for you at Long Leash on Life.  I know you like soft toys, but they won't last long with you.  I bought you some chews and a tennis ball-type bone.  We went outside and you ran after the bone.  Your first play!