If you follow me on Facebook or stop here regularly, you may have heard I became an accidental foster parent to a puppy.
For those of you with adult dogs who are experiencing puppy lust, I thought I’d share with you
A foster puppy morning
5:00 a.m. Up and at’em. No one sleeps in at the Webster household. The Foster Dad (TFD) immediately scoops Scooter out of his crate and carries him out to the yard to pee. Yep, the secret to house training a puppy, besides taking him outside every time he finishes playing, eating, or sleeping is to carry him so he doesn’t take a pit stop along the way.
7:00 a.m. Scooter and Honey play bitey face and zoomies in the yard while The Foster Mom (TFM) pumps up the tires on her bicycle so she’s ready for work. Honey is spooked by The Mom moving the bike awkwardly up the basement steps but Scooter isn’t the least bit scared and makes sure to remain under TFM’s feet to supervise the operation.
7:15 a.m. TFM puts Scooter’s two-foot puppy leash on him and Honey’s six-foot leash on her in preparation for a walk. This should be interesting.
7:59 a.m. Scooter is shaking with cold so TFM carries him while walking Honey on the leash. Honey doesn’t understand why we’re not going over to to say hello to the crossing guard with the dog biscuits in his pocket and refuses to move until The Mom bribes her with a handful of kibble.
8:05 a.m. Breakfast time. Honey gets her food in a Tug-a-Jug and goes off to the foyer. TFM sits in the x-pen with Scooter and feeds him by hand in his crate so he associates it with happy things. Scooter is distracted by all the noise Honey makes to free the food from her toy.
8:20 a.m. Time to practice leaving for work. TFM tosses some treats in the x-pen for Scooter and on the floor for Honey and walks out the front door. She counts to five and walks back in to let Scooter out of his pen. She heard no whining.
8:27 a.m. Once again, TFM tosses treats in the x-pen for Scooter and a few for Honey on the kitchen floor and walks out the front door. She counts to ten and walks back in to let Scooter out of the pen. No whining.
8:35 a.m. TFM tosses treats… well, you know the drill by now. Count to twenty and return to the house. No whining.
8:45 a.m. TFM puts Scooter in the x-pen and gives him a marrow bone with half a tablespoon of soft dog food in it. Honey gets her holey ball with two pieces of dried sweet potato. Neither seem to notice me when I walk out the door to ride my bike to work.
A foster puppy afternoon
12:30 p.m. TFM and TFD walk in for lunch to find Scooter laying peacefully beside his crate and Honey upstairs on the couch. Everyone goes out in the yard for a break and game of bitey face.
‘//, (Scooter’s commentary)
1:30 p.m. TFD returns to work. Someone’s got to earn the kibble for this family. TFM settles in on the couch with her laptop to do blogging tasks while Scooter and Honey sleep.
1:45 p.m. TFM gives up on blogging—it ain’t gonna happen—and settles in to watch her favorite political intrigue on DVD while Scooter sleeps on her lap and Honey sleeps on the floor.
2:15 p.m. Scooter wakes up from nap and is carried downstairs for a potty break.
3:25 p.m. Scooter stops playing bitey face with Honey and is carried downstairs for a potty break.
4:17 p.m. Scooters wakes up from another nap and is carried downstairs for a potty break.
A foster puppy evening
5:20 p.m. After yet another potty break, TFM hand feeds Scooter in his crate while Honey empties her Kong Wobbler upstairs.
6:30 p.m. Hooray! TFD is home from work and ready to take over puppy watching duties. Maybe now I can get some work done.
6:35 p.m. TFM makes a spinach omelet for supper while Scooter practices sitting quietly in his x-pen. He doesn’t always succeed.
7:15 p.m. TFM once again tries to do some blogging work while sharing a love seat with TFD, Scooter, and Honey. Yeah, real productive.
9:00 p.m. Last potty break of the night—# 275 by my count.
9:10 p.m. Bedtime. Honey goes into her crate for kibble. Scooter goes into his crate for kibble. TFM and TFD don’t need any kibble to coax them to go to bed. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Shaking with cold, huh? This might be a puppy who needs a sweater (they don’t have much body fat at this age). The question is how long it’s going to fit, what with tremendous growth spurts and all.
Don’t mind me… I’m just ruminating on puppy clothes (two cutes = way cute). Sounds like you’ve got your hands full — and that you’re all having a blast!
Yes, I’m finally seeing that some dogs really do need clothing. It’s a new experience after having dogs with double coats my entire life.
Since he’s only with me for a week, I’ll see what I can come up with around the house. I’m thinking maybe a sleeve from an old sweater might do in pinch. 🙂
Ah yes, the joys of puppy fostering. But, I love it! There’s something so rewarding about giving a dog a good start in life, then turning them over to their new family. Or giving a dog a second (or third, or fourth….) chance in life and once again helping them become who they were meant to be in time to leave for their furever family. Well done with the puppy raising!!
Jen and the Mostly Black Dog Crew
Thanks, Jen. I do find it very exciting to be able to help this already great puppy become even better for his permanent home.
He has such a great temperament that the only things we’re working on are general socialization, making him comfortable with being left alone, and house training. That should be plenty for one week.
After a friend of mine got her third GSD as a puppy, she took two weeks off work to potty train and socialize him. I didn’t know about the carrying them; will remember the next time I have a puppy – the ones at my vet’s are oh, so tempting!
Sweet photo of Scooter sleeping.
How in the world did I miss the post on Honey and a new foster puppy??? I love you way you thought everything out. Scooter is adorable. Now you have no reason to be gloomy this winter with that little bundle of fur! 🙂
Seriously? Sounds like you are a great foster mom! What a lucky puppy! 🙂
Our Greyhounds always wear at least fleece going out this time of year. It’s worth it to get them to take time to finish their business outside! Some dogs really do need the extra warmth, though.
Ha ha ha! Your day sounds suspiciously like ours, but I’m sure I went outside about 500 times today!
What a lucky puppy! I wouldn’t mind being a foster dog at your house!
Phew! Gad its you doing the puppy thing and not me! I’m tired just reading your day! 😀
potty break #275 hahaha!!!
scooter is very cute. he looks like a mastiff type X. he could grow up to look like a boy version of Ms Pea. Have you thought of keeping him at all or would the idea just make you potty?
thanks for The Important Info you left me. those are the sort of things the authorities here hide from us because they know we feel so much happier when we believe it’s summer. i have duly thanked you with a post.
I’m exhausted just reading about your day… must be time for a nap.
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He is really adorable and it sounds like you are doing a great job, it’s a wonderful thing you are doing Pamela. Keep up the good work.
And this is why I know I am not ready for a puppy! Yet… But it sounds like you two are doing fantastic! Early training like this is so vital and you are preparing for an anxiety-free life filled with good things. It’s truly adorable how well Scooter and Honey get along. I hope she won’t miss him to much when he goes to his permanent home!
Scooter is way too adorable. It’s great that Honey is there to be a wonderful role model as the little one learns his way. Btw, I’m totally adopting your phrase “bitey face” because we never know what to call that particular game! 🙂
I’m glad that Scooter is settling in so well… Honey is such a good foster sister!
I love the picture of Honey looking at Scooter from behind the gate. It’s like Honey’s thinking, “Why did you put my new playmate behind this thing? I wonder if there’s a way I can get it open.”
Oh, the joys of puppyhood. It sounds like Honey’s whole foster-puppy-raising team is doing a great job.
Sounds like a perfectly exhausting and wonderful day 🙂
OK, so you left for work with Scooter inside the crate and when you came home he was beside it? as in outside? ROFL