2 Week Update

Alphie was diagnosed with kennel cough, but nothing more serious. With the meds, he should be KC free within 1 1/2 weeks. Lemon has some light coughing too, but unless she gets anymore serious, she should be able to ride out her KC without drugs. Not a sniffle, cough or extra lethargic day for the other three. Bordetella works!

Lemon was spayed Tuesday, and is slowly becoming her old self. She isn't playing quite yet, but she's back to her fairly independent yet cuddly self. No more 'pity me' baby.

Allie has done really well this week. She spends very little time in her crate out of her own choosing -even if it is available-. Most of the time now she's a couch potato. She visited with Sherry, another volunteer and did great. Went up for some cheese (though rolled her eyes at the beef jerky!), got comfy on her couch. Even jumped up beside Sherry once or twice to give her a sniff. I had my sister over yesterday which kind of confused her (although we don't look all that similiar, we have super similiar voices.) After an hour or so Allie was fine with Kathleen hanging on the couch with us and having her stroke her toes. Even with her open crate she didn't go into hiding. Yes! We're well on our way. She still isn't a fan of being touched (she'll let me pet her once she's settled on the couch, but I don't know if she particularly enjoys it), but she's no scaredy cat, and there's less and less potential for fear bite (there's ALWAYS potential in any dog, so to rule it out completely isn't realistic.)

I see her with a middle-aged couple who like shorter walks and to putter around in the garden, and don't mind that she isn't overly physically affectionate. Of course she could go to other situations too, but she needs a quieter place, somewhere she can relax. Another week and I think she'll be ready to go to a special home. No idea if that home is out there sooner rather than later, but I'm not too worried. As much as people seem to want to adopt overly friendly, kissy-face dogs, the shy guys are the easier to have around. They don't ask for much, are hardly ever 'needy', and its really rewarding once they decide they trust you. Allie's an easy-keeper. Rough around the edges still, but an easy-keeper. If she stays months I don't really mind.

As for Alvin, I'm trying to think of his annoyingness as entertaining. He is definitely entertaining. He's a one dog circus. He makes tunnels for himself out of the blankets, throws his chew boys clear across the room to go chase them, and every five minutes or so tries to get you to pay attention to him. Although he peeves me off, I can see a young boy or girl having a lot of fun with him. He's got a family out there somewhere that will want to laugh at his sillyness. Alvin can fit pretty much everywhere. Busy family, retired senior, single dog, bunch of dogs, cats, farm, bachelor apartment. It's hard to believe for a dog that could go just about anywhere, that he doesn't have a single application. I admit, he's kind of ugly, but he is funny. Surely someone must want to adopt him?

No apps on anyone. Oh well, everyone is settled at this point, and despite the fact that there are 5 dogs in the house, it feels like maybe 3. Alphie is so lazy, he's like having a cuddly cat. Allie doesn't ask for anything -she's not the princess she was last week. Throughout the time I've been fostering, I've learnt that it isn't the number of dogs in the house, but the overall energy of the group. The dynamics are much more important. I've had 3 dogs in the house and been nearly pulling my hair out. I've had 7 in the house (the most I had at one point), and despite the extra poo, it was a pretty zen week.

Besides, weeks 3+4 are the best fostering weeks. The dogs have learnt the routine, they've pushed the boundaries and I've pushed back. Their pack has formed --it isn't an uncommon sight for everyone but Alvin to be hanging out on the couch. They all realize he's a misfit :). Their 'issues' usually start melting more and more away, and the shy guys suddenly get lightbulbs that they don't have to be so shy. But hopefully we'll see some adoption before about week 5-6, as although only a few dogs have stayed until that point, that's usually the 'the honeymoon is over' phase and the boundaries get tested in all new ways.

So I will enjoy the next two weeks, and have my fingers crossed that these Chihuahuas find their forever homes soon. But even if they don't, I forsee another foster in the near future.