Beginnings ... With Ruffy

Ruffy came up from the south on a pet rescue transport. Apparently, he was filthy and matted. Since two prominent rescue volunteers described him to me as 'disgusting', I imagine he was quite a site. Thankfully though, he got into the groomer before I took him home, and now look how nice he looks.

Ruffy is some kind of poodle spaniel mix, I guess. He's about one or two years old, and even though he has only been here for two days, I can vouch for him being a good dog. He's housebroken, good with other dogs, and good with kids. He hardly ever barks. These things, and more, make him highly adoptable, and I bet soon he will be loved by his furever family.

For the first night and morning he was here, I was doubtful that it would work out. When I introduced Ruffy to Kiyoshi, I did it outside, and then went for a walk. I quickly learned that taking care of two dogs is harder than taking care of one. And Kiyoshi was very uneasy about this new guy busting in on things. When I could not be right there to supervise closely, I had to separate the two. By day two things had improved significantly, and Kiyoshi and Ruffy were fine together.

Ruffy is good with Nicholas, and Nicholas instantly loved Ruffy. So much so, in fact, that he asked me, "Could we keep him instead?" I think Nicholas really enjoys dogs, but to tell you the truth, when he said that, my heart hurt... for me ... for Kiyoshi.
Silly. I know. But that's what I felt.

Peas and Carrots

Nicholas and Kiyoshi ~ like peas and carrots.

Nicholas and Kiyoshi became fast friends, and 'brothers'. Nicholas brings out the playful side of Kiyoshi. They are both fun loving but gentle together. Nicholas coos over this dog unlike any other; calls him 'so sweet and nice' and "I love you, Kiyoshi, and so does Mommy."

Nicholas helps take him for walks, feeds him, and brushes him. He gives him lots of hugs and cuddles too. He laughs when he acts silly and does 'chin spins'.

Kiyoshi is the perfect dog for Nicholas because he is there when he needs him, but also gives him plenty of space, and does not steal the show. He is a content and undemanding dog, and I am quite sure Nicholas unknowingly appreciates that this dog does not cramp his style at all by acting needy, and competing for my attention.

Last night, he slept part of the night beside my bed, part beside Nicholas' bed, and part of the night he slept between our two rooms.

In the morning, if the dog and I are up before Nicholas, I always shut his door so he is not disturbed. Kiyoshi often sits quietly outside his door, and patiently waits for him to come out and play.

I love him!

I love him!

He's the best dog ever and I feel so lucky to have him here, and even though it's not even been a week, I already can't imagine not having him here!

I've been changing my mind a hundred times a day about whether to foster or adopt Kiyoshi. I know I've done this back and forth thing before, especially with Johnny, so I'm trying to sort myself out here before I get word that an application has come in for him. I guess I'm kinda hoping no one asks for him for at least a couple weeks. That could give me the time I need to know.

I've been sharing my thoughts with others, mostly to just get my thoughts in order and 'out there', but also to get valuable feedback from friends and family who know me well.

If I adopt him, he will be very loved and well cared for, happily ever after. If I foster and he is adopted out, there will be tears saying good-bye to this one; big, fat, sad, love tears.

Beginnings ... with Kiyoshi

I drove to PA yesterday to pick up my new foster dog from Second Time Around Rescue. I'm so glad this Japanese Chin was vetted and ready to go because I like him. I like him a lot.
When I first got into the car to take Gizzy home, I had this sudden feeling of ~ this is the dog I'm keeping!
Caught me off guard a little, but ... the feeling passed.

Anyway, so far so good with this little guy. When I saw this picture on petfinder I described him as so-ugly-he's-cute, but now I don't think he's so ugly at all. His fur is so soft, long, and lovely. (I went out and bought a brush and comb for him.) Sure, he still has that 'mashed' face that I always find to be ugly/cute, but he really is a nice doggie.
He's very quiet, which I really like. And he doesn't seem so needy like the previous two I fostered, which is also a nice sort of break from that constant 'giving' of affection. I read that Japanese Chins are the most cat-like dogs, so I guess maybe that's where some of his independence comes from.
Last night he had dinner and we went for a nice walk. He walks on a leash like a dream.
I decided the name Gizzy was too ghetto for this fluffy beaut, so I've renamed him Kiyoshi, which means 'the quiet one'.

Bye Cody

Cody was adopted yesterday. It was exciting and sad for me, and I think for Cody too.

I loved taking care of Cody. What an excellent dog he is. He's cute and playful and loving.

You're a good boy, Cody. I will miss you but I'm very happy that you have been adopted into your forever family.

XXX-OOO

Adventures

Since I last posted , Cody has had some adventures. He was on The Today Show last weekend, and this weekend he went to a Pet Rescue meet & greet.
In between, he has been taking medicine for some tummy trouble, and had to wear a cone for a couple days so he'd stop licking his neuter incision.
He's been on lots of walks, around the block, along the boardwalk, and through the dog park, where he gracefully accepted having his butt sniffed by more than a dozen dogs.
One afternoon, as I walked him a different way than usual, I noticed he had just gone into a thick patch of poison ivy. Oh Bother! So, he had a bath and I washed and rubbed my arms and hands down with alcohol. Fortunately, his romp in poison ivy only resulted in one small itchy blister on the inside of my right arm. Not bad, considering this little low-to-the-ground pup was nosing around in the stuff for at least a minute before I looked down and thought, hmmm ... all those weeds have three leaves.
Cody plays outside in the backyard every morning while I have my coffee. I throw his toys and he fetches until he gets tired and lays on the grass. He's off his leash in the back, and it was not a problem until yesterday morning when he saw a chipmunk scurry across the rocks and rush under the fence. Cody sprinted to catch him and squeezed himself under the fence, where there is a big enough gap for his slight body. The only thing is, he did not come back when I called him, and my body happens not to be so slight as to get myself through the back fence. So, I had to get in my car and drive around the block to get him. When I got out of the car and called him, he raced over to me like I was his long lost love and he couldn't wait to leap into my arms with joy! Silly pup.
One of my favorite things about my time with Cody, aside from taking lovely walks by the shore, is cuddling up for a nap. He is such the snuggle bug, and I love his lovey-ness.