Saying goodbye is so hard.

I had planned on writing about summer treats and fun pup ice cream recipes. Life decided to get in my way. On Thursday 8/22/2013 my foster puppy Maya went to her forever home.  In honor of our time spent getting to know Maya and watching her grow the next few posts are going to be about her and our experiences fostering her.

 
When we first brought her home she was wild beyond belief.  At  3-4 months old (best guess between unreliable information from the previous owners the vets), she'd never had the opportunity to properly exhaust her energy. It took the three of us (two humans and Sadie) to wear her out. I remember feeling sorry for Sadie at first.  Maya had never had the ability to interact with another dog, having been taken from her family at around 5-7 weeks. She was not only puppy energetic but also lacked appropriate social behavior.  Sadie was a good sport and took everything the puppy gave in stride, including being used for teething. By the second day it seemed to us that Sadie was getting a little annoyed with the puppy.  With the non-stop play who could blame her?  I took Maya away from Sadie in the hopes of redirecting her attention and giving our little girl a break.  To my surprise Sadie followed me and stuck her face right up to Maya's mouth, encouraging her to play.  It was then I realized the bond that these two, knowing each other for only a day, had already formed.  Maya was being taught how to act like a dog, and Sadie was feeling fulfilled by having a job to do: Raising a puppy.

A personality quirk of hers that I loved was that she would "argue" with me.  During feeding time the dogs get very excited, so we use obedience commands to keep everything in check.  When I gave commands to Maya (such as sit) while presenting her food and before letting her eat she would respond with barks and short howls while following the instructions.  This ended up delaying her getting to eat because I liked to give her additional commands just to have her argue with me again. Huskies are so vocal in the interactions and it was a treat to listen to Maya get a word in on everything.

Our little home is very quiet with her gone, and we are all still adjusting to her absence. It's strange that I come home now and she isn't she isn't there to greet me, it's a rough adjustment. Sadie seems to be handling it pretty well, but she has been seeking out more attention. We are all adjusting together but we could not be more happy or excited for Maya in finding such a wonderful forever home. I am lucky that I know her new mom pretty well and although she live a ways away I will be able to get updates and hear how she is doing and visit every now and then. 

 

 

Good luck Maya we love you and wish you the best.

Meet more friends! Also bonus puppy pictures.

      Bacardi out on a hike.

    This is  Bacardi. This crazy wild pup is a 5 year old golden retriever.  When she was young she suffered from high fevers and seizure, but even with the issues she faced she's as as happy a dog as you could ever ask for.  She's owned by a close friend and I've been able to watch her grow up.  I also get the wonderful privilege of babysitting her any time the family is out of town.  She loves hiking and walking and activities outdoors of any sort.

Chevy as a puppy. Sleeping over at my house.

 Chevy the first day I met him.

    Secondly we have Chevy.  He's had a lot of ups and downs in his short life.  Despite his rough start, he's a loving puppy whose main drive is making the people around him happy.  He is a joy to visit and a very easy dog to work with.  I sometimes tease his owner, a good friend of mine, that it's unfair how exceptionally well behaved his dog is. We enjoy going on walks around the river, and playing in the park.

 Chevy at the river.

    There are others that pop in from time to time that I'm sure will make an appearance, and I'll introduce them as we go.  I just wanted to touch on the most common two dogs outside of my immediate family.

I am going to include more pictures of Chevy as a puppy and some of Bardi.

 Sadie and Chevy playing.

Bardi as a baby years ago.

Meet the kids.

   First off there is Sadie. My main dog and only permanent pack member.  I mentioned her last time, and would like to expound upon what I already said. She is such a bundle of puppy-like energy it's hard to remember she will be four in October. We are working on obedience and agility, as well as some behavior improvement. Sadie is very independent and doesn't always think to look to her humans for cues, so it can be rough with training. However, she's also very caring, if you are sick or upset she become very concerned. She has laid next to her dad went he had food poisoning and stayed with him the two days it took him to recover.
                                                       
                                                                

  

   Next is Maya, our little foster puppy.  She's our second live-in pack member.  She's a Siberian Husky mix. She is roughly 8-9 months old and still a lot of puppy. She has a pending adoption, Maya loves her and she loves Maya so fingers crossed it works out. Maya is very active and loves to hike, run, and plays like a tornado.  She also is a fantastic cuddler, and will curl up to watch TV, read a book, or just taking a nap. She is a great dog and will make someone an amazing family member and I am so excited to see that happen.

                                                  

                                                                       

    

   Our other most common visitor is Paquette, my mother's dog. She is  9 year old Yorkshire Terrier. She is a spunky old girl, not hesitant about giving the younger and larger dogs a piece of her mind if she thinks they are being to wild or are too close to her. With family or frequent visitors she is cute, playful, and loving. With strangers she is rather skittish, reserved, and cautious. It takes time patience and kindness to win her over. Some people appreciate her affection that much more because unlike with most dogs you have to earn it.
                                                       
                                              She was super happy to steal the big dogs bone.            

             Next week I will introduce Bacardi, Chevy, and our other dog friends.