Our adventures as a foster dog family
Puppies are coming.
Finally.
I have missed fostering puppies, but I just didn’t have the space or the time during our two-year relocation adventure. Now that we’re settled in the Shenandoah Valley, I’m ready.
Continue reading “Did Someone Say Puppies?”
A picture is worth a thousand words. Or a picture can launch a love affair. Either way, a good picture can be the key to a dog finding a family.
Often people tell me that when they saw a picture of their current dog, it was love at first sight. Capturing a dog’s personality as well as its physical features in a picture can work magic. It’s why shelters and rescues love when photographers volunteer their time (and why it would be great if more did!). For dogs coming out of shelters in the south, that initial picture is often all a rescue has to go on when deciding which lives to save. Suffice it to say, pictures matter.
Both of my current foster dogs, Argus and Marley, are adorable, but you might not know that from my pictures.
My snaps didn’t do them justice, so I asked my friend Caitlin, who is an incredibly talented photographer, to do a photo shoot.
Caitlin confessed right up front that beyond one lost dog and her own animals, she’s never spent a lot of time photographing dogs. If only we all could do this well out of the gate…
It’s been tricky to get good pictures of Argus, partly because he’s a puppy so he’s always in motion and partly because he’s a little on the insecure side. Just like that friend who always cringes or blinks when you pull out a camera, he often looked awkward in my pictures. Honestly, though, he is awkward. He’s like that gangly teen who is easily embarrassed and always apologizing for bumping into things as he learns to navigate the world with a growing body and mind.
He also sticks out his tongue when anxious, and even the tip of it appears when he’s distracted or thinking hard. He’s also a little shy around new people. So, not an easy dog to photograph.
Luckily, he warmed up quickly to Caitlin because she’s such a gentle, encouraging soul.
Marley, on the other hand, is friendly as an experienced salesman, ready to be your best friend upon introduction. The challenge with her was to make her look not so frantic – it’s mostly the blue eye that makes her pictures look a little manic. She is so much cuter in person than in pictures.
Her gray muzzle and those mismatched eyes do not come across well on camera, but I promise you, she is adorable. She’s also devoted, often she was too close to photograph well. And she has very light brindle stripes in her coat that look like wrinkles or dirt, also limiting her photogenicness. If you’re looking to adopt an Instagram star she’s probably not your dog, on the other hand, maybe her odd look on camera might work for you. She’s definitely got the personality for it.
Thanks so much to Caitlin Garvey (you can find her on Instagram at caitlingarvey_photography – look her up, you’ll be glad you did) for lending your time and your talent (and your patience) to help us find families for these two special dogs.
If you’re interested in adopting Marley, contact the Humane Society of Shenandoah County, and if you’re interested in Argus, contact Operation Paws for Homes. For more information about either of them, feel free to reach out to me.
And while you’re here, please wish a happy birthday to Argus who turned one this month!
Until Each One Has a Home,
Cara
For information on me, my writing, and books, visit CaraWrites.com.
If you’d like regular updates of all our foster dogs past and present, plus occasional dog care/training tips, and occasional foster cat updates (!) be sure to join the Facebook group, Another Good Dog.
And if you’d like to know where all these dogs come from and how you can help solve the crisis of too many unwanted dogs in our shelters, visit WhoWillLetTheDogsOut.org and subscribe to our blog where we share stories of our travels to shelters, rescues, and dog pounds.
If you can’t get enough foster dog stories, check out my book: Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs . Or its follow up that takes you to the shelters in the south One Hundred Dogs & Counting: One Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey Into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues.
I love to hear from readers and dog-hearted people! Email me at carasueachterberg@gmail.com.
I have to say that if Marley and Argus were my foster dogs five years ago, they’d be adopted in a snap.
Adoptions, all over not just with OPH or HSSC, have slowed. And while it’s a little frustrating, it’s expected and might just be a good thing.
People are being a bit more careful before jumping into a new dog. As they should be. Having watched Marley mourn the people who surrendered her for her first few days, lying in her crate with a worried look, hesitant to come out, I don’t wish her situation on any dog. So, yes, you should be absolutely sure you are ready to adopt a new pet before committing to one.
Marley has bounced back, as dogs are so good at doing. She is looking much healthier now that we’ve treated her for parasites, gotten her on a healthy diet, given her probiotics, vitamins, and a fancy oil someone donated to help her skin/coat. She’s getting regular exercise, plays with Argus, and has quite definitely turned the corner to reveal her sunny personality.
Argus is still a little suspicious of doors and noises and sudden movements. His first instinct is to cower and worry, but when he feels safe and happy he’s got a serious full-body waggle that always makes me smile. He is one happy boy, slamming the sides of his crate ferociously with his tail the moment I come in the room. His big grin and lolling tongue make him look as goofy as he is happy.
Both these dogs are apartment sized. Sweet, gentle, housebroken, crate-trained, relatively quiet, easily amused with bones or toys, and play well together. All of those factors would have meant they’d get adopted quickly back before the pandemic, before everyone who’d ever considered acquiring a pet got one (and more than a few shouldn’t have).
They are both highly adoptable, easy, cute, fun dogs who will make some family very happy.
So now the trick is to be patient. As I said, they are easy fosters, so lucky me, I don’t mind them hanging around. But I’d still like to get them out my door to their real family before they become too attached. Before they decide that I am their family. Because these sweet pups should not have their hearts broken again.
They are ready. Are you out there? Come and get your pups!
Marley is a six-year-old, 40-pound darling with one blue eye belying some Husky heritage (although her size would tell you otherwise). She’s gentle and sweet and loves to go for walks and adventures. She does best on a front-leading harness. Marley loves to cuddle, take long naps, and chew on hooves/bones. She is spayed and up to date on shots. If you’re interested in Marley, contact the Humane Society of Shenandoah County.
Argus is a one-year-old lab mix (aren’t they all) who weighs close to 50 pounds (but looks much smaller). His breeding is anyone’s guess, but he’s beginning to develop spots, so hound? Dalmation? Some kind of fox terrier? Who knows. He’s a little shy at the offset, but warms up super fast and is a joyful, goofy, boy who still has a lot of puppy in him. He’s excellent at catching treats in his mouth, curious about anything that involves food, and walks really well on a leash. He’s neutered, up to date on shots, and microchipped. If you’re interested in Argus, contact Operation Paws for Homes.
If you’d like to meet either of these darling dogs, or know more about them, feel free to reach out to me directly: carasueachterberg@gmail.com.
And if you’ve ever considered fostering, now would be a great time to try it out. Shelters and rescues all over the country are overwhelmed with large numbers of intakes and the same slow adoption rate I’m experiencing. Fostering can truly save lives. By taking a dog (or cat) into your home to foster, you open up a space at a shelter or rescue for another. Reach out to me if you have questions or need convincing!
Until Each One Has a Home,
Cara
For information on me, my writing, and books, visit CaraWrites.com.
If you’d like regular updates of all our foster dogs past and present, plus occasional dog care/training tips, and occasional foster cat updates (!) be sure to join the Facebook group, Another Good Dog.
And if you’d like to know where all these dogs come from and how you can help solve the crisis of too many unwanted dogs in our shelters, visit WhoWillLetTheDogsOut.org and subscribe to our blog where we share stories of our travels to shelters, rescues, and dog pounds.
If you can’t get enough foster dog stories, check out my book: Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs . Or its follow up that takes you to the shelters in the south One Hundred Dogs & Counting: One Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey Into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues.
I love to hear from readers and dog-hearted people! Email me at carasueachterberg@gmail.com
Foster dogs come and go, but our place is rarely empty. After my last post, I realized I left a few plot lines hanging…I never told you what became of Roofus and Ladybug, or updated you on the barn cat/possum outcome. So before I tell you more about Argus and our newest foster, Marley, let me end the mystery.
Ladybug and Roofus have been relocated to another foster home. Not because they aren’t wonderful dogs or because I didn’t enjoy their hounddog charms, but because I care about my neighbors.
Continue reading “Dogs (and Cats) Come and Go”
And just like that, the foster dog of dogs, is gone.
Having Gina here was such a treat. Both Nick and I agreed that if we didn’t already have three dogs, we would have seriously considered foster-failing.
So, it’s awesome that she got the perfect home, right here in the valley.
Continue reading “Forever Homes”
It’s quite the dog party at my foster cottage. The last month with the hound dogs has been relatively quiet. Other than the occasional concert, they are a pretty quiet pair. Lots of sleeping, casing the joint for treats, and counter-surfing, but no real rough-housing.
Enter Gina, our party girl. She has definitely upped the energy level here.
Rufus is thrilled to have a playmate. The two have regular play sessions all day long – chasing, wrestling, rolling, and lots of keep away with a toy (but no tug, Gina doesn’t seem to understand tug, she just gives the toy up). For a dog who is supposed to be seven, Rufus has some serious game.
Continue reading “Get the Foster Party Started”
For those who don’t have a program:
We are currently fostering Ladybug and Rufus, two sweet hound dogs who were abandoned on a farm and ultimately rescued by the Humane Society of Shenandoah County.
Rufus Goofus and Ladybug are an adorable pair together but available to be adopted separately.
Our yard looks like a five-year-old was turned loose with one of those mini back-end loaders you see in public park sandboxes.
Only there are no children here, just moles.
And dogs attempting to find the moles.
Continue reading “Moles Plus Dogs Equal Cats”
I’m pretty sure my neighbors know what kind of dogs we have squirreled away in our foster cottage.
Rufus and Bug sing lovely songs periodically that make me smile. I’m not even sure what gets them started or what they are singing about. The serenades rarely last long and sometimes happen shortly after I’ve left them, but sometimes two hours later.
Rescuing animals can be is overwhelming.
I know that first hand, as does anyone in the rescue world. It’s part and parcel to the whole rescue mentality – you want to help and you can easily over-extend. You can’t bear for animals to suffer.
And sadly, lately, that proclivity to take on more and more has led to rescues turning into hoarding cases.
Two different situations came through my world this weekend that I could do nothing about, but a local wannabe rescuer’s overwhelm did spill into my world, or to be exact, my not-quite-finished foster cottage.
Continue reading “When the Rescuer Needs Rescue”
Another Good Dog™ 