Can you put in place a schedule while you’re fostering? Ummmmm well no but then yes and sometimes maybe. Just when I have things moving along great, it rains! Rain totally messes up my schedule. I can’t leave Spencer outside and it’s hard walking him in pouring down rain which means…poop on the floor. It’s not his fault but it’s not mine either. You see I kind of know Spences poop schedule. Yeah you can laugh but just put yourself in my shoes. Like I said in my other blog; I am trying to figure out a routine where my dogs, my grandchildren my husband and Spencer are getting equal time from me. Since Spence has to be kept separated from my dogs and kids, it’s been a challenge.
I get Spence up between 8:30 and 9:00 just after getting my grandson set up for his virtual school and my granddaughter with coloring or a good clean learning show on TV. I run downstairs feed Spencer, wait til he’s done, then lead him outside to do his business. He has not once soiled his crate. His crate is both his and my safe place. Spence has two poops in him in the morning. If I can get out and walk him, I will get them both on my walk but……if grands are here I can’t walk so I let him hang out in the yard til he goes. If he does both, he gets to go hang out in the basement outside his crate but if he only does one, and I walk him around the backyard twice and he still doesn’t go he has to go back into his crate until my granddaughter has finished lunch and is down for a nap which is around 11. Once she is down, he gets to come up and hang out with me for a while and my two girls get to go hang out in my bedroom..yeah they like that, she says sarcastically. My grandson is safely tucked in the office doing his virtual school until he gets kicked off, wants a snack, gets a break, or wants some white paper.
Spencer then goes back outside to hang for a while. I will usually come out throw the ball or some toy for him for a few minutes and head back in to let my dogs out for some mommy time. Then they have to go potty so I run Spence back downstairs either crated or uncrated depending on his poop situation, If he still hasn’t gone, I will walk him around the back yard another couple of times. Usually he has pooped by then and gets to hang out in the basements uncrated. I have to text my neighbor when my dogs go out and in because his dog and my dogs don’t get along. Now, I add to it when Spencer is out because his dog will try and egg mine on and it’s just a pain. But it all works out but my poor neighbor is getting double the texts now hahahahaha.
Granddaughter wakes up so Spence goes back outside for a while. I’m am so grateful that he loves being outside. I lay a rug out there for him to lounge on and have big basin of water for him and sometimes a chew bone to keep him occupied but he mostly just lays down and chills. The kids usually leave around 2:30 and I will go get Spence let him do his business and let him hang upstairs again. But for the next two days the kids are here til 6:30 so again my “schedule” is messed up hahahahaha. But if they weren’t, I would go down feed him again, wait til he’s done and take him back outside to go poop again and let him have free time in the basement. Sigh…..He goes back out about 6 til 7:30 and then comes back up stairs for foster mommy and daddy time (if daddy is off work. If not I will just stay down in the basement with him. He’s quite happy to be wherever I am.). Between 8:30 and 9 is bed time.
So you can see my whole life is revolved around poop! Hahahaha
In other news…Spence met my other daughter-in-law and walked right up to her for some love. When my sons come over now, he will come up and then back up but then go right back. He rough housed a little with my oldest and had a ball. The dog loves to play!!! He welcomes everyone at the door and only barks if he’s surprised which has been on rare occasions.
He does not like to go in his crate at bed times and will bark a few minutes, accept it and go to sleep. I think he just wants to always be with his humans. I wish so much for him to have a family that didn’t have to divide their time. He is such a wonderful, loving, playful dog. Last night when he came up, he was really mellow for the first time. No zoomies! He is becoming more and more cuddly with me and would love to cuddle my hubby but hubby isn’t the dog cuddling type. He will let our boxer mix lay in his lap though.
I’ve beat him at tug of war three times now. When I win, he has to leave the toy alone for a few minutes before he can play again. He is learning “leave it” and we are still working on “down” and “shake.” Once he learns “down”, I think it will help with his zoomies and a good prelude to other training.
Spencer is 2 years old and has been at the Shelter since June 2020. He came in as a stray. He needs to have multiple meet and greets with potential adopters, in a home with no children and if adopters have other dogs there must be a meet and greet between dogs. He is well worth the investment. You can read more of his details and see his amazing video at https://kcpetproject.org/animal-details/?aid=44882776&cid=11&tid=Dog#.Xz1oGWyS
Saving Spencer 