I arrived at the door, greeted by four dogs with Yukon carrying a new pink dragon in his mouth. Sooo cute! I didn’t have camera ready as who would have expected such an adorable pose! We tried to recreate the image, but with little success. The foster mom went through all his instructions. My! She spoils her dogs rotten! LOL He gets ¼ of a can of wet dog food with his Merrick kibble breakfast. At dinner time, either canned pumpkin or plain yogurt is added to his Merrick buffalo meat meal.
He is still being treated for Heartworm, so she reminded me to be vigilant about the regimen. Then we went outside for Gotcha Day photos. The foster mom helped me put the tags on the collar as I am not good at doing such things. Her other three dogs seemed to sense something was up, and they all started barking and being crazy. Yukon was the least crazy, but he was the one she told, “Crate, crate, crate” and he went in. I asked why he had to be crated when he was not the instigator. She said, “He is the easiest one to get in a crate.” LOL. Good to know!
I told her his crate is in my master bathroom along with his food and water bowls. I plan to shut him in the bathroom when I leave the house until I feel I can trust him. She warned me that he needs to be crated or he might scratch my door. Then I suggested using a baby gate in the doorway. She said that is what she did. He scratched the door frame and removed the baby gate!!!! OK! I will leave him in a crate until I can be certain he will be OK left in the house alone by testing with short periods of time and slowly extending it.
It took a couple of attempts, but he finally ran with me and jumped into the back of my car. He was just fine on the way home. She had said he would try to get into the front seat, but he did not. He was very good. Apparently, I was still flustered, because I pulled another boner: as I opened the door, the radio stayed on as if the car was still on. I pressed the button a couple more times to turn the car off. The radio continued playing. I took my stuff and Yukon inside and shut the garage door. A few minutes later I returned for his food left in the car. The car lights and radio were still on. I finally figured out . . . I had not put the car in park . . . AGAIN!!!! It is been a few months since I have done that trick, all because my last car was put in park by pressing the button on the top of the gear shift. I still, apparently, automatically tap the top of the gearshift and think I am done. :\ Nerves. . .
At home, he inspected the whole house. I showed him his water bowl and his toys. He was not interested in the water but sniffed through the basket of toys, though did not take one. We inspected the backyard and he found an appropriate bush for relieving himself. Neighboring dogs were also out, so they had a barking party. I don’t remember Yukon barking at all. Maybe once? Back inside, he settled down a few feet from my desk. Eventually, I heard him wandering and went to look. He was on the loveseat with his paws on the back of it so that he could look out the back window. A couple hours later, I lay down on the TV room sofa, and he climbed up with me just like Guinness used to. He joined me near my desk again, then left. I found him sacked out on the living room loveseat. Since arising, he has been doing his own thing. I noted, at some time, he had checked out my bed. He likes ripping stuffed toys apart. I am worrying a bit about the throw pillows I have around the house. There were none in his former home.
Tonight, I had to leave for choir practice and he had to stay in the crate as I do not know what he would do if left to his own devices. My crate is a bit smaller than his foster mother’s. He cannot stand tall in it. Once our dogs were adults, they only needed the crate for time outs and when the house was on the market. He was VERY happy to see me when I arrived home and eagerly ran to the back door to go outside!
I find that I am calling him “Sweet Pea” and “Guinny” (both nicknames for my last dog, Guinness) more than Yukon or Yukie. I have not started on Willy yet. He is a good boy and not crazy goofy like my others. I wish he had a bit more spirit. Maybe it will come. He has had a checkered life: first owner died on his motorcycle. I am figuring that was less than a year ago; perhaps much less! Then he went to a brother until he was incarcerated. Then to the brother’s daughter who decided she could not keep him. The Rescue saved him just days from being euthanized! He has been in the foster home for only a little more than two months. So he has had much change which could have subdued him.
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