What is going on? Part I

So here I am in a new home. A home with 3 other dogs, 3 people and a big yard with grass and tennis balls. I've been here a good week. I am beginning to catch on to the routine they follow.

You see, I was happy in my first home. I lived with my big buddy Bubba. But one day, we happily went for a ride with the man. He took us to a building and left us with some people there. He told them he had to give us up.
The people there were nice to us. They fed us and cleaned up after us. It wasn't home though. No grass, no tennis balls to retrieve. Once I got to go home with some of the nice shelter people. At their house I got to play outside with many other dogs. At night I learned to sleep in a crate. I showed them I was house broken. But all too soon it was back to the shelter.
People would come and look at all the dogs every now and then. Some of them would just go crazy with barking and jumping. They didn't "show" very well. Bubba and me tried to behave. But still we stayed at the shelter for a little over a month.
One day a man and a lady looked at me and I got to go for a short walk with them. I walked real nice on the leash. I didn't bark and go crazy like some of the other dogs. But still, they put me back in the kennel with Bubba. I stayed there for another week or so.
Then one day the shelter lady loaded me up in a crate in her SUV. We took a short ride. We met with the lady that had met me at the shelter.
I loaded up in a crate in the back of her pickup. It seemed like we drove and drove and drove. I was glad the pickup had a shell over the bed where I was in the crate, I was able to stay cooler. I still got car sick and lost some of my breakfast. It was a long, winding road.
Finally we pulled into a garage and I was able to get out of the crate and stretch my legs.

I will tell you about my new home in a little while. Right now I think I will see if someone will toss some tennis balls around for me in the yard.

What is going on? Part II

So on with Part II.
After I unload from the truck I find myself in a home with a wonderful big grassy yard. About the first thing I do is start sniffing and marking all the plants. Then I take a real good roll in the green grass. It had been awhile since I was able to do that.
Three dogs came out to meet me. They each gave me a good sniffing. I am accepted. I am ok with the bottom of the food chain. I sense that is where I am with the 3 dogs.
Then I was invited inside the house. That was scary! I just wouldn't go inside without the lady pleading and finally shoving me through the door!
Then I got nervous. I couldn't find Bubba. He was kinda my anchor you see. I went around and around looking for him. It was so hard to calm down.
Then a man came through the door. Now he was scary even though the other dogs weren't afraid of him. I didn't want to have anything to do with him. I was reminded that I had met him at the shelter. Well, that was different, I was close to my Bubba.
Pretty soon a young man came through the door. He was scary too. Same thing, the other dogs weren't afraid of him.
I spent a lot of time the first couple of day going around and around in the house. Just couldn't find Bubba. He wasn't outside either but outside had some tennis balls to chase. That would take my mind off of missing Bubba.
Now I have only been here a little over a week but I already have a nice new collar with my name and home phone number on a tag. I sure enjoyed it when NewMom put that collar on me.
The first couple of nights I had to be shoved into my crate for bed. Not anymore. I go right in when NewMom tells me "kennel".
I don't go around and around the house anymore. I relax and nap.
I am learning about the inside toys. There are little brown egg shaped squeaky toys. Those work real well for the people to throw down the hall and retrieve them. I love to squeak them but I don't tear them up.
The people praise me for retrieving the tennis balls. I bring them back and drop them at their feet. They throw the ball again and I retrieve the ball again. It is a fantastic game. And a good aerobic workout.
I sure don't like it when NewMom goes down all those stairs into the basement. I stay at the top of the stairs and whine until she starts back up.
I have learned to sit for a cookie. Wow, those are yummy things.
I am part of the pack now. The Schnauzer dogs and I follow NewMom just about everywhere she goes.
NewMom is beginning to think that I don't know how to bark! She hasn't heard me. The foster mom told her I do know how and to just wait. The little Schnauzer dog barks enough for all of us combined!
Well, that brings me up to date so far. This is a good place to live.
I sure hope Bubba gets a good home like me.

Something happened

Something happened to me today that probably had never happened before.
First the young man brushed me. Got a lot of loose hair off of me.
Later, after the man brushed the noisy little Schnauzer, he brushed me. Got a lot more loose hair off of me.

It felt good. I liked it.

Stuff I have learned

I have been in this home now for 10 days now.
I think I can list 10 things I have learned in those 10 days!

1. Dogs are welcome to come into the house here. In my other house, I wasn't allowed inside.

2. Dogs sleep inside at this house. NewMom is pretty sure I slept outside at the other house. I made myself comfortable outside the first couple of nights. She had to Make me come inside for bed.

3. There are soft pillow things called Dog Beds. I never knew about those before coming here. I don't use them, I am comfortable on the floor.

4. There are things called doggie cookies at this house. They are very tasty.

5. I learned I have to "sit" in order to get one of those doggie cookies.

6. I have learned that the people are not going to hurt me. Foster mom lady told NewMom she thought I had been hurt before. I am still leary of men. I am doing much better now.

7. I have learned about something called a TV. It makes scary noises and once I jumped back because a man's face was right there. I am doing better with the TV now.

8. I quickly learned where my food bowl is every morning at breakfast.

9. I have learned that when NewMom leaves the yard and says she will be right back, she is. I don't need to fret and whimper.

10. Finally, but I am still learning, I found out I am just the right height for NewMom to touch me. I walk along with her and she will scratch my head or pat me.

11. One more thing, a bonus, I have learned to fit into the pack of dogs here. I like it here, I am happy and I feel at home.

Something else

Looks like I am here for the long haul. I have been here for 2 weeks and a day.
I have learned something else since my last list.
I have learned to go down all those stairs that go to a place called the basement. NewMom goes down there several times a day. I would stay at the top of the stairs and whine until I could see her coming back up again. I could hear her. The Schnauzers, especially Zoe, would zip right down those stairs with NewMom.
Well, a couple of days ago I summoned up enough courage and I made it down there too. NewMom was putting clothes into a machine thing and she was happy to see me. She was proud of me, I could tell. She watched me and talked to me. It is kinda dark and being a black dog she couldn't see me while I was sniffing around. It smelled good and I could tell there had been another dog going to the bathroom. I could tell one spot had been pretty recent too. But I was a good dog and didn't try anything dumb.

I like it here and I am fitting in to the pack. It feels like home. That sure is a good feeling.

Make a note

Hmm, another thing I just found out about.
Don't lift my leg on the corner of NewMom's bed. Got sent right outside.

Make a note of that one.

Big Blue Water Dish

A couple of days ago NewMom hauled out a big, I mean big, blue water dish from around the corner of the garage where I can't see her if she goes over there.
She rinsed it off and brought it in the yard. She placed it on the patio and put a lot of water in it.
Thanks for the big blue water dish NewMom! Now all of us have lots of water to drink. We already have a water dish outside and we drink out of the fountain too. That water was so fresh and cold on a hot day.
The wind blew and blew yesterday and a lot of leaves and seed things got in the water.
This morning the big blue dish wasn't there. I guess it blew away. I dunno.

Do-It-Yourself

We have these braided chew toys around here. The little dog, Zoe, really likes them and she has them "broken" in so to speak.
I like them too, the older ones especially. I like to chew on them. I chew short pieces of the fleece fabric off. NewMom comes along and picks them up before I have a chance to swallow them.
Well, let's just say she found out that she missed a couple of the pieces.
Isn't colon cleansing all the latest rage these days? And with these tough economic times shouldn't we all be trying to save money?
Fuzzy blue poop is proof that Tux's Do-It-Yourself Colon Cleanser works!
'Nuff said about that.

Another No No

Note to self: Not supposed to pee at the bottom of the stairs going to the basement.
Sure smells like a good place to pee down there. This place is confusing sometimes.

Got my papers

I am now official. My papers came today.
I am a genuine Miniature Labrador Retriever!

I am just a kidding you. I am mutt that looks like a small black lab.

But I did get my papers today! Papers from the nice shelter/foster home lady. My papers show I have had my shots, been wormed and even neutered.
I even got me a nice blue rabies tag to wear. Shoot, it even matches my name tag.
You see, I was here on a test drive. This home is in someplace called Hi-dee-ho. I came from a shelter far away in Why-o-ming.
So since my papers and rabies tag came today in the mail that makes me an official dopted.
Miniature Labrador Retriever, that's me!