Oh poo!

As an occasional foster home, we more note the comings and goings of foster dogs than most. There is a beginning to the foster experience, a middle, an end, and afterward a period of reflection. One looks back; What worked well? What mistakes were made? Was it a good experience for both the dog and my family?

Lately, my period of reflection has been associated with picking up the poop from the yard. This may sound strange, but pooper-scooping is a calm, quiet event usually done alone (Why would that be?) that easily lends itself to reflection. And there is something really final about picking up that last piece of poop from a foster and putting it in the can; The dog is gone, and there won't be any more of where that came from!

Today I remember my favorite foster, Red 38 as I cleaned the yard. For those that don't know, she is the first dog that I went into the shelter, tested, pulled, rehabilitated and adopted out. The whole nine yards, right! Her foster lasted seven months. Going in, I would have thought she would have been adopted more like in seven weeks, but such is life. But it was good, all the humans shed a tear at some point yesterday. Red was an easy dog to love. She was great!

Except... She eats poop. Got the demand barking under control. The jumpy / nipping was much improved, but she never quit eating poop. She started out eating her own, but at some point decided that Sadie produced the best there ever was. I tried the meat tenderizer and all, but towards the end, picking up a Sadie poop out of the yard just became a thing of the past.

Red was so bad, that not too many weeks ago on a cold wet morning; The dogs were let out and all ran up the dew covered hill that is my back yard. Watching from the kitchen window, I saw Sadie started her circle walk and knew she was going to poop. Red knew too... She ran up behind her and I swear Red was practically snatching them out of the air as they fell the short distance to the ground. Not dressed to go out and in my bare feet, I just turned away and reminded myself not to let her lick me before lunch the next day.

Just this weekend, a similar occurrence: This time I was out cleaning the yard with the pooper-scooper in-hand. Sadie began her circle walk... Meanwhile Red and I found ourselves eying each other from opposite sides. Sadie stopped, wiped her paws, and we both rushed in eager to be first! Ha, I won!!! Red was unmercifully teased as I scooped up the grand prize.

Today I picked up the last of Red's poop... And for the first time in a while, found one from Sadie to scoop up as well.

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