ONE YEAR IN FUREVER!!!!

That's right, folks! I've been in furever for one full year! And what a year it's been! Now that I have a furver home, I know that I'll get to enjoy many more wonderful, happy years of love.

Couldn't have done it without FM!

Coley-Moley

Reunited with FM today!!

Wow!! I got to smell my FM again today! She was with me for about 15 minutes! It was so coooool! It's been a long time, I was adopted way back in late November, early December!

FM had her current foster dog, Wiggles, at the church that I now live really close to, for a small adoption event! It's the place where I met my forever family for the first time!! So my mom & my boy walked me over to the church. It took the longest time for Wiggles and FM to finally come out and say "Hi", so I passed the time by rollin' in the grass. Then, whaddya know, Wiggles was sniffin' my boo-tay, so I jumped up and was soooo excited that there was another doggie! Wiggles was pretty excited too, until I jumped on her! Oops!

FM said I looked like I had grown a LOT!! I'm a big boy now! I was wearin' a gentle leader and I was on a long leash. My mom told my FM that I'm silly when I walk -- I zig zag all over the place so I often trip people that are walking with me... tehehehe!!! I also get to play with other doggies, which I just looooove, but sometimes they try to run really far away from me! I don't get it! My mom said that I really only know "sit" good, and not much else. BOL. But she says I'm still a really good boy. My boy still has lotsa fun hangin' out with me and doing things with me. They said I love to play ball, especially when someone kicks the balls for me. If you throw it, I'll hear where it landed, but it's much more fun to hear it bounce off of someone's foot and then go find it. They also said that I chew on things, especially electronic things. They said they took me to the park once... and I immediately started pulling like crazy and barkin' up a storm, I was so happy to be out there around all the people and doggies!!

The funniest thing was... my tail!!! My mom told my FM that it curled right over my back the day after I first came home to furever!! BOL BOL! It used to go straight out and wag like a helicopter! Now I have a curly-Q!!

Best part is.... there are PICTURES!! But the one time FM forgets her camera.... so we borrowed someone else's camera, they are gonna e-mail FM the pics so that she can show all my dogster pals! Woohoo!!

Woofity,
Cole

Update

For any pups who haven't heard the pawsome news yet... I'm doing absolutely great in my new home! I settled in like it was meant to be. We all fit together so well. FM had chatted with my new mom over the phone a couple days after I had gone home with them. They talked about my silly antics (my new mom thought they were fun! Whew!) and my new mom told FM about how they had plans to introduce me to a 6 month old pup down the street and set up play dates. They talked about what a big sweetie cuddlebug I was but also how I was sooo playful! I sure did impress my new mom when I learned the layout of the house right away, and was perfectly OK with the stairs after my first try on them! FM was so proud of me, too, because I was just a lost pup tryin' to find someone to love me when I first met her.

FM knew I was fitting in well and that this home was going to stick furever. So she hasn't talked to my new mom since... although she keeps her eyes peeled to see if they have stumbled upon Dogster yet! BOL!

To anyone who is wanting to open their home up to a foster, please don't hesitate more than you have to. There are pups like me, blind or not, who need a transitional home SO much, or else there isn't much hope for them. Thank dog I met FM when I did, or else I could've become a statistic in a list I never wanted to be part of.

Thanks so much to all my Dogster pals who were rootin' for me! Yeah!

♥Cole♥

I FOUND A HOME!!!

The family that was interested in me last weekend, and was thinkin' 'bout me all week, came by to see me again at today's adoption event! And guess what, I got to go home with them!!

Foster Mom says I was the best first foster she could've ever had. And I thank her a million times over for giving me the chance of a lifetime, it really means so much to me.

Wish me luck in my new home and keep those paws crossed that it sticks!

♥Cole♥

Catching up

This is a diary entry to make up for aaaaal those days that I missed! Wanna know why I didn't write? 'Cause those days were, well... B-O-R-I-N-G booooooorrrriiiiiing!

I didn't get to go on walks, even! How rude! It was really cold out, and FM was using that as an excuse! So I had to go outside in the yard to run around with Max and Jasmine, and then play with my chew toys inside.

I loooooove the couch! It's so much better than that silly crate! I don't know why Max gets to sleep on the couch at night while I have to go in my crate. It's not fair!

I get lots of tummy rubs on the couch, and I love to chew on my rubber bone! I love to curl up next to Max and Jasmine. Sometimes I accidentally jump ONTO them when I'm trying to get up on the couch. One time, I thought the armrest was a good place to try and get up on, but I actually lept over the armrest and went crashing into the Christmas tree, which thankfully didn't have any ornaments on it yet!

Jasmine is playing with me more and more. She sure is fun to chase and play with. I think she secretly likes me, but she likes Max a lot more!

The one BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG thing that I forgot to write about was my adoption event last Saturday on Dec. second! So big that I think I will just link to a forum thread I made so that ya'll can get all the details there! Here

♥Cole♥

So much new stuff!

This week is starting out to be so much more boring than last week! I have to home alone (well, Max Jasmine and Socks are around of course) in my crate for a bit through the day. But luckily it's not been for more than 3 hours so far!! I've been doin' great!

I looooove raw eggs!! They have yummy insides, but they have even YUMMIER outsides!! FM says that's really good 'cause it'll give me extra calcium for my growin' puppy bones!

I had a bath the other day -- and the first thing I did was roll out in the dirt once I got outside! I whimpered a lot during my bath and tried to jump out numerous times, but FM was in the tub with me so I cuddled against her most of the time. Rollin' in the dirt was pretty fun, though!

I'm still doin' awesome with my walkies! And FM says I'm turning out to be a troublemaker!! I'm a trash raider, a counter surfer, a shoe/slipper chewer, and a sock stealer! Tehehehehe!

Well that's it from me for now...
♥ Cole ♥

Days 8 & 9

Oh no! I'm falling behind on my diary writin'! I hope I can remember everything...

Well yesterday was a lazy day. Lotsa sittin' around. But I DID get to go out on a leash and "help" set up the outside Christmas lights. I got to hear lots of sounds, especially sounds of cars pulling in and out of driveways and people talkin'. The only time I barked was when I heard my across-the-street neighbor doggie barkin' at me! And even then, I only barked a teeny tiny bit and stopped when FM asked me to. I also got to sniff a neighbor, but they didn't pet me. Awww...

Today was a nice day and FM had the backdoor open so us pups were always runnin' in and out. FM helped me go through this thing called a "tunnel". I wasn't too sure about it at first, but I followed a trail of treats through it and found out it was lots of fun!! I kept goin' in and out of it and kept findin' more treats! FM said that should help me lots about the unknown! I also got to go for a walk today. FM tried takin' Jasmine with us once, but it didn't work out very good! Neither of us were ready for it yet, but FM said that that was good to know. When I went by myself, I actually walked in a straight line! And I was trottin' along confidently! I used to weave all over the place and knock into FM's legs and almost trip her. It seems like I now have a mental map of that sidewalk, so I know where I'm goin' now! Woohoo! The FM tried takin' me up the front steps intead of goin' in the backyard like we normally do. It was only two steps but they were two SCAREY steps!!! I would get on the first one, then back up real fast and come to the end of my leash! Then I'd try again. FM was silly and left the treats in the house. But eventually I hopped up the steps like a brave boy! Yay!

Max was gone for awhile this morning, but I kept Jasmine on her toes so that she wouldn't worry about him!! I also got to chew a rawhide today... and I was in my crate for awhile 'cause there were no people in the house for a couple of hours. Aww, it's so boring when FM leaves!!!

Still waitin' for my furever home...

♥ Cole ♥

Thanksgiving!

FM said that yesterday was somethin' called "Thanksgiving". She said we're all supposed to think reeeeeal hard about what we're thankful for on that day. So here's what I'm thankful for.

-- My Foster Mom for takin' care of me
-- My Foster siblings for acceptin' me
-- A second chance
-- Good food and a full tummy
-- Warm blankies to sleep on
-- Lots of toys to play with
-- Lots of yummy things to chew on
-- A crate to call my own
-- A big back yard
-- Those nice people at the vets
-- All my Dogster pals who made me feel so welcome
-- 3 water bowls
-- Gentle hands to pet me
-- Gentle arms to hold me

And the thing I'd be most thankful for if I had it already would be my furever home. I suppose I should be thankful for the fact that I am going to have a chance to get one!!

And FM said the second part about Thanksgiving is the giving part, so this is what I'd like to give:

-- Kissies to everyone
-- Hugs to everyone
-- Tail wags to everyone
-- Playtime for everyone
-- Warm beds and blankies for the pound pups I left behind
-- Lots of puppy love to anyone who wants it, and even to people who don't
-- Smiles to strangers

Yesterday, Thanksgiving, was pretty uneventful. There was a lot of food that the people ate. Then a lot of sitting around or napping. They watched this thing called a "parade". Then the people sat down and ate, and it smelled really good. Us pups layed on the floor at everyone's feet. Then everyone went into the living room and watched a dog show. Jasmine told me that none of the dogs looked like us and none of the dogs had probably ever been to a scarey place before like we all had. I wonder why some dogs are lucky enough to never have to go to a scarey place?? I was listenin' to the show and I only heard one doggie bark. They must not have a very fun time if they never bark!! Then they watched a movie called "Babe". Jasmine said it was about a piggie and some border collies and some sheep. I don't know what any of those things are, but it sounded like a cute movie! FM layed around and read a "book" for a long time. Sure, we got to go outside and play for a bit, but not for tooo long. Actually, I was OK with that 'cause I was content to just chew my toys inside! I was playin' tug later in the day and then Jasmine started playin' tug with FM, too! But Jasmine was bein' stingy and didn't want to play tug with ME. Hmph! I got to cuddle on the couch for awhile, which was so much fun! And then it was all over and time to go to sleep again!

♥ Cole ♥

Day 6 -- a big day!

OMD, where to start?? I hope I can remember all the exciting things that happened today!

Well, I went outside to play in the mornin' as usual. Then FM took me out on a leash to go get the newspaper. Then we went back into the backyard, and Jasmine came runnin' out. She was runnin' in circles all over the yard! So I started chasin' after her. FM says that she then turned around and invited me to play with her, and I trotted on over. We paw-whacked eachother and chest-bumped and playgrowled at eachother as we clanked our teethies together and we bounced around all over the place! Then FM started calling us to come inside. She started tellin' me and Jasmine how proud she was of us for finally playing together!

Then Jasmine and Max got to go outside on their own with FM. I could hear them barkin' at eachother, runnin' around full speed and havin' a good ol' time! I was layin' on my blankie. Then everything got quiet. Jasmine and Max were out on a "walk" with FM. They came back and then were back inside, too.

Later on I tried to get Jasmine to play with me again, 'cause ya know I just looooove playin' ALL the time! Well Jasmine doesn't like playin' ALL the time, isn't that so silly? So even though we had played in the mornin', Jasmine continued gettin' mad at me throughout the day. Sometimes she seemed like she had a really short patience! And I didn't give up pesterin' her very easily, so more than once, FM would have to stomp over and tell us to cool off for a bit. Jasmine would sulk a lot after that an' kept lookin' at FM with really big eyes. So I ended up playin' with FM and crashin' through the leaves and through the bushes. There were a couple instances where FM wished she had her camera. Once was when I was layin' IN the row of bushes, or underneath them, too.

Then after playin' and runnin' for so long... FM tried getting me to go into my crate, but I said "Why? I'm still havin' so much fun! Can't I go into my crate later when I'm more tired?" but FM eventually picked me up halfway and scooted me into the crate. She gave me the rawhide chip I've been workin' on for the past couple of days, my Kong bone stuffed with yummies, and she also sprinkled a bunch of cheesie biscuits into my crate! Yum! Then I didn't hear her again for TWO hours, but I could hear the TV on and I could hear the other doggies. It was my first time without a person in the house at all! Then the other doggies started barkin' and then I heard FM again and she let me out of my crate!!

Then a couple hours later, we went outside again and FM took me out on my leash again! She had a bag of yummy smellin' treats and this thing called a "stool sample". FM brought me around to the van and scooted me into the crate and gave me some treats. After a really short drive, we ended at this place called the "vet". Once FM lifted me down, I walked really well up to the door. FM could see another doggie inside the lobby so she waited briefly until they had left. Then she started helping me walk inside. It was kind of scarey! Some people who were leaving stayed a minute or two longer just to admire me from a distance. FM said I should be proud! I slowly slinked through the door. A vet tech was callin' me and I could hear FM sayin' stuff to me, too, but I was sooo busy sniffin'! Then FM realized that the tech probably didn't know I was blind, so FM explained it and the tech understood why I was so nervous! Then I finally reached where the tech was crouchin' down and I sniffed and licked her hand, my tail wagged, she pet me all over, I gave her kissies on her cheek, and she "Awwwwed" at my cuteness! :o) Then the vet tech lifted me onto a scale and I weighed in at 34.5 pounds. A couple more than what Socks weighs and roughly ten pounds less than fatso Jasmine. Then I slooooowly started walkin' into the exam room. I was busy sniffin' around when the door opened and a vet walked in. She pet me too and I gave her lots of kissies and sat next to her and wagged my tail in a circle like I love to do. She then lifted me onto the table (which was pretty scarey!!) and tried to take a look at my eyes. FM gave me a treat and that made me think the table wasn't so scarey, so I wagged my tail again. Then I had to get turned around to face the other direction so that the vet could see me better, and that was even scarier!! I was holdin' on for life!! Then the vet tech came back in and she put her arms around me and I rested my head on her shoulder, which made her "Awww" again, which FM said is a good thing!! Then the lights turned off and I looked around a bit, so the vet thought I might be able to see shadows. She told mom the name of the condition I have. "Micro" somethin' or other. It means I have a small... well, a small eye I guess you could say. My left eye is really small and you can hardly see it at all, but the vet showed FM how there's a pupil an' stuff in that eye, but I still can't see anything out of it. Then the vet did some light tests to see if I would react to or follow a circle of light, which I didn't do very well, but the vet concluded that my retina is still attached, I just can't see images very well. I can probably just register a teeny bit of shadows or somethin'. Next, the lights came back on and the vet felt along my throat. I started wheezing a little bit. The vet knew about the scarey place that I'd come from and she said she was also seeing another dog from the same scarey place and it too had a thing called "kennel cough". Then I was bein' held by the vet tech again and being POKED with something' that the vet called "ant-eye-bye-ah-ticks" which sounds like she just put insects in me or somethin'!! She also gave FM a bottle of pills of this same stuff for me and a few for my foster siblings in case they show signs, too. Then the good news came... I don't have worms! Truthfully, FM found it hard to believe because she SWORE she saw wormies moving in my poops. Maybe they looked at the wrong poo?? FM says she might bring in another stool sample next week, just incase. The vet also said that... judging by my teethies, I'm probably closer to a year old!!

Then once we got back home, FM immediately took me on my second walk down the street ever. I did so good! Just like last time, the only times I got scared were when cars would drive by. They make scarey wooshing noises!! I tried to get Jasmine to play with me again but she was bein' a big meanie again and wouldn't play. Hmph!

Then it was time to eat and I got my yummy food again! Then FM chopped up a little bit of fresh garlic and sprinkled it over some yogurt and carrots. I liked the yogurt and the garlic but the carrots were weeeeeird! FM says she'll have to grate them or pulp them for me next time. Once the gates were taken down that seperates me from my foster siblings during mealtimes, Jasmine swooped in and stole my carrots!!

Oh yeah, another cool thing that happened today... me an' Max played our first game of tug! He won. FM says that's a good thing, that's what's supposed to happen. Max picked up my 3-ring cloth tug/chewy toy and was chompin' it. I grabbed the other end and started to pull. Max seemed surprised but he won the tug match fair an' square... no paws!

We also did this thing today... I was kinda confused, but it involved treats so it must've been good. FM said it was really a test for Max and Jasmine, not me. See, they know their names and when a treat is for them or for another doggie. So we did a run through first... "For Max" - Max get's a treat. "For Jasmine" - Jasmine's treat. "For Cole" - My treat!!! Then we did it a second time. When "For Cole" was said, I got a little tidbit, but some also went on the floor!!! Neither Max nor Jasmine went for it. I had no idea where it was so I didn't look for it 'cause I knew that the treats were also comin' from someone's hand. Then I heard "For Max" and heard the floor bein' tapped next to the pieces that had dropped, and Max got up and ate his treats! Lucky dog! We're so smart, I think we passed "the test". It was fun, I hope we can do it again!!

So as you can see, I had a busy busy day! I'm such a tired puppy now! And FM says that tomorrow is another big day 'cause we're gonna be eatin' a lot! Sounds like fun!! I just hope we play as much as we eat! Woohoo!!

Woofies,
♥ Cole ♥

Day 5

Wow! Can you even believe it's Day 5 already??

I was nice an' quiet in my crate last night, even when silly Max had to go outside for a potty break in the middle of the night. Sometimes I do get barky when I hear the other dogs moving around at night and I'm stuck in my crate, but once they settle down, so do I!

Foster Mom worked with me today on "sit" and "leave it". Gosh, I'm learnin' so much! FM says she's proud of me! She says soon we're going to play some games that will teach me how to "come", and we'll also find out what a "bathtub" is!! Cool!!

I'm startin' to be a troublemaker, yep! Somehow I sneaked off to FM's room yesterday and managed to chew up some papers. That was the one room FM never got around to cleaning before I arrived 'cause she figured it would be Jasmine, Max, and Socks' "escape room" and I'd stay downstairs. BOL Silly FM! Like she could really keep me from bein' a brave boy and goin' upstairs!! I also am figurin' out that yummy stuff goes into this thing called a "trashcan" and that there's not much stopping me from getting things outta there! I also steal slippers and shoes. My foster siblings tell me that if I'm gonna steal things I shouldn't chew on them right under FM's nose. It's true, she *does* take those things away from me, but then she gives me another super cool thing to chew and tells me I'm good! Woohoo!

I'm also learning that sitting on laps is fun! I fell asleep in someone's arms last night! It was pretty relaxing! And today I got on FM's lap... twice!!

The rawhide that I got yesterday... I'm still workin' on chewin' it! It's a lot of fun but it wears me out sometimes! Whew!

FM took me out on a "leash" twice today. Once to get the mail and newspaper. It was a bit scarey at first, I tried laying down in the grass next to the driveway, but FM persisted and we made it to the mailbox, where I layed down again and scooted on my belly all over the place. We went back the same way we came and that was a lot easier, 'cause I could smell my trail! The second time was for my first real walk. FM had a spoon with peanut butter on the end, but she never needed to use it! There were too many cool smells! I zig-zagged all over the place but FM didn't let me pull too much or go too far away. The only time I got scared was when this big ol' truck went rattlin' by. I layed down and didn't want to move but FM didn't use the PB right away. Then we ended at a stop sign and there were SO MANY doggie smells that I layed down again and just sniffed away! We turned around and walked back and it was a lot of fun! Once I was back in the backyard and my leash was off, FM let me have the peanut butter!! It got stuck to the roof of my mouth! Then I got to play with my jealous foster siblings and bounce around! So much fun!

FM says I'm going to have an "office visit" tomorrow at this place called the "vet". She says I'll get to meet some cool people! I love meeting nice people! She says they will give us medicine to take home to kill off extra "worms". FM says she was pokin' around in my poo today and noticed several white things. So she put my poo in a bag and is going to bring it to these "vet" people tomorrow. Hmmm...

FM also says that I'll have to go back to the scarey place soon!! Oh no!! But she explained to me that it was just so that I could get more puppy shots so that I'd be ready to go to a puppy class! FM said that we had to go to the scarey place to do it 'cause they were payin' for it! FM says I shouldn't worry 'cause she'll be there the whole time and I won't have to stay there or anything.

FM says we're also gonna go to some other cool places eventually. The lie-berry... the playground... the pawrk... lotsa petstores... doggie bakeries... lotsa cool places!! FM also says that I'll get to go to more adoption events in the next several weeks, and that maybe I will find my furever home there!!!

FM says I'm also going to play with this thing called a "tunnel" and "chute" tomorrow. She says the other dogs will be jealous, especially Jasmine! Ooo... sounds exciting!! I can't wait!!

Gotsta go now!
♥ Cole ♥