Phoenix was moved to be fostered with one of the trainers that works with the rescue group, and it couldn't be a better place for him. The updates that I received are that he is doing great.
Phoenix did settle in nicely with us and bonded quite quickly to my husband. Following the trainers advice, we worked regularly on controlling the home environment closely, so he learned that we were in charge and that it was okay - we could keep him safe. Meeting new people became less stressful, but we couldn't seem to get past the driveway as the meeting spot. If he heard or saw anyone close to the house he alerted and couldn't be calmed down. His comfort level in going to new places improved as well. Phoenix and I went to a whole bunch of parking lots and visited the quiet back corners of them. We'd walk around and practice heel, sit, down or whatever - sometimes we just sat and ate lunch. But again, we got to a level and just couldn't get past it.
All it would take was one little slip in the routine and he would revert back a few steps. Unfortunately - we were/are just not experienced enough to really get him to the adoptable stages. Although, we loved having him with us - we couldn't move forward with getting a service dog, or even fostering another dog for the rescue. While he is fine with dogs in his other homes, once he accepted our home as HIS home, he was not as welcome to the canine visitors either.
I do want to stress that the trainer he is with is excellent! My personal trainer - who is helping me with my quest for a service dog, highly recommended her and her methods. So given some time, Phoenix will finally become the dog his heart wants to be and be able to find his forever home.
Not too long after Phoenix moved to his next home, we brought in a fluffy bundle of absolute cuteness! She was a 4 month old Shepherd mix (possibly with Sheltie) and just gosh darn cute!!! It was quite a culture shock to go from older, more reserved dogs to a wiggly bundle of AAAHHHH! She is everywhere at once - but... "awwww, look at her, isn't she cute...." is the mantra around the house.
She caused accidents at the local PetSmart (people - not cars). Random patrons would screech to a halt and gush at her adorableness and then the person behind them would crash into them -- but before they could be mad, they got a look at 'Her Cuteness'. The sales people rushed to help us find anything and everything. We must have had 4 sales staff trying to help pick out just the right color of harness for her -- I don't think I've EVER seen 4 sales people on the floor of the pet stores! Sheesh!
Greta (or more accurately, "Her Cuteness") is pretty smart for a know-it-all puppy and pretty soon we had sit, down and even wait working pretty good. Being on a harness, due to her size - there isn't much in the way of leash manners, but she loves going for walks. She'll practically skip and bounce ahead and then come running back to make sure she hasn't lost me. Oh - and she surprisingly learned "Leave it" and "Drop it" on her very first walk. I had to give up all hope of wiping her paws before entering the house... (of COURSE she jumped and splashed in every puddle and then ran through all the mud she could find). "But awwwww, aren't those little puppy paw-prints so cute?? Look at the pattern they made on my husbands pillow!" ~~~ just for the record, he didn't think they were all that cute (cue the eye-roll).
She is way too small for a potential service dog candidate, but that didn't stop me from plotting all kinds of different ways of working her into the "grand scheme" and asking to adopt her... her cuteness just overwhelms you! I must have typed 1/2 dozen e-mails to the adoption coordinator and then deleted them before hitting send, because I knew it was not the right fit... but I just couldn't help myself!
Resistance is Futile....She is like the Death Star with a Tractor Beam of Cuteness that you just can't escape! But finally, all that difficult self control I exerted (which to those that know me, I don't actually possess) came to fruition -- almost immediately after yet another delete from an e-mail discussion with the Adoption Coordinator, I got this picture of a new foster that was coming my way..... It was like divine intervention! Or maybe just a direct hit from an asteroid trying to beat it in my head that she was not meant for me, either way it worked! (And the bruising has gone down now).
Kaden, a monster of a dog (as in size) was heading my way - and this picture showed him sprawled across the lap of his then foster mom. He is HUGE and while not cute, nobody is as cute as "Her Cuteness", he is beautiful! Yes, he is a boy, but beautiful and magnificent are appropriate descriptions.
The date of his arrival was beginning to get close and that anticipation was beginning to overpower the cuteness. The descriptions of his personality were trickling in from the foster mom and it was sounding good. Even though he is only 6 months (and my trainer really tried to instill the fear of "NO Puppies"), he has the presence of an older dog. I hoped that was true -- which, I'll give you a sneak peak... is totally true.
So on that long winded note.... I'll pause here. (Aren't I evil?)
