Fosters with Kids

He loves to lay in the sun

SHERMAN UPDATE:

Oh man has this guy gotten spunky!! He's like a completely different dog from when he was first left with us. He seems to have found the pep in his step (he even jumped outside the other day).

We are doing a lot of learning on both sides. Sherman is learning how this house works while we learn his cues. For instance, he has started to learn that he should go to the bathroom outside (preferably in the grass on not on the deck or concrete). We have learned that the loud farts that I blamed on my daughter is actually his butt telling us he has to poop. (Seriously, its the loudest dog farts I've ever heard). Sherman is also figuring out he is going to get a next meal, he definitely lets us know when he's hungry.

On a medical type update... he is a little incontinent. I read up on Hypospadias (see the last post for more info on that) and it is a side effect of the condition. It doesn't seem to bother him but sometimes a little urine leaks out when he sits or lays down.  His feet are still a little puffy (its his natural immune response to the mange) and he's still itchy.

Good news is he seems to be filling out a little in the hind end, putting on a little weight, and his skin looks like its starting to get a little better. The old, dry, broken, coarse hair that was on his back when we got him seems to be mostly gone. His skin seems to have gone from and old shoe leather look to a more just hairless look. He still has some crustiness but that seems to be getting much better also. He isn't out of the woods and completely better, he just seems to be making progress. He's going to have another bath tomorrow and I'll get some pictures posted of the progress in the coming days.

FOSTERS WITH KIDS:

I've mentioned before that I have two daughters, a 4 year old and a 7 month old. We've also been fostering since just before Maddy turned 2. We have always said there will be one of three careers for Maddy when she grows up. She will run a rescue or animal shelter, she'll be a veterinarian, or she's gonna be a lawyer. Basically she loves animals and she likes to argue and negotiate.

Maddy is normally our little dog tester. She's come with us to the shelters more times than I can count. staff at one of the shelters knows her by name. We always bring her, and make sure whatever dog we decide to take home is cool with kids, especially one that wants to pet them all day. Due to COVID-19 we didn't get to do that with Sherman. We made sure to warn Maddy that we were getting a new dog and that he was kinda sick. We had to tell her that he may look scary at first but that he needs our help.

Well, last Saturday came around and Sherman was dropped off with his load of medication. Maddy's exact words once we got him in, settled and introduced were "He looks scary but it's not his fault" she then proceeded to scratch and pet him and try to get him to play a new game called "follow me". Now we've gotten to the point where Maddy tells every we talk to (friends and family on FaceTime) that "we have a new foster dog", "He has no hair but it isn't his fault", "He pees a lot", and "He has Iguana feet".

Iguana Feet

Sherman absolutely loves the kids, as have every dog we've brought home. If you've ever thought about fostering, don't let being a parent or having small children stop you.... they may surprise you.