Merry Christmas to all who observe!

Woodson got his Norman Christmas initiation last night. Jane came over for dinner and we had an early Christmas. I made Manicotti with garlic bread and ceasar salad. Everything turned out really well and because of an earlier trip to the dog park, all dogs were calm and mostly slept. We're going again today! Woodson loves to run. Still working on his recall, though. When we leave I have to go get him because he doesn't come to me.
I noticed last night how much nicer his coat is getting as I brush him more. It looks like at some point he probably had a chain around his neck. The fur is all broken all the way around.

We have a tradition of draping ribbons around the dog's necks and taking pictures. Woodson was a good sport.

Brett Favre Norman, Woodson Clyde Norman, me, Buddy Carpenter

Busted! I came up into my bedroom to get ready for bed and Woodson was already there!

Free roam? I don't think so.

I guess we won't be giving Woodson free roam of the house anytime soon.

I got home from Foss last night to find my human child at the table wrapping gifts. A cloth bag had been ripped to pieces and was all over the living room floor, plus a torn up cloth ornament, and a branch from the tree with one strand of lights laying on the floor.

"What's going on here," I asked.

"I don't know, " said my son, who had been home all evening. "I came down from upstairs and it was like this."

Nice.

Not 100% it was Woodson, but Brett doesn't usually tear stuff up when someone is home. He goes for garbage, but not destruction, so we're assuming it was Woodson. KJ will have to keep a better eye on him or kennel him if he can't.

With Desi gone, Woodson has transferred his energy to Brett who welcomes the play. Woodson knows how to fetch in the house. We're going to try to get to the dog park as often as we can over Christmas break, to burn off all that energy!

Kind of fostering, I guess

Desi is now in Milwaukee, much closer to her future permanent home. I am so thankful to the woman and her family for taking her for two weeks. Even though I was really tired yesterday (after a busy weekend), we met in La Crosse for the transfer. It really was the best day for everybody. And I'm glad to be down to two dogs. We get Buddy in on Wednesday and I'm not sure how long he's staying. Buddy is a Britany Spaniel and is very well behaved. He glues himself to KJ and even wants to be in KJ's room when KJ is gone.

So, technically I am still fostering Woodson/Bruno, but it really feels like I will be adopting him. He's pretty mellow. Other than when he jumps up on us. KJ encourages this, I don't. Also when he was taught to sit and shake, he now sits and immediately throws his paw up to catch on whatever body part is closest. He's getting better about being on the tie-out. I walk him mid-afternoon and before bed. But first thing in the morning all dogs only get tied in the yard. I can't see that early in the morning!

I do need to make sure he was actually neutered. 

Biological warning.

Dr. Ken said the same thing, but didn't want to accuse another vet of not doing a job properly, but it sure feels like he still has both of his testicles. The swelling has gone down. Skyline talked to the clinic in Waseca and they explained how they neuter which can cause more swelling, so it seems that he was fully neutered, but neutering means removing the testicles, which produce the hormones. The point of neutering is to stop the ability of reproducing, but also to get rid of the hormones. 

Cripes

Took the doggies to the dog park and I had my camera in my jacket pocket. Do you think I remembered to take pictures?

No.

I did remember treats and man, Desi practically never left my side. At one point she was going to run off and all she heard was the baggie and she turned around and sat down in front of me.

Good news, good news and a name change.

Schatzie has been found. He actually came home in the middle of the night. Some people spotted him and followed him while calling Schatzie's owner, who went outside. Schatzie came into the yard and laid down at the owner's feet as if to say, okay, I've had enough of this life on the lam.

And, Desi is getting adopted!

I just talked to a woman in eastern Wisconsin who has a 16 year old daughter and is ready for another dog after putting her lab down a few months ago. Their situation is really what I had visioned for Desi, so much so that I know the Universe pulled everything together for this match. I love how that works!

She's going to have a houseful over Christmas, so we're going to wait until after the first of the year. Which will be good for all concerned. 

A new picture of Desi, sacked out.

And, after a vote and much discussion, if we keep Bruno, which we probably will, he will be Woodson Clyde Norman. His personality reminds me so much of Jazz. The collie mix I had before KJ was born, who KJ grew up with.

Lost Collie

Walking the doggies

It was so nice today, I took all three dogs out for a walk before the Packer game started. This was no easy task. I put Desi on her leash and hooked up Bruno and Brett on the double leash. Brett likes to pull and Bruno just isn't that good on a leash yet. He's fine, but he gets those long legs of his wrapped up. Eventually we got a good system down and all worked out. Went around the park.

I also brushed Bruno and Desi. Desi is much better about being brushed. Bruno was fine, just not happy about being up on the bench.

Bruno is really just a big lug. He's smart and very loving. I get the feeling he's been a house dog before. He jumps right up on the bed at free will. He hasn't been much of a barker, so far.

Slumber party

KJ's sleeping over at a friend's so I have everybody in my room for the night. Brett always sleeps in with KJ unless he's gone. Desi has been sleeping in there but has been bumped for Bruno. I'm debating on whether I will leave my door open or not. Brett always goes into the basement overnight to leave a gift. I don't know why. He doesn't have to. He is otherwise housebroken. 

When Desi and Brett play, it's noisy, with both dogs growling and barking. Today, Bruno and Desi started playing and it's silent except for the breathing. They climb on top of each other, literally chew on each other, grabbing at legs, necks and noses, but not a peep.

I read Bruno's vet records and his name is actually Bruno Mars. Someone must be a fan at the clinic.

Bruno's afternoon

Got some pictures of Bruno and Desi together. You can really see how tall he is. After I picked KJ up from school, I let Desi out of the kennel and took both Desi and Bruno for a walk together. This is a great way to let them get to know each other. Desi likes to circle on the leash, Bruno isn't really used to a leash at all, but he did pretty good. Just a lot of tangled legs and wrapping around me.

Inside I let them loose and with all three dogs together everybody is getting along great and already trying to play. Desi is reacting so much better to Bruno than she did to the dog that lived at the home visit a week ago.

Whoever adopts Bruno is going to have to be careful about the top of his nose. It's very pink under the white and it will get sunburned.

KJ already wants to keep him. I actually really like the idea of having just one dog and fostering the others.

Two collies in the house!

Terry picked him up in Waseca this morning and brought him to my house. Thanks, Terry! This was really nice of her.

He's a tall boy. He's wearing the cone of shame, still, from being neutered a week ago. Supposed to have him checked in another week. I'm going to have to put Desi in the kennel I picked up the other day and put Bruno in the bigger one, he's that tall!

He's really thin from being a stray, and also has had burs cut away, so his coat has patches, his tail fur has been completely chopped, but he's gorgeous!

He's laying down now, quietly resting. It's been a busy morning for him. He's had a tour of the house and we're now in my bedroom with Desi kenneled downstairs and Brett in the hall. Just want to give him some quiet time for a bit. I don't think he's housebroken so need to keep him close.

Initially he seems like a really loving dog, easy going. 

His coat is short, but really thick. He needs a good brushing. The vet figured him to be two to three years old.
I have the day off so can spend a lot of time with him. 

And, as I post this, I hear him drinking out of the toilet. Yes, he's fitting right in.

Desi

Desi loves to have her face stroked, just like Thor. She'll sit in front of me and I will start with her eyes and just stroke backward over her ears. She closes her eyes and enjoys it and will stay there for as long as I do this. It's peaceful for me, too! 

She also will walk back and forth along my bed, rubbing her face along my bedspread. Thor did this all the time.

I bought bones for the dogs at Petco last night.  Oops, I suppose I should have gotten one for Bruno, too. I love these bones. I don't know if they are real bones, but they look like real ones. White bones with peanut butter stuffed inside them. Brett kept picking Desi's up and hogging both bones. But no fights at all. 

Getting Bruno on Friday!

Why I foster

Every so often someone will ask me how I can give up the dogs I foster. This is my answer:

When I started fostering, I had two dogs of my own and I knew I couldn't keep three dogs, so I knew going in I was going to let them go.

I know I'm letting them go to a good home and I'm helping someone else find a great dog! It's still hard, but a great way to touch more dogs than I will ever own.

Desi's official page

http://www.mwcr.org/2011/desi.htm

She's available, but hasn't been posted to the website yet.We have probable adopters on a waiting list, pre-approved, who get first dibs.

Foster dog #12 - Bruno

And I haven't even gotten Desi off yet. Hopefully we can get her adopted before Bruno comes in. I'm doing a home visit Friday evening for a family who applied for a dog on the website. We do home visits for all adoptees. They aren't a big deal. Mostly just want to make sure the dog is going to a good home and people are who they say they are. Our adoption process has a very good reputation in the rescue community. Desi hasn't made it to the website yet (we have approved applicants on a waiting list). They want a younger female, so maybe Desi will be good for them also. I was planning on bringing her anyway, as we're supposed to bring a dog if we can. If they like her and everything checks out, she's theirs! That's how Becca got adopted by Shea and Matt. I brought her with me to do their home check and they fell in love. I've kept in touch with them more than any other adopter of my fosters. They are a great couple and a great family for Becca, who is now Bella. 

Bruno is a beautiful,  2 year old,  sable and white, intact male collie located in Southern MN.

He will be UTD and newly neutered when he arrives at his foster home. Bruno was a stray. He is very playful and a bit barky. He loves people and is good with dogs and kids.    Bruno knows how to sit and shake.  It is unknown if he is good with cats. He keeps his kennel clean but does mark.   However, this should subside after he is neutered.

I've never had a collie with the white blaze on its face. This is the standard marking, I think. 

Desi pictures - post brushing

She still wants to sleep on my bed, but is getting better about sleeping on this.

Sporting the Farrah Fawcett look!

She actually squinted in this one as if she knew the flash was coming.

I love this one.

Dog park!

Desi passed her first day at the dog park with flying colors. She literally was flying. This dog LOVES to run! I was nervous because she also loves to bark at dogs going past the house. Thor was not a good boy at the dog park. He just wanted to boss the dogs around and play cop. I dreaded taking him there, too. Only did because KJ wanted to. I realize a lot of it was Thor reacting to my nervousness, but I so didn't want to be the person with the problem dog and Thor was a problem dog at the dog park. 

Okay, back to Desi. I apologize, I get off track easily.

The DP was busy. It was cold, but the dogs don't notice that! I kept Desi on the leash for about five minutes. KJ had the chuckit for Brett and they were already playing. I let Desi go and she took off just running for the pure joy of running. I love that! She stayed pretty close to Brett chasing him while he chased the ball. A few times she tried to grab onto Brett on the top of his neck. Not in an aggressive way, I think she's just trying to get him to stop and play with her. At times other dogs would run with her and she'd chase them barking, but not biting. Later there was a dog she did try to bite in the same way, I think, just to get them to stop running. KJ got her to sit, then lay down, over on her side, all by tapping her with the chuckit. He did really well with her, actually, which surprised me. I was away from them when this happened, just watching. 

Her recall isn't good. I need to remember to bring treats. I'm bad about remembering them. I didn't take pictures. The light was really flat as it was cloudy in a dreary kind of way. 

Desi really wasn't that interested in the other dogs. There were a few times when I had to redirect her, but she had a great time.

When we got home, I brushed Desi for the first time. Her owner gave me a muzzle to put on her for brushing. Said she snarls a bit sometimes. I thought, okay, let her try to bite me when I brush her! I have a grooming bench that I keep in the garage but KJ brought it into the basement for the winter. She did well. She did try once, not bite, but just tell me she didn't like what I was doing, when I hit a snag. I corrected her and she didn't try it again. she knows who is the boss.
I'm going to get some pictures and will post them later.

________________________________________________

And now time for me to get a bit political. A woman showed up with a husky mix. Really large dog, un-neutered, which I have so many issues with. Someone asked her what kind of dog he was. Malamute and 35% wolf. The guy asked, you know how much wolf he is? She said she got him from a wolf sanctuary in Utah. He was a friendly dog, I'll say that. Young. Less than two years old, she said. And I can understand that sometimes wolves and dogs mate, but . . . BUT . . . I just don't think the sanctuary should then sell these dogs. And the fact that they knew the percentage suggests they bred them. He did seem more dog than wolf. I'm really just against this 100%.

Desi is a Diva

Desi loves it up on my bed. She also has this weird obsession with licking my bedspread. I have to stop her several times before she leaves it alone. 

She okay with the cats but tries to get them to run so she can chase. 

She and Brett play until it becomes too wild and I stop them. 

I can feed her and Brett in the entryway together. Separate ends of the floor, but they're alright together. 

She loves to bark, and bark, and bark. She alerts at everything.

She pulls stuff out of the garbage whenever she can.

She's doing well in the kennel when we leave. She goes into it w/o any hesitation.

She is a true sweetheart. So gentle and loving.

Collie in the house!

It was weird just now. I'm sitting in my bedroom chair and Desi came up to the side and without thinking I absently reached down to pet her and for an instant I think I thought it was Thor.

She doesn't look like Thor at all other than coloring. She's very petite. I think she weighs less than Brett and he's 45 pounds. 

Kind of dark. Taken with my cell. No batteries in the real camera. Notice how Brett finds a way to get into each and every picture.

We left for Wisconsin about 2:00 to make the 3:30 meet-up time. As we got across the border we were able to pick up the Packer game on the radio. They won! 10-0!!!

Traci was about 45 minutes late, including missing the exit. As we were waiting there was another dog transfer taking place in the parking lot. My curiosity got the best of me and I went over to them and asked where they were from. They didn't really give me an answer and didn't know exactly what rescue they were going to. Kind of weird to me, but one of the vans had something like "Animal transport" actually imprinted on the back driver's side. ONe of the women had a German Shepherd Rescue t-shirt on. The other had some name of a rescue I didn't recognize. They weren't that friendly, actually. Oh well. 

Traci finally arrived. She seemed rushed. We each drove about 90 minutes, and we both needed to get back, but I also know this was hard for her. She gave Desi a kiss. She sent food, leash and records. The coolest part is her AKC registration and lineage. Most of the collies we get do not come with a history. Although more so lately we're getting owner surrenders because of financial problems, so we have more history with them.

I now know that Desi is actually Balverie By Design. Her sire is a champion, all four of her grandparents are champions and seven of eight of her great grandparents are champions. Her father was a sable and white, her mother a tricolor.

I walked her a bit when we first got home, but it was dark so I didn't stay out long. Inside she cased the whole house and seemed to be looking for a way out, but she has settled down and is fitting in. She's REALLY interested in the cats and has already stalked Lily. I don't think Speedo has come down from his perch on top of the fridge yet. 

She's very excitable. KJ was talking about something and he waved his hands in the air and she barked at him. Later he ran down the hall (something he often does) and she chased him, barking. He finished the vacuuming and she reacted to the vacuum at first but didn't bark at it. (Thor barked at the vacuum a lot when we first got him).

We're told she chases cars and bikes, so we need to watch for that carefully. I don't think I'll leave her by herself on the tie-out as our street is fairly busy.

Speaking of, I should probably take her out now!

Updated foster list

Pictures of fosters with general dates I had them.

#1 Janis (June 2009)

#2 Baron (August 2009)

#3 Dolly (October 2009)



#4 Cody (December 2009)

#5 Fergus (March 2010)

#6 Becca (May 2010)

#7 Swiper (July 2010)


#8 Diamond (September 2010)



#9 Prairie (May 2011)

#10 Mac (August 2011)

#11 Desi (November 2011)



#12 Bruno (December 2011)

#13 Rocket (February 2012)

Desi transfer

Will be meeting Desi's owner on Sunday. I'm sure it will be hard for her. The only other dog I picked up directly from the owner was Striker (Swiper). It didn't seem hard for her, but she did have her husband leave with the kids so they wouldn't be there, because her daughter did not want to get rid of the dog.

According to what was written on the surrender form, Desi gets into stuff. Garbage, food on the counter, etc. She chews on books. Jazz did this (my collie/border collie mix I had before Thor). He never took a book from a shelf, but if one was left out on a table, couch, floor, he'd chew up the binding. Someone told me dogs sometimes like the taste of the glue in the binding.

If you noticed in the picture yesterday, Desi is tied to the chair. I wonder if this was their solution and just how badly she behaves? When I'm house breaking a dog I keep them tied to me, so wherever I go, they go. It seems to work pretty good. Otherwise you just have to keep an eye on them, not letting them stay in the kitchen when you leave the room if there is food or garbage out. The paperwork stated that she is house-trained, spayed and up to date on shots, etc., so she should be listed as available after two weeks.

I will be crating her when nobody is home. This usually isn't for more than six hours at a time. It was nice to not have to crate Mac.

Completely unrelated to fostering.
The Packers creamed the Vikings yesterday!!!!!!! A lot of people I talked to thought it would be a close game. Not me. The Pack was coming home to Lambeau after being gone for a month and everybody was fired up. 45-7 and those seven points were off a boffed punt when Cobb grabbed and missed the ball, so the Vikings were really pretty bad, especially in the second half. Starting to look like a coaching problem to me.

Desi - Foster #11

Will hopefully pick her up sometime this weekend as soon as we make arrangements.

No details . . .

But I should be getting a new foster dog soon!

Thor - July (?) 2003-Nov. 4, 2011

I first fell in love with collies watching Lassie as a kid. It wasn't Lassie so much as it was just that I just loved the dog. Large and furry. I got a book on collies for Christmas. In 9th grade I bought my first collie for $45. That was when I experienced for the first time, the intelligence of this breed. Kelly lived to be 13. I will write about her some other time.

This entry is about Thor. My "I will have another collie someday" collie. When Kelly died, I was living in Ketchum, Idaho. She stayed with my mom in Wisconsin because that was her home. I was working a few hours on the weekends at the shelter in Hailey, Id. I wanted to bring all the dogs home, so I settled on one, a springer/sheltie mix I named Travis. When Travis was about 12, my mom's friend's neighbor's daughter brought home a puppy she knew she couldn't keep, but the farmer was about to kill him because he wasn't needed on the farm. That was how I got Jazz, a collie/border collie mix. (I was getting closer!)

When Jazz was 11, I happened across a collie on Petfinder.com and that was how I got Thor. He was a one-year-old collie being fostered in Osceola, Wis. for a rescue. He was originally from Kansas City. His owner became disabled and couldn't care for him anymore.

Though he had his faults, he was too bossy in the dog park, and as a typical collie, barked A LOT, he was a perfect gentleman. Friendly to everyone he met, loved the cats, was good with the rabbits, and could be left alone in the house without getting into anything. Too often we'd come home to an absolute mess with Thor pushing his way out the door as if to say, I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT MESS!

He loved to go for walks and rides in the car with his head out the window. He didn't like water or it's frozen form. I had to push him out the door in the rain or snow.

A few weeks ago he was diagnosed with cancer after he went blind and his face swelled up. The medication brought the swelling down, but he'd been losing weight and went from being a normal eight years old to about 12. He was losing control of bodily functions. As Dr. Bob Nelson once said about Kelly, it was time to be a friend to Thor.

Thanks to everyone for the hugs, real and cyber. They help.

I will continue fostering and when the right dog comes along, I will adopt again. As hard as it is to lose them, it would be harder to not have them at all.

Still here, still no foster

Not having a foster right now is a good thing. I've been battling pneumonia for a month now and we are having some issues with my own collie, Thor. He is eight years old and was suddenly blind last week. His glands are enlarged. I can't afford all kinds of tests or treatment if it is cancer, so we're trying penicillan and as long as he's not in pain or distress, we'll make him comfortable. It could be SARDS (something something, retinal detachment something) or lymphoma. I think he can see a little. He moves his head when I move my hand, but for the most part he can't see. I've been walking him and talking to him as we walk. He mostly seems confused but is getting around better each day. Just taking it day by day. I am trying to be optimistic, but also know it doesn't look good.

Found this picture this morning doing a search for something else. I love this. Would love to have this hanging on my wall.

No foster dogs for now

I think my break from fostering may be longer. As we move toward winter, it becomes harder to foster. I don't have a fenced yard, so I have to take the dogs across the street for potty breaks and I am so not a lover of cold weather. Yes, I have two dogs to walk so what really is one more, but it also becomes a time thing.

I've also been sick for three weeks which turned out to be pneumonia. Everybody tells me drink lots of water and rest. But rest isn't really in my vocabulary. Not really a choice thing, but more a necessity. I don't have a lot of down time. A few hours in the evening four days a week is about all I get. I'm not complaining, I'm not one to sit still for long anyway. Sunday mornings are my lazy time.

My next personal dog to post about will be Heidi. We got her when I was in 2nd grade, or thereabouts. A cocker spaniel-sized mutt colored like a brittany spaniel. I'm going to ask my sister Connie to send me her memories of Heidi and include them here, too.

New picture of Mac at home.

That's Mac on the right, btw. 

All is well

I got an email from Kathy today telling me of Mac's first few days at home and she gave me the okay to post that and the pictures she took. The two dogs really compliment each other and Mac looks like he's loving his new yard.

______________________________________________________

I just wanted you to know that even though I’m sure Mac misses you and KJ he’s doing well!  Last night Mac and Riley started to work on figuring out what it means to play.  I’m attaching a couple pictures of them getting acquainted.  You might be surprised to hear that I’ve heard Mac bark 5 times now.  Twice last night while he chased me in the yard and 3 times today again as he chased me while I was kicking a large ball.  I suspect he might not have been playing but I might have been being herded!  (Do I look like a horse?)  No matter what he was doing it didn’t include any nipping so we were both ok with it.  He ate real well and spent his first night gated in our half bath with access to a large crate lined with his quilt.  As you described we didn’t hear a peep out of him all night.  I’ve been using the NILIF program and he seems to be responding well to it.  He was timid again this morning and but warmed up quickly.  While I was working in the back fenced yard with the 2 dogs today twice I noticed that Mac got up from his spot and went over to lay by Riley.  He also at times followed him around. Riley appreciates that Mac is calm and not in his face.  Hopefully that will continue even after the “true” Mac personality is revealed.  We weighed Mac tonight.  As you might expect he weighs just 57#.  I’m glad to see he has a healthy appetite.  We are looking forward to seeing him fill out his fluffy coat.  Today he seemed to want to be wherever his people were even though he still sometimes cowered slightly when approached.  I expect him to feel more confident each day and we will be patient.  I’ll update you in a few days.

We let Mac roam the house this morning while we were away for about 2 hours.  Both Mac & Riley were looking out the front bay window when we returned.  Mac was barking some along with Riley.  He left the window twice to run to the back door.  Mike let both boys out and Mac was jumping around excitedly.  I think he’s overcoming a bit of his shyness.  (ha, ha)  By the way the cats were accounted for, too.

___________________________________________________________

I know barking dogs can be annoying, but I'm actually glad to hear Mac is using his voice. He barked once at my house that I know of. I think Thor barked so much that Mac figured he'd just let him do it all.

Mac and his new family

KJ and I drove Mac back to Eau Claire today to meet his new family. And yes! They are Packer Backers. We met them at the same place I picked him up from Colleen four weeks ago to the day.

Colleen met us there, too, with Oakley. More on that later.

Mac was his usual shy self at first, stayed pretty close to me. I walked him around them, KJ gave Kathy some food to feed him and she eventually took the leash. We all stood around for about 45 minutes before leaving. Mac went right into their car. Kathy gave me a hug, which I appreciated. It is bittersweet, actually. I know he's going to a great home and I'm really happy for him and them. They are getting a great dog. I think it really has more to do with Mac's confusion than anything else. But it doesn't last long. Dogs take what happens to them with such acceptance and more so when it's done with love in a matter of fact kind of way. I don't think he misses me, it's definitely me missing him, but I'm okay with that. I think he'd remember me if we saw each other again, but the same way he moved on from his former life while he was here at my house, he will do the same at their house. 

Oakley is Diamond's son. 

He is one of 21 puppies that came into MWCR  about a year and a half  ago from a breeder in Iowa. They had two litters born within days of each other, Diamond being the father of both litters. The puppies came in, some were adopted by their foster families. They all went pretty quickly. One of them went to Colorado along with Cody (one of my fosters). Diamond was surrendered last fall and was the foster dog I had when I started this blog. While Oakley is a sable, I can see Diamond in Oakley. They have the same shape and when Colleen walked him over to some grass, watching Oakley from behind, I could really see it. Their gait is really similar.

So, now I'm on a self imposed two month break from fostering. This seems to be a much better pace for me. I will be back here writing, though. I still have the stories from the fosters before Diamond.

There are MWCR events coming up, too, that I will post about. KJ is taping a one-minute video for us in Medina, Tuesday evening. Jane is taking him and he'll bring Thor, too. He's been practicing his script.

Adopted!

Mac is being adopted by cheeseheads near Green Bay. Forgot to ask them if they're Packer fans! We will meet them on Saturday in Eau Claire.

I was thinking last night how it will be hard to see him go, but I know they will give him a great home. He will have a tricolor brother and I think, two, cats, and a bird to keep him company.

Walk in the woods

Sunday evening, we took all three dogs to explore a trail near our house. We were actually trying to find where KJ could get onto it on his bike because I've seen it intersect on several streets and it had a pedestrian bridge over 169. When he bikes to some friends from school, he has to cross 169 at 109th and even though there is a light there, I'm concerned about safety.

So, yes, we found out he can hop on the trail from Zane. This trail actually connects Coon Rapids Dam with Elm Creek Park.

The trail is mostly used by bikers, some of whom, didn't seem pleased we were on foot, but we did see one person walking. We walked for maybe a mile and turned around as it was getting really buggy. For as long as we walked the trail stays within the woods. 

KJ had Brett on a separate leash, and I had Thor and Mac on the double lead. It took Mac a bit to get used to being attached to another dog, but he adjusted quickly and seemed to really like the walk. He's not interested in what's rummaging around in the brush, just enjoying the walk. He did great with the passing bikes and even a roller blader, no freaking out about wheels.

I've only heard him bark once. He gets really excited when I come home, but that is a yipping, excited talking to me. It might be that he lets Thor do all the barking, but I think he's fairly quiet by nature.

New and improved Mac

Tomorrow marks three weeks with Mac. I can't say enough what a sweet dog he is. This will be the hardest one to date to let go when the time comes. We haven't had any bites since the first two, but to be honest I'm in no hurry to get rid of him!
I got him back up on the grooming bench for brushing and he stood and for a bit was shaking so bad the table was shaking, but he settled down and stood while I brushed and talked to him.

With the feeling that his profile pictures are from when he was still wet from his bath, KJ and I got outside with just him, to see if we could get some better shots. He's very camera shy.

I got this one the other night while he was sleeping!

The little blanket is a quilt that was sent to us by a member who's quilting group is making us these blankets to send with the dog when he is adopted. It's supposed to be a crate blanket, but Mac doesn't need to be crated so I keep it on the floor by my bed. He lays on it, but so do Brett and Thor.

Before we got started, the neighbor girl came over with her mom to chat. Maddie sat down on the driveway to pet Mac and he made himself comfortable.

Then we headed for the grass, walking him back and forth trying to get him to kind of stand alone.

Then we went inside and I wanted to try to get a shot of all the doggies lining up for treats. Probably should have had treats while we were in the yard!