Puppy Number Five Update

The little puppy boy is doing a bit better today. Yesterday he kept all his food down (although he lost his lunch today.) Unfortunately, it still all comes out liquid on the other end. I'm trying some meds from the vet though, so we'll see if that helps. He's a clever puppy, so I have to really work to hide the pill or he detects it and spits it out. Tonight he liked the organic cat food that I bought by accident thinking it was just a smaller can of dog food. Oops.

I'm learning a little more about his personality, too. He's much more reserved than any of the other pups I've fostered. He shies away from people when he is outside, as if people are to be considered dangerous. He walks with his head low and his tail down. It makes me sad to think that he might have been astray for a while, even though he's younger than four months old. But tonight, while I was reading in bed (A Dog's Purpose) he was laid out near my feet, belly up, with one front paw crossed over his chest and his back legs all splayed out, just as relaxed as he could be. When he is introduced to someone new, if they speak gently, he approaches and wags easily. Actually, he wags quite a bit as you can see.

He is a very good natured and gentle boy. He is unusually calm and quiet for a pup his age. I can't say that he is interested in the company of other dogs, because he doesn't really understand what it is to play. This is a source of constant frustration for Teddy Bear! He does like to run toward the cat, Butterscotch, but usually decides within a few feet that it's not a good plan and veers off in another direction. He did get close enough to sniff this morning, which Scotchy tolerated. He is also good with our 10-year-old daughter, Maggie, who loves to rub his belly when he is upside down.
Sometimes I try to imagine who will adopt my foster puppies, reasoning that if they don't provide a better environment than I do, then I should just keep them myself, which is a losing argument because every adoptive family has been the perfect situation in each case, so I have been happy to let them all go on their way. With this one, I think he would be a nice pet for a single person...someone who wants quiet company. He keeps to himself mostly, but responds nicely if you approach him. He likes to lay in bed with me, but not on me. He likes his own space. He is also very comfortable in his own crate. He's a good boy, for sure. It will be nice when he is a happy boy, too. He's just waiting for the perfect circumstance.