Surprise!!  A puppy!

Okay so he’s a foster puppy, but it’s equally as exciting!  I’d like to introduce you to  _______ , yeah, he doesn’t have a name yet!  He is a 13 week old male who is, best guess, a corgi/aussie (maybe border collie?) and maybe something else in the mix (he’s currently listed as an akita mix but I really doubt that).
He was totally and completely unexpected and while I had been having puppy fever, I wasn’t expecting a puppy any time soon.  I went to work on Wednesday at WPHS and saw that Dara was still in her office so I figured I’d stop in and see what was up.  Well, Dara had clearly laid a puppy trap for me because she had this ridiculously cute fluffy little puppy in her office.  He had been surrendered due to some behavioral concerns and not fitting into a home with very young children.  I cuddled him and played with him before class and he was such a sweet boy (anyone in my Wednesday class who saw the little bundle of brindle fluff, that’s my new foster!) and then Dara dropped the bomb asking if I would want to adopt…or foster him.  I couldn’t say no to the fluffy little face so I went home Wed night and started to puppy proof!
I picked him up yesterday afternoon and contrary to my normal ‘time out’ that new fosters get, he had a bit of a busy day with me.  He came home, met Shayne and Rio individually on little walks, he then drove with me to meet a few friends at my vet’s office to give them harnesses they ordered,  then he came home met two neighbor kids, and then spent a good 30 minutes outside running around with Shayne and Rio.  While I normally don’t let fosters get out in the world too quickly, as a pup who is nearing the end of his prime socialization time and who may or may not have had extensive socialization in his previous home, I’m trying to make sure he experiences a lot of the world.  So, in the few hours I had him, he met 9 adult women, 1 adult man, 4 boys 6-12 years old, and 2 girls 8-10 years old.  He went to my vet’s office to meet the staff, stood on the scale, walked on grass, gravel, hard wood, ceramic, laminate, cement, climbed open backed steps, normal steps, jumped in the baby pool, walked along the edge/sides of the inflated baby pool (as it wobbled, sank, and shook under his feet!), he experienced dump trucks, cement trucks, buses, and normal traffic, AND he rode in the car!   He has also learned about kongs, kibble dispensing balls, and sitting for awesome things.
Watching him interact and play with Shayne and Rio, he is definitely pushy, confident and cocky.  He is quite full of himself with regards to other dogs in general but was generally really rude upon initial greeting.  This is a big reason he is being fostered with me and not just adopted out like most puppies his age.  He’s already showing some signs of reactivity and is a total pushy, rude, and inappropriate dog when the play even starts to get high energy.  He humps, really bites at dogs heels, and likes to “T” position dogs–he will get growly/barky and lunge if he is pulled away from such behaviors.   I don’t think it will be tons of work, but I think with some quality socialization opportunities with stable adult dogs, I think he will come along just fine.
In the mean time, we’ll be having a good time working with puppy things… like puppy proofing and managing environment and potty training!