Only the beginning of day 3 and little Miss Avalon is fitting right in!!  As you can see, from one of the photo below, she and Maddie are buddies.  The cats. . .not so much.  They just like to ignore her or hiss at her. . .but Avalon is completely unaffected!

But the BIGGER news is that we are making progress in the potty training department!  Once she finally figured out that I wanted her to tinkle in the grass, I loved her up and kept telling her what a good girl she was, and then she got a treat. . .well that's all she needed!  She is totally motivated by treats!!  She's a foodie! :)

Zzzzzz. . . .

Avalon & Maddie watching the Packer game. . .NOT!

Abby & Avalon xo

So a week has passed since Harvey left. I heard from his new family today and he is doing great!! I LOVE a happy ending! But I didn't want my family and pets to get to used to not having a foster pup running around, so today my daughter, granddaughter and I went to the Doggy Day Care and picked up Avalon. She's a 1 year old Yorkie Chihuahua mix a/k/a Chorkie (chi/yorkie). OMG. . .so much cuter in person and SO MUCH personality! It's so hard to see on her pictures, but she has the prettiest colored fur. . .an incredible mixture of rich warm browns!!  So far I can say that she's the perfect mix of playful and snuggler.

 As always, when I come home with a new foster, I bring Maddie (my daughter's puggle) outside to meet our new visitor so she doesn't feel invaded upon in her house. They did the usual sniffing and checking each other out and that was that. When we came inside, they continued checking each other out and shortly there after were racing around the living room and then resting on the couch.

How cute is this. . .everyone has gone to bed, and Avalon just came in by me to snuggle on my lap. She keeps looking up at me and licking my chin. I think she's angling for me to take her up to bed with us. Not yet. . .I'll have to see how potty trained she is first. . .sorry baby!!

In closing I say, so far so good! I think she's going to make a great addition to someones family!!!

Avalon hanging out in the sunroom

Avalon relaxing with her new toy and blankie. . .so adorable!

Happy Happy Happy!! Our sweet little Harvey was adopted by his furever family tonight...Grace, Audrey, Dawn and Glen! It was a perfect match. As sad as we are to see him leave, I'm filled with joy that he has such a great new family!

What a difference a week makes!  Though our little Harvey is still a little skittish. . .he's made huge strides!  When we are sitting down, he now comes to us to be picked up and when we reach for him. . .he doesn't even back up!  I feel like a new mom seeing my baby do something for the first time!  It's really quite exciting to see him coming out of his shell!  

Meanwhile, he and Maddie (our daughter's puggle) continue to be good buddies!  The only change now is that they have a morning ritual of crazy time, which includes about 5 minutes of chasing each other around the living room.  It's quite entertaining.  It puts a smile on my face watching Harvey become Harvey!  He also LOVES to play with toys!  I bought him an unstuffed duck with a squeaker in his head and OMG!! He LOVES this thing.  He plays with it everyday.  He flings it into the air, chases after it, flings it again.  I have video taped him doing it and if I can figure out how to post it, I will.

Potty training continues!  He's actually doing pretty good...only a couple of accidents, but we are diligently trying to get him in the routine of going to the door when he has to go.  In the meantime, I keep track of the time and take him out regularly.  I just take him into the grass, don't let him walk around too much (cause he really likes to go out and run around and play), but at "potty time", I keep the leash short, let him do his business and then immediately take him back inside and give him a treat.  Yes!  I believe in rewards!!  They work!! 

All in all, this is one amazingly sweet little guy!  I love that he's so little and easy to carry around! (He loves it too!)  Oh, and have I mentioned that he doesn't bark when someone comes to the door?  I, personally, like this attribute in a pet!

Harvey and his duck

Harvey being cute!

Is this not the cutest tiny hiney!!

Peek a boo

We're so thrilled to have a new foster!  I picked Harvey up last Wednesday and have been biding for his attention since.  He's a pretty timid little pooch when approached, but we have eagerly tried to make him feel safe every since we brought him home!  He's a funny little guy about it too!  Fact is. . .he LOVES to snuggle and to just lay on your lap, but it's a bit of an effort to get him on your lap.  He comes to you, but then he backs away, then he comes back. . .hops around like 'I really want to come up. . .I really want to come up'.  The last two days, I've just been holding my hand out, he's smells it, backs up, comes back, I reach for him, and he lets me pick him up.  We're making progress!!

I have to say that having another dog in the house has really been helpful with Harvey.  He and Maddie were immediate friends from the moment I brought him home.  He learned the potty routine right away and loves the treat they get when I bring them in.  He's really good on a leash and loves being outside. They love to play and race around and then nap together. . .It's very cute!  (FYI:  Harvey is pretty little, so I have to lift him up on to the couch)  I also keep their crates together.  That way, when we leave, and at bedtime, they're together.  It's really worked out well.

Like I tell everyone, there is nothing better than a rescue dog for a pet!!  They are so happy and grateful to be loved and love you back SO MUCH!!  

Look at Harvey's adorable smile!

At the pumpkin farm. . .I think I see a smile!

Harvey taking time to smell the mums

King of the Pumpkins!

Our Meet & Greet at the Doggie Bag!

What a great day for the Fluffy Dogs, foster parents and owners alike!!  It was a Meet & Greet at the Doggie Bag (a great store BTW) in downtown Oconomowoc this past Saturday.  I was amazed at the amount of people there, but more amazed at the recognition the puppies got!!  Everyone seemed to know each of the fosters as they came in!  As Jay and I walked in with our 'boys', people immediately came up to us and asked "Is that Estevan?"  "Is this Donnelly?"   It was a terrific opportunity for people who were interested in owning, to come in and visit with the dogs they had been admiring on http://rescue.fluffydog.net.  I am very hopeful for the outcome of this amazing event!!

One more thing about Saturday. . .I was so so so impressed with the how well behaved ALL of the dogs were during this whole thing.  This was potentially a very high stress situation for some of the dogs with all of the people and children coming up to them, petting them and the amount of noise. . .but they really rocked it!  They were all so amazingly good!!  I was a proud foster mom to say the least!!

Meanwhile, back on the home front, our fosters are doing great!  Estevan absolutely LOVES the snow!  I'm wishing I had a fenced in yard so he could just run, run, run!!!!!  He just loves it when Abby takes him out to play so he can run, jump and hop around on his very loooooooong leash!!  As for Donnie (Donnelly), he likes to run out, do his thing and get back in (and of course, get his treat)!  He's definitely not a fan of the cold and snow. . .which is why he now has a new sweater to wear outside!!

Estevan and Donnie at the Meet & Greet

Tuckered out . . .snoozing in the car on the way home!

They were great travelers in the car!!

Estevan taking his nap once we got home

Donnie taking his nap after we got home

Estevan and Abby playing in the snow!!

Estevan playing with favorite leopard out in the snow!

What a Month It's Been!

And by month I don't mean December or January, I mean the past 30+ days!  This foster mom has been sick with cold, flu, sinus, laryngitis and plugged ears!  But you know who's been by my side the whole time???  My little fluffy dogs Estevan and Donnie!  They literally laid in bed with me for 2 1/2 days while I had the flu.  The only time we got up was to go potty!  Even when everyone came home from work and school, they laid in bed with their sick mama!

AND then there was Donnie Boy (Donnelly).  Watching him for a week or two  has turned into. . .gosh, I'm not really sure.  But I have to say, Estevan LOVES having a brother!  Since the day he arrived they have been in-separable and yes, some time insufferable! :) They can't help but to play constantly!!!!!!  Every trip outside to go potty is an adventure. . .who can get outside first, who can get back in the door first, ect!!! lol.  But, once again, I have another little lover on my hands.  Donnie is a mama's boy for sure.  He follows me, sits with me, won't go up stairs without me. . .even though everyone's already up there!  He too proves my point that these sweet little fosters just want to be loved and taken care of by a forever family.  

Since my last post, we've enjoyed Christmas eve / day at our house, New Years eve, and birthdays, birthdays and more birthday parties at our house. . .nothing but a rotating door of company.  Estevan and Donnie were such good boys during all of it. . .well except for the occasional begging for food. . .but they are dogs after all and couldn't help themselves!  But other than that, we were pretty pleased.  I wasn't sure how they would handle all of the chaos and hoopla that ensued!

In closing I have to say that two dogs can sometimes be a handful, but if you have the patience and the room, having two dogs is pretty cool.  From my own experience with my (4) kitties, and what I've observed with Estevan and Donnie (and even the occasional visit from Maddie, our granddog), is that they love the companionship and friendship they have with each other.  Each night, when we're all settled in and snuggled up in the living room and watching tv, we each have a dog laying next to us and kitties laying behind us on the back of the couch and recliner.  It's really pretty special!

Donnie, Estevan and Maddie all trying to help Sam open her Christmas gifts!

Kathryn and Estevan

Estevan being Kat's reading pillow!

Grandma, this is a nice doggie!!

That's right, keep petting me up and down!

Donnie (Donnelly) playing Peek a Boo