Fosterbabies settling in...

[Prin]

After:

[Prin]

LOL Kerry is making Boo look smaller and smaller...

Maybe tonight we'll get to sleep again! :

Jemma's not too happy about Kerry running back and forth carrying stuff... Especially not her daddy's stuff...

[ZebbyZeb]

Originally Posted by Prin

BMD told me not to bug you about dog food because where you live, you might not have access to holistic, top quality brands... I mean, they're hard to find in the city sometimes... But if you ask around here, I'm the kibble girly... I got you a couple of samples... Just to show you. Maybe you could use them as treats?

If you mean NYC, we're about 2hours north. Our area is a little on the rural side and we have quite a few feed and pet stores around. If you give me a few names I can certainly see if I can find them. Thanks.

The pics have been terrific and I've been showing them to all my friends and everyone raves about what great shots you get. I feel as though I know who they are already and can't wait to meet them.

[jawert1]

Zebby are you near Walden, NY? And Prin, thanks for all the pics, so many of us have rescue babies, meaning we didn't get to see some of these stages and all the fun it can be. Great to see them off to a wonderful start, and maybe this will prompt you to foster again? :-D

[ZebbyZeb]

Walden is about an hour drive for us. On the other side of the Hudson River from where we are. The nearest city to us is Poughkeepsie.

[jawert1]

You'll have plenty of places then to pick up anything that Prin suggests or make your own determinations I used to live in Walden and thought Pleasant Valley sounded familiar

[Prin]

My biggest suggestion is Solid Gold Wolf Cub. It's a bit expensive though (around $75/33lbs Canadian), but you'll feed less in the long run than a lot of other foods and these two LOVE it. Whenever I feed Jemma and Boo their Wolf King (adult food), Kerry and Doolin are there trying to catch any last kibble that might fall on the floor, even if their bowl of food is out already. I used Jemma and Boo's food to train them to sit and stuff. They just gobble it up. So I got you samples of the wolf cub and I was going to give you a little baggy of the Wolf King (so you could continue training them with it, so they won't get too fat).

You'd have to switch them gradually from the food they're on now though because switching between holistic foods can be hard (even though they've been eating quite a bit of it as treats...).

this one: Wolf Cub
The ingredients are great, and it's for large breed puppies, so it might slow down their growth a little bit.

But, even if I "peddle" foods, I won't be too pushy. I understand that not only is it expensive food, but sometimes hard to find and opinions on food differ so much, that if you go with something else, it's ok too. As long as it doesn't have mystery meats in it...

Originally Posted by jawert1

And Prin, thanks for all the pics, so many of us have rescue babies, meaning we didn't get to see some of these stages and all the fun it can be. Great to see them off to a wonderful start, and maybe this will prompt you to foster again? :-D

That was one of the reasons we fostered these two. We have no idea how Boo and Jemma were as babies, and we thought these two looked so much like Boo when we got him that we had to. Plus they were newfish, and I LOVE newfs. But yeah, it makes me angry that whoever had Jemma, all black with her blue eyes, as a tiny baby, probably didn't care enough to take a pic or two. I have the vet file and she weighed 20lbs at one point. It's just incredible to think of my baby as being so little and going through so much.

I don't want to seem arrogant, but I really do wish every foster had it as good as these two have here. BMD knows how much I've worried about them (endlessly) and watched over them... They have so many toys and pee pads... For 10-11 week old puppies, they have a LOT of freedom here (at the expense of my coffee table and shoe laces).

It's a stressful thing, taking care of somebody else's puppies. They're so little and seem so vulnerable... It was definitely an experience I will never forget.:love:

It's going to be a roller coaster tomorrow. I doubt either of us will get sleep, for completely different reasons.

One thing I'm definitely going to miss is being able to pet two dogs with one hand. That is something I have never done before.

Oh and I doubt I'll foster again for a while. I'll need to recover first...

[Prin]

They know something is up. Today is really hard for me and my man and both Kerry and Doolin are aware.. They're giving us endless hugs. Jemma and Boo aren't wagging too much either and are being quite tolerant of the little ones. Hard day.:sad:

[Writing4Fun]

:sad: Aw, Prin!

[Prin]

I know I'm a worry wart, but I'm trying to think of all the things, tiny details, that I might forget tomorrow... Even if I say everything tomorrow, I figure if I write it, it will always be here, just in case...

Puppies are very, very hard to cope with the first couple of days. It's like having a new baby, (as close as I'll ever come to it anyway, according to descriptions from new parents...) as far as sleep goes and running around. I'm trying to think of all the things that might make the first day easier. (coming from somebody who hadn't had puppies before these two..)


Make sure you have a lot of pee pads. And decide where you'll put them ahead of time, because like I said a while ago, once you put them somewhere, you have to leave it there (at least till they're house trained properly). And paper towels... They try their best, but sometimes they miss...

They know the difference between blankets and pee pads now, and even towels. So they can sleep on either dog beds or towels (they don't mind...).

They sleep in our room with us, so if you put them in another room for the night, they'll probably cry for a while... If they wake you up early, just say "Enough, go to sleep" and they do (sometimes you have to say it a couple of times.). And have at least a couple of toys and chewies in the room with you, so if one wakes up, he/she can chew for a bit without waking the other or you...

Doolin has two sets of pills to take twice a day. But I'll tell you tomorrow (and if I forget, BMD knows too).

Doolin is a little bit food possessive when he's really crabby and not feeling well. Nothing major and it's not all the time. Yesterday they had a bit of an argument when Doo wasn't feeling well...

They eat between 4-6 cups a day these days, in 2 or 3 shots, depending on how hungry they are. I mix it really well with the canned, but for some reason, they like it better when it has been sitting in the fridge a while (the kibbles are probably easier to chew). If they, ummm... unload, chances are they're hungry. And after they eat, they unload too...

They drink lots of water. More than my two big guys drink in 2 days, every day.

If Kerry barks really loudly and you're not in the room, Doolin is probably humping her. Just yell "Heeeey!" from wherever you are and they stop.

And most importantly, Doolin needs LOTS of hugs and comfort. Kerry needs a lot too, but not as much as Doolin. Kerry would rather a few higher pitched praises... Like, "Who's my good girl? KERRY!!" and then she does her little happy dance. I can't wait for you to see that dance. It's really beautiful.

Ok. That's all I've got for now.

Oh and watch your shoes, floors, tables, newspapers/any papers, kleenex, shoes... Those are the favorites for chewing and shredding, but there are others too... Usually, we just say "Noooo!" all whiney and they let us have whatever it is.

[Shamrock]

aww, Prin..
Parting such sweet sorrow... how they attach themselves to your heart so quickly, become part of your lives. A very tough and emotional time for all of you... the saying goodbye
How great its been to see their progress ...so many fabulous photos of these adorable pups! I just loved these beautiful pics..
How touching to see your concern about the transition to their new home, covering every base.
A true pet lover, and loving caregiver.

[chico2]

Aww Prin,I can just imagine how you and your man must feel:sad: I'm far from you,but I feel like we are losing somebody:sad:
Luckily we all know that they will have a wonderful home,with ZebbyZeb and Lou and I am sure they know all about the"trouble"with little fluff-balls.
We will all miss them,but hopefully ZZ will keep us updated,with pictures etc..
Bye,Bye sweet pups,thank's for the morning-smiles:love:

[ZebbyZeb]

Prin, you've got me in tears. You can't know how we appreciate all you and your BF have done. All of your advice is good for us....it's been a long time since we had puppies.

I am so looking forward to them and every day this week I have talked to all my babies and wished they could be here to celebrate with us. I have experienced the joy of kissing a puppy and the pain of holding her at the end of her life when it was her time to go and for all the tears I can't imagine my life without my sweethearts. It's been hard to accept, but every time I bring a furball into my home and heart there's a part of me that knows one day I will feel the pain of their departure. But for all the time I'm given, I will be thankful and they will be loved; deeply....as much as they love. I do not know if there is a more pure love than one from and for our animals and I think those of us that feel this way have so much more than those who will never understand.

MaggieMae was our first and will always hold a special place in our hearts. She loved to shred tissues and retrieve anything. Gracie was a teeny black lab and had a twisted leg from a staff infection, but it never stopped her from swimming. George was a lover...afraid of everything and hid behind the couch when his mother and sister would bark. Zebyule (my ZebbyZeb) was my angel. He loved to shred the newspaper, but only while I was reading it. He was diagnosed with epilepsy at 10 months and died when he was 4 years. Way too young but someone else would have put him down when they found out he was sick. And the kitties too; Cheech, Toots, Cook-Cook, Ziggy, Zeke, Freddy, Clarence and Tiger. And I can't forget Hummer...the little hummingbird we found in our driveway and tried to nurse back to health for two days but waits for us at the Rainbow Bridge with all the rest.

I know first hand what you're going through...I felt the same way when we had to give up Maggie's puppies. It's hard to let go.

I don't know if I can say anything to make this easier for you but please know the you are sending these two off to their forever home and they will be part of a very loving family. I've said it before; Lou and I have been married 26 years with no children except the furry kind. We have been through ups and downs with all our furbabies but not once have we turned our backs on them. They are our children. They are our life. I know how attached you have become to these two, I can tell by your words and pictures. I am sincere when I say that if you ever need to see them you are welcome in our home.

Just so you know, these two furbabies will be sleeping in our bed with us. This should go over real well with the others....but they really can't jump up on the bed anymore, anyway. I will be taking vacation time next week to be with them and we have an appointment with our vet first thing Monday. They will be taken care of.

We look forward to meeting you tomorrow.

[BMDLuver]

K... now that you've both succeeded in reducing me to a drivvling mess..

We'll be ready for all of you tomorrow and am very much looking forward to meeting you in person. I feel somehow like we are old friends. You've been a great sport about the board and I know you'll keep everyone very well updated. I appreciate the thought and consideration by both you and Prin. Two little puppies couldn't get more lucky. Now.. I'm off to find some kleenex but they are happy tears, really.

[cpietra16]

Ok...there's another post...what would you be if you came back in another life.........



I want to live with ZebbyZeb as their furbaby
If your friends are all like you... please, catsnatcher is looking for a farm that can take2 of her babies in just a thought

[Prin]

You have no idea how good it is to me to hear that they will be sleeping in the bed with you. That to me says so much.

I know all about the short lives and the loving intensely. Jemma and Boo are my boyfriend's first dogs, and I have no idea what he will do when he has to say goodbye. It's hard enough after having gone through it a few times already.

I'm glad I gave these puppies my all these couple of weeks, but I never thought saying goodbye would be so hard. I thought bringing them to the vet was good practice for it, but now, I'm not so sure...

I've never given up a dog before and that's what it feels like I'm doing, in a way.

You both sound like such wonderful people and that makes it so much easier. I've tried so hard to not get attached- I don't have any idea how horrible it would have been if I had let myself get fully attached. They are so unbelievably loveable. Really. And if you both weren't taking Kerry, I would probably have kept her. She is so bonded to Doolin that I wouldn't have been able to watch her go somewhere unknown alone. The fact that they will be together for the rest of their lives is just incredible for me. They've made it through so much already together.

And you lucked out with Kerry, too. She is so easy to train and so easy in general. If there were two Doolins, you'd have your hands really full. But with a Kerry and a Doolin, the load is a little lighter. Doolin is the hard headed one.

I envy you though- you only have to "wait" till 2:30AM... We have to wait till about 7... (Because when you're driving up, you'll be focused on the road of course) Be so careful on the roads. They've been horrible today, and a few people have died as a result of pileups. There are sudden white-outs because of the wind picking up snow, but the wind is slowly dying down.

I bought the gravol, so they won't be nauseous in the car, hopefully.

[glasslass]

This one's for you Prin. I know you're going to need it! How wonderful that these two have had you in their lives and now will have ZZ as their new mom. The tears will flow, but you should feel really proud!

[ZebbyZeb]

I'm up. I'm up! I"M UP!!!!

He's driving me nuts. He just woke me out of a sound sleep. He wants to leave a little early.....A LITTLE EARLY???? This is ridiculous!

You know, Prin, Lou and I have both had dogs before we were married and remember being attached to them, also. But one thing we both agree on...all the furbabies we've had since we're together have managed to grab onto more of our hearts than we ever expected. I don't know why that would be but it is.

We can't wait to have little babies on the bed again, oh sure the oldies love us.....but creaky bones make it difficult to jump up and the couch and love seat are just as comfortable....So believe me....I'm looking forward to it!

Okay, okay...he's pluckin' my last nerve....gotta get dressed and make some coffee. Maybe I'll be able to get one more post in before we leave....if not, see you soon.

[Prin]

LOL Well, even if he doesn't post, at least we know he's excited...

Please be careful... I don't know what highway you're taking, but if you end up on the 10 in Quebec, it can be difficult on days like today. It's flat, so the wind blows the snow all over the highway till you can't see the road anymore. Don't hurry too much.

Kerry and Doolin played so much tonight. I took little movies of them running around with Jemma and Boo... A lot of little movies...

Doolin has a bit of diarrhea still from the anaesthetic. I don't know how you'll get them to take potty breaks along the way- they won't last 5 hours, but they won't go outside either. No idea how that's going to work. Maybe BMD will have ideas.

[jesse's mommy]

Good Luck Prin! I know you've been a wonderful foster mommy! Any last pictures???

Good Luck Zebby! Drive safely and you and Lou enjoy the new additions to your family!

[Prin]

Well... They're on their way. We passed them on the highway (speed demon bf ), and the thought of leaving Kerry and Doolin behind made me cry... For a really long time...

It's so bittersweet. I'm sure they have a good forever home, but it's not with me. I just wish they hadn't left so much evidence of their presence all over the house. They're everywhere. From the puppy-proofing to the little shreds of newspaper that are scattered around.

I've never ever given up an animal before and I knew I loved them, I just didn't know I loved them this much. It's going to be a hard week, I think, so Zeb, you best be posting some pics... Lots of pics. I think you'll have to start a new thread though. They're not fosterbabies anymore.:sad:

I don't know if I can ever foster again. I would love to help, but I'm not cut out for this "giving them back" stuff. It's really hard.

I tried to be strong when we were there because I know this is such a happy day for both of you and I didn't want to muck it up. Seeing your reaction to them the first time will stick with me for a long time. They're adorable in the pics, but the pics don't compare to the real thing. Touching them and hearing them are such a huge part of their "magic".

Good luck. I hope everything goes well on the ride home, and everything else after that.

Here's a couple of last pics...

Doolin's version of going outside...

[Prin]

But he got a lot braver. Yesterday, he even peed outside once (on Jemma's leash.. ) but we're proud nonetheless.

[BoxerRescueMTL]

Prin, - I sob like a baby every time a foster leaves. It's SO hard, I know. But....I find the best way to get through it is with another foster Keep you busy..

[Prin]

Last one...

Kerry and Doolin, licking Uncle Boo's teethies...

[Prin]

Originally Posted by BoxerRescueMTL

Prin, - I sob like a baby every time a foster leaves. It's SO hard, I know. But....I find the best way to get through it is with another foster Keep you busy..

LOL Not for a while. I have to get back to normal a bit first. So many sleepless nights, so many pee pads... It's a routine now. I hate routine, but this one grew on me. Too bad my man won't let me have my newf puppy right now...

[BoxerRescueMTL]

hehehee can't say I didn't try...

[chico2]

Oh boy,this is a one-box-of-tissues thread,happy tears and sad tears:sad:
This makes me full of admiration for those who rescue and foster,they do it for the love of animals and no matter how heartbreaking to let them go,they know the animals will have a wonderful forever home,especially in the case of beautiful Kerry and Doolin:love:

[Prin]

I admire them too... This was my first time, and I gave them everything. I still believe it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all... My life is better for just knowing these two. They have so much love. When their new parents took them, Doolin buried his head in his new dad's coat and that was a great thing to see. They still blamed us for everything that happened- like if they fell on their own, they'd look at us like "Why'd you push me?", but at the end of the day, they still have faith in people, and for rescue babies, that's a great thing.:love:

[cpietra16]

warnig; OK...this is going to be real corny....

Originally Posted by Prin

I still believe it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all... :

That's where you're wrong. You haven't lost anything. They will always remember you and you them. YOu loved them and the love they gave you back has filled another portion of your heart and it will always be filled. And I have a feeling we'll see them again soon...and you will foster agian because it's who you are. I don't think we're the kind of people that can turn our backs on any animal...just accept that fact

[Frenchy]

It must be hard today for you Prin but please,try to think of the good sides;you did a wonderful thing for these guys,they are better dogs because of YOU.And the new parents must be so glad you took such good care of the little guys!Give yourself a big pat on the back.And it is easier when you et another foster after.......just kidding.I had 8 fosters since september 05.I think the longuest without one was 24 hours.Everytime I think I'll take a break,but then,another dog need a place.So anyway,hourray for you and your bf.Your are great!