Preparing for our Newest Foster Pup
Flowers aren’t my only love—of course there’s my husband and my children, then right up there, are puppies! And so, we are beyond excited to pick up our newest foster pup this weekend.
We’ve fostered a handful of dogs over the past year and have fallen in love with each. Who wouldn’t!?! They’re adorable.
We volunteer with NY Pet Rescue in Mamaroneck, NY and it’s been such an amazing experience (captured in this short video where our family features ever so briefly in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Animal Tales).
Dorothy was our first.
People often ask how the kids handle fostering—having a puppy come into our lives, grow attached, love on this fluffy little being, and then say good-bye. It’s hard and I assumed it would be, so I took quite a bit of time to prepare them for fostering. We talked about what it means to provide a loving home for a dog in trouble. And they agreed, that that would be a really nice thing to do.
At first the kids didn’t understand why we wouldn’t just provide that forever home ourselves. But then we talked about being able to help many dogs instead of just one, and they liked that idea, though I know they still want a dog of their own and so do I—and I think we will, some day. But for now, we foster.
It’s an incredible way to learn about true love and how that sometimes means doing something that’s hard for us, but in the best interest of the other. I’m really grateful that we can do this and that we do it as a family.
Then Brock….adorable too.
Getting ready for our latest, which may just be a husky pup, we’ve been boning up on our training chops with our favorite trainer: Zak George. He has a great series about his new puppy, Inertia and how he’s training her from Day 1. I love his philosophy, which is actually the same parenting I aspire to: Create an environment where they’re likely to succeed, catch them doing the behavior you want, and reward them generously with attention and either a treat or play. Consistency is key, patience, and realistic expectations. Zak is great at breaking this all down step-by-step. (Now if I can just picture my kids as puppies, I may just become the best mom EVER!!! ;)
Oooo, Matilda snuggles.
We’re counting down the days, the minutes until we meet our new little furry, you’ll soon be inundated by cute puppy pics on my instagram—and flowers too, of course, maybe.
