Finally some sun

I can't really complain, much, about the winter weather we've had so far this year.  But the last four days have been cold, damp, and either precipitating something or trying to most of the time.  More than two cloudy days together gets very old for me so I was very happy to see the sun shine again today. 

Instead of going out to hike the muddy trails, I started up our walk-behind mower and took a couple fosters out to the pasture for exercise.  Nero is the solid black one of course, and he was very happy to get out of the kennel and follow me up and down the rows as I mowed.

The other one is the new guy, Spartan.  He had developed a nasty cough so I had started him on doxycycline for that and brought him indoors.  He stinks really bad, but I didn't want to bathe him right away after his neuter surgery so we've just been dealing with that.  He also has an ear infection and it finally occurred to me that the smell may be from the ears as much or more than the rest of the dog.  I've been treating the ear infection pretty aggressively, cleaning them as best I can and medicating them a couple times a day.  That seems to be helping the smell and it's now been a week since his surgery so I'll give him a bath sometime in the next couple of days. 

I'm going to try to move Spartan to another foster home this next weekend, I hope.   He's not coughing any more, except sometimes he exerts himself pulling on the leash.  He's really good with being crated indoors. 

He didn't seem to know what to do out in the pasture or what to do with Nero.  I'm not sure if Nero was trying to play or trying to bully him, but I think it was just play.  Spartan wanted none of it and he mostly just followed me as I mowed, but from a distance. 

Spartan shows every sign of being abused--he cowers, he does the submissive urination, he tries to hide his head when you reach for him.  It's sad and it's not a problem that I'm particularly good with.  He is beginning to trust me and he's definitely devoted to me now, but it has taken some time and we aren't all the way there yet. 

Since he seems to be feeling better now, I thought that getting out to the pasture, getting some exercise and socializing with another dog might be good for him.  It probably was, but he was ready to come back inside. 

Our Bremo spent the day at the vet's office today having a dental cleaning under anesthesia.  He's 11 years old this spring and we've never done any dental work on him so I guess it was time.  Cabell has had a cleaning and Molly did too, so it was Bremo's turn this year.  It was nothing serious, but since he was under anesthesia they also removed a small growth from his forehead.  I don't like to see those things and this one was right in the petting zone on his head so it had to go. 

On Wednesday I'm driving down to Natural Bridge to meet my doggie dealer again. She has another German Shepherd for me, just what I need.