On most days my typical dog-to-people ratio is probably 10 to 1, with Clay being the one and only person I actually interact with in the course of the day. Today my people count was way up there, probably equaling or even exceeding the number of dogs around here. They were all nice people, and we needed it for various reasons, but the result is that I'm exhausted this evening.
Bear very much needs worldly experiences. He's great around here, but dogs need to live in a world with far more people than he has encountered here. There was a disc dog event put on by Green Dogs at Patch today so I resolved to take him this morning before the brewery actually opened, when the crowd would be limited to dog people. I got him fitted with a Gentle Leader and we practiced with it a bit by walking around the yard. He didn't put up too much fight so we went up to Patch, walked around, and chatted with a few other volunteers who offered him treats. In the beginning he wouldn't take the treats but after he relaxed a bit he finally did. Bear impressed me by taking the treats with a most gentle touch of his lips and tongue, never using his teeth.
The best viewing of the disc competition was sitting on a picnic table over on the far side of the building where we were by ourselves. That suited us both very well. It was good bonding for us and it was at least some socialization for him, something we can build on.
Early afternoon a couple came by our house who were interested in meeting Norman. They really liked him, but a recent back injury made the man quickly realize that Norman was probably too much dog for him. Still, Norman was really sweet and did his part in making a good impression. He sat and downed on command, and readily rolled over for belly rubs. The man sat down on the ground and Norman sat right on his lap. I was actually quite impressed with Norman. This prospect may not work out, but with a little more work, training, and household experience, I think Norman will really be a good dog for the right person.
Overlapping with the Norman visit was a visit from the family who had adopted Merlot (now Rocket) from the litter of wine-themed puppies we had a while back. They came out to play with the puppies, but they also wanted to meet Marvel, Norman, and even Bear. It was a very good experience for the adult dogs as well as the pups.
I only have pictures of Bear, but the day was full of people and good experiences for all the foster dogs currently in our care.
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