Lenny, a future former foster

When he first arrived at the new home he did what I
expected, he ran and hid in the back of his crate, but
at least he had a comfort zone.

I've been sitting on this one for a few weeks, afraid to say anything, but I think that maybe Lenny has found a home. Two or three weeks ago I sent Lenny home with a woman I know. She and her husband have a young female lab mix, just a little older and a little larger than Lenny. Their girl is very playful and they were wanting a playmate for her. Several things seemed right about the placement: a calm, quiet household; with lots of patience and dog experience; containing a well-settled, older, female dog for security and companionship (a Maya substitute).

It took the two dogs a week or so to learn to
play together, but now they seem to be very close.

They both needed a companion, but it was a necessity for
Benny. He does everything she does so that really helped
him settle into the routine of a new household.

Still, Lenny clearly wasn't going to be quick to settle in, and you never know how long someone's patience will last. There was always the temptation to yell "Love me, damn it" when he was around here. I didn't want to push these folks but I needed to know if I would need to find Lenny another placement before our upcoming trip. I'm not sure they were quite prepared to make the jump to "adopter" status, but they did rename the dog, Benny, and they committed to keeping him at least until after our trip.

It sounds like Benny has come a very long way (he's sleeping in bed now, the two dogs are playing, and Benny is learning some commands), so I'm optimistic that this is going to work out. It's the perfect placement for a dog that was precariously close to the edge of being unplaceable.

Benny has learned to sit for treats and even waits
for his sister to eat first before being fed.