Today was our first full day with the two new labs, Happy and Joy. The names are not terrible, in fact they are kind of nice, so we are keeping them.
The thought of pulling a hunger strike never crossed the shared mind of these 7 month old pups. You can put the food in two separate bowls but they just go back and forth between them until both are empty and that doesn't take long. I fed them three times today because they are quite underweight. They are very young, active, and growing, which means they can and will burn through a lot of food. I had some puppy food left over and that's what they are eating now. I had a bag of Purina puppy chow in storage and I'll mix that with some better food and start them on that when Star's puppies' food is gone. They are smaller than I thought from first seeing their pictures. I hope we can help them catch up on some growth they've missed out on to date.
I trashed their collars and gave them new ones along with my ID tags. I also set up a couple of recently donated elevated beds for them. The beds, the collars, food, meds, and many things I'll need and use for these and other foster dogs were donated to me by many different people, often after their current dog passed away. I always want to tell people to hold onto that stuff, you'll need it for your next dog, but I know that for many people seeing unused dog stuff around their house is a sad reminder of the dog they've lost. And also, many people like to start with new equipment and supplies when they do get a new dog. The pet supply industry thanks you, but more importantly, I thank you because rescue operations are run on donations. There's always a need for most things, if not immediately then eventually, and I sometimes pass on donated items to other foster homes who have a current need for something I don't. So, thank you, we really appreciate it.
The labs were hesitant to get on the new beds at first, but the hesitation won't last long. They learned to use the doggie door today, which means I can air condition the indoor space and they can go in and out as they please. I opened a bag of treats (also donated) and we had a "sit" lesson. They either knew it already or they picked up on it very quickly. They were actually pretty good about taking treats although they tend to flinch and back up at initial attempts to touch them. They really love toys.
So far, so good. They are as happy and joyous as their names indicate.
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