Tuesday

It's been a quiet day at the Dog Farm, as Molly affectionately calls our house. Annie is settling in after the weekend of birthing a very large family. The veterinarian didn't know if Annie was going to produce milk but she is and the puppies are nursing well. We might have to suppliment with puppy formula but so far all the puppies are eating well. They're beginning to make little squeaking sounds that are so nice to hear.

Just a few minutes ago, Annie poked her head around the corner and into the room. You can't imagine my surprise! This is incredible progress for such a timid dog. Of course, as soon as Annie and I made eye contact she ran back to her bed - but at least she's developing a curiosity and courage to go with it. I'm so proud of her. With this kind of progress, tomorrow Bob's taking Annie her breakfast so we can start working on Annie getting more comfortable with him. Food is usually a very good way to build trust.

The rest of my dog family consists of Jasmine, Maggie, Brandy and Pennie. Jasmine was our first rescue dog. Before she and her four 12-hour old puppies arrived I'd never been around a new puppy, much less cared for one. All I knew was if I didn't take Jasmine then she and her puppies were scheduled to be euthanized. I'm here to tell you, if I can foster then you can foster. Maggie was our second foster dog, Brandy our fourth and Pennie was our sixth. Some would wonder why if the four girls were fosters then why do they still live here. It's simple. I'm a foster failure! A major foster failure. It's not as bad as it sounds, it just means the dogs stole my heart and I couldn't let them go. Their status went from foster to adoptive very quickly. Jas and Maggie are black labs, Brandy is a German shepherd mix and Pennie is a corgi. It's quite a sight to see four dogs hanging out the Jeep window on their way to the Bark Park.

Thank you to those who emailed and texted Mollyand me expressing sympathy on the loss of Annie's puppy Sunday morning. Your thoughts are very much appreciated and it's nice to know there are so many friends and family who also love pets.

:)