|
When I was forced to put my dog down in August of 2006, I
wasn't ready to adopt another dog right away. Fostering dogs seemed
like a great way to get my dog fix while trying to decide which dog
to bring into our home on a permanent basis. Because Laura Tonkin of
P.U.P. had been so helpful and sympathetic to me while I was
deciding whether to put my dog down, I decided to apply to be a
foster mom for P.U.P.
Despite the fact that I didn't have a lot of experience with dogs
(other than just being a dog owner) and my only exposure to solving
dog "problems" was the occasional viewing of "The Dog Whisperer", P.U.P. (much to my surprise) accepted me into
its foster program.
The fostering experience has been, for me, ideal. I have a husband
who isn't wild about dogs, and the ability to temporarily care for a
dog and then take a break from dog ownership has suited him
perfectly. In addition, over the past 9 months, I have fostered
several dog breeds that I knew nothing about - which has helped me
overcome preconceived notions I had about those breeds.
Each dog I foster provides a unique experience. (See the photos at
left.)
|
|
Then along came Milan. I was told that Milan, a long-haired
Chihuahua, needed a foster mom who could walk her frequently
during the day, as she had a bit of a weight problem.
When I first met Milan at the vet's office for her initial
medical check-up, I was shocked. Even to my untrained eye, she
hardly looked like a Chihuahua - she looked like a small,
bloated spaniel. And her weigh-in confirmed the extent of the
problem - Milan came in at a portly 18.3 pounds, roughly
double her ideal weight.
I was told it would take approximately 4 to 6 months for her
to shed those excess pounds. I found myself wondering, am I up
to fostering a dog for that long? To add to her appeal, Milan
also had bad teeth (and breath to match) - she had at least
one "snaggle tooth" and desperately needed to have some teeth
pulled, but was not a candidate for oral surgery until she got
rid of those pounds.
I was told that Milan could barely walk half a block without
tiring. She proved the truth of this assertion during our
first walk, when she got to the bottom of my driveway and sat
down, refusing to budge. How in the world was I going to
exercise her? I could hardly carry her around when she got
tired. Then I got an inspiration - a stroller! My girls were
older and I had long since gotten rid of theirs, but after
advertising on Craigslist for an old, beat-up (free) stroller,
I obtained one that was in great shape.
It worked like a charm, and we developed a routine. We started
out walking about a block; when fatigue set in and Milan's
tongue began dragging on the ground, I would plop her in the
stroller and push her for a block or so, and then put her back
down for another stretch of walking. In this way, we could
actually make it around the block. The problem was that Milan
quickly grew very fond of her stroller. She would lie on her
belly, gazing out at the scenery, looking for all the world
like a bombshell on the beach in need of a Margarita. And the
looks we drew while I pushed her in the stroller were
priceless - as cars went by, occupants would crane their necks
to see what kind of shaggy infant I had, anyway. I felt like I
was pushing "Rosemary's baby."
But it worked. By week three of walking and strolling, Milan
had lost about 2-1/2 pounds. Since then, our periods of
walking have slowly lengthened and the periods of strolling
have shortened, to the point that I now rarely take the
stroller on our walks.
 In
the meantime, my family has grown very attached to Milan. For
instance, we've called all the dogs we've fostered by "pet"
names (no pun intended) - but Milan's physique offers
unlimited opportunity to get creative. Besides the more
mundane "Milano" and "Millie", other choice nicknames we've
enjoyed bestowing upon her include "Porkchop", "Butterball", "Lardo",
and "Rollie Pollie Ollie." Milan doesn’t mind; as long as
you're talking to her, she's ecstatic. And she has learned to
immediately roll onto her back, spread her legs, and expose
her ample belly the minute you start to pet her - it sort of
reminds me of rubbing a hairy halibut.
So now we're hooked on Milan. She snores louder than my
husband, she waddles when she walks, and she loves to sneak
the cat's food when no one is looking. She's the only dog I've
ever met that voraciously eats anything put in front of her -
broccoli, asparagus, pineapple - EXCEPT her dry dog food.
She's an alpha female and doesn't put up with any nonsense
from other dogs - or our cat. She still can't jump up into the
car on her own, her breath still smells like death warmed
over, and she is still a stubborn cuss when she doesn't want
to walk. But she's the sweetest dog in the world and I would
never have gotten to know her if I hadn't fostered her.
I think we'll keep her. What will that do for my fostering?
I'll continue to foster dogs, since the experience has been so
positive and all the dogs from P.U.P. have been so loveable.
It's just that now they'll have to toe the line around Milan,
our very own WeightWatchers success story-in-the-making.
Anyone need a used stroller? |
