A Low Point

I started week 2 of fostering off on the wrong foot. When you have multiple dogs it's like having toddlers around 24/7 and you can't turn your back on them for long. Sunday evening I turned my back for a split second too long and ended up with a terrible sibling spat. Well, it was resident versus foster and the resident drew blood. Poor Peso ended up having to get a couple of stitches in her leg because my pesky Josie just doesn't know when to stop.

The whole story is this, I was trying to get Peso integrated fully into the pack and that meant she had to learn to eat with my three dogs. Josie being a Beagle/Basset mix is perpetually hungry and when she finishes before the others I usually spend that next 3-5 minutes redirecting her attention away from the other eating dogs. We'll Sunday evening she was much more of a pest than usual so I gated her away from the others while they finished eating. Only she decided to jump a 30-inch gate and skidded to a stop underneath Peso who just finished eating and the fight broke out. I only looked away from Josie for maybe 5 seconds, but it was long enough for her to break her stay. Luckily, I stayed calm and in a deep but calm voice I said, "Enough!" which is my command for them to settle. The tone worked because they both broke it off, but not before Peso suffered a tear on her leg.

I feel like a terrible foster mom. I know in my head it could've happened to anyone, but it happened under my watch and I feel terrible. Not five minutes after the incident both Josie and Peso were sleeping next to each other in the family room and nothing has happened since. It's part of the highs and lows of being owned by three dogs and a foster.

The good news is Peso will mend and is doing well, though I know she wants to run. She can't she needs to have her activity limited for at least 7 days for the wound to close. Greyhounds have skin that is much thinner than other breeds and they are prone to scratches, tears and cuts. If this incident had happened between Josie and Wyatt I probably wouldn’t be talking about stitches because they have thicker skin and more fur than a Greyhound.

Finally Peso could receive more good news before the week is over, when I know for sure you all will be the first to know after Peso :)

Until next time, puppy licks, woof, woof and a roo.