Orion has moved to his new foster home. He is enjoying running around and playing in the large fenced yard. He's also getting into the routine of going for long walks every morning and evening.

Orion has met a few of his new neighbors, and he seems to like them. He has also met a few of the neighbor's dogs. He does very nicely with the ones that he has met up close, but he does bark at some of the dogs that we see out on our walks.

Orion has even had a couple of play dates with another young male dog from down the street. Orion enjoys wrestling with his new friend Monty, a lax mix. There is a lot of gnashing of teeth and rolling around pinning each other down, but they have both remained friendly.

Orion relaxing after his play date with neighbor dog

The little guy has been here now for about two weeks and he's settling in, Looking back at what the poor guy went through getting here, it's no wonder he was a bit of a live wire the first week--living on the streets in Eskisehir, being rescued in Turkey, then flying to the states, then a long trip from Chicago, then to a temp foster, then to a house with three other dogs! It's a wonder that he is such sweet dog after all that.

As he's settled in, here are the things we've learned about him:

• He's a really happy boy. He's thrilled to get up in the morning, he's thrilled to see you, he's thrilled to see his bowl of food, he's just really a happy guy.
• He's also really funny. You know how some dogs just seem to have a sense of humor? This guy does. He finds ways to amuse himself that are hysterical. The other morning, he had tipped his dog bed over his head, and was underneath it, kind of bumping it off his head in some kind of game. It was ridiculous and hysterical. As mentioned earlier, he played the toilet paper game for a while, until he moved the roll of toilet paper. He picks up shoes and carries them around; he does like to chew on them, but he hasn't damaged any. So far. He'll also pick up the newspaper from the front steps and carry it around in this mouth. He does like to shred plastic bags if he can. But he does all of this in the spirit of having a good time!
• He seems to be housebroken. Last night was the first time he peed in the house and it was totally my fault. He's really good about going outside.
• Walks pretty well on a leash. Loves to go for walks. LOVE TO SEE SQUIRRELS ON WALKS!
• Gets along great with other dogs. *Is interested in, but not problematically so, cats. He's curious about the resident cat, and will approach him, but hasn't chased him or attacked him. The cat has swatted him a couple of times, so he's learning who's boss.
• He's got energy and he's smart. He's prime for some obedience training and I think he will love it. He already knows to sit when he gets his treat.
• The previous temp foster said he was great with kids, and he has been great with the other dogs in the house.

The only real challenge with this guy, and I suspect that it could also change as he gets even more settled, is that he can have some mild guarding issues with other dogs, but with three other residents here, we've found a way to easily manage that. He gets fed in his crate, or I have also fed him by hand, so he learns where the food is coming from. (He's had NO guarding issues with me, only with the other dogs.) He had a few incidents of guarding his toys, so I put the toys up when all of the dogs are in the room, OR I just keep a close eye on the dynamics and that has kept things just fine. I do think that there's a good chance that once he learns he's not on the street anymore, and once he learns that he doesn't have to fight, he'll be great.

This guys needs a home! He needs someone who he can entertain and who can entertain him! Someone who will get him into some obedience training so all of his positive traits can shine. He's so adorable--such a petite little guy at 50 lbs--and he's just looking for a good time! And he's a seat little snuggler. Don't you wanna meet him?