Otis 18-028A
At a Glance #18-028A
| Golden Retriever | Born: April 2017 |
| Male | 52 lbs |
Status: Adopted
Profile
Updates
Friday, April 13, 2018
Today Otis found what we all wish for and hope to be. Today he found his very own family. He now has a 2-year-old Golden Retriever friend named Gus and a 13-year-old boy named Henry. We can tell that together, with the adults of the household, they are going to have a very joyous time. As fosters, this is the day we wait for. The bittersweet.
It was fun watching Otis grow into his paws and out of his fears. He has accomplished so much from where he started. He eats slower and out of a dish. He's been "accident" free for a couple of weeks, and he's faced and conquered many of his fears and is gaining much confidence. He is no longer afraid of the semi or the garage door opening/closing and little did we know, he was not afraid of the vacuum.
He started to calm down enough to give us a couple of cute doggie poses but he still preferred to stay out of the spotlight. That being said, I know his new family is going to take plenty of photos of him playing with his new boy and new dog friend.
Otis is going to love spending time at the cabin and in a nice fenced-in back yard where he can run and flop around like the young dog he is. We're going to miss our shadow, but we are grateful he can be one for someone else.
Congratulations Otis. You are one lucky dog.
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Well, this week has not been as eventful. We've gained some weight and that's fun. Otis is a beautiful dog. We are on exercise restriction due to a minor procedure that most 11-month-old male puppies will go through. Unfortunately, he doesn't know that he's supposed to be resting.
So what do we do when we don't get outside moving around as much as we'd like? We chew on things. We gather up all of our toys from our "toy chair" and pull them down onto the floor. And chew. If you have a favorite pair of slippers, put them up. Or give him one and be his best friend forever.
We've been working on potty training yet, and that is coming along nicely. 100% trained? No. Getting there? For sure. He has free roam of the house when we're home and able to watch him. We feel comfortable leaving him for an extended period of time in the entry way with his dog friend and toys when we are at work.
He is not allowed on the couch or bed at our place and respects that, but we know he'd love to cuddle up next to you if you'd prefer that. He's into "selfies" much more than portraits. But most importantly, if you let Otis into your house, he will let you into his heart.
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Wow, what a week Otis has had. We met the Easter Bunny at PetSmart and wondered around the store for a while. He's learning so much and gaining so much confidence. Now, if he would just gain some weight. He is still on the "too thin side" but we are working on that through a change of diet. Unfortunately changing over food takes a little time and in his case a little trial and error. All-in-all, he'll put the weight on in a healthy time frame and, aside from being thin, he has plenty of energy and love.
Otis LOVES to eat. If there is a food motivated dog out there, it is this guy. Tonight was the first night that he got to eat his food out of his dish. Typically it has been spread out on the floor to slow him down. A little less spreading each time and this time it stayed in his dish. He will sit and wait for you to put his food down for him and is also learning other commands such as wait, here, leave it, and off.
He barks less when he needs to be in his crate and has started sleeping in the bedroom. He's still working on the house training but the visits outside for this purpose are becoming less frequent and, as his diet gets figured out, it should get easier.
We are learning that not all chicken is edible. He leaves the cat food alone, and for the most part of it, the cats too. If you have a dog savvy cat he should be fine and if you don't then your cat may go into temporary hiding like our 2nd one has.
He enjoys playing and running. Our resident dog isn't the best team player but they are both trying. He's not sure about the whole retrieving thing yet but he certainly has the golden part down.
Oh, and he spent time with the nephew this weekend too. He loves hands and would lay on the floor with you, in-between his walks, all day long if you let him. He appreciates routine yet and new places are somewhere between fun and scary. He leans on his dog friend and people friends for confidence yet but is full of love.
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Meet Otis. He's a loving 10 month old puppy that is still growing into his paws and ribs. He is going to be a super fun and beautiful dog when he grows up. Right now though, he's still a puppy that will keep you on your toes. He's not quite potty trained yet and loves to chew on things. He's a little shy around new things but some of these are typical puppy characters that he'll out grow and there are so many good things about him.
Otis sleeps quietly in his crate at night and is free roam in the house when we are around, but we still keep an eye on him for obvious reasons. He'll follow you around with a wagging tail and sometimes gives a subtle sign (like huge tail wags) when he needs to go out. See, he's learning. He is learning to sit and will now sit on his own before he is fed. He's learning his name and will walk pretty nice on a leash. At first he would walk right by our side but now that he's gaining confidence he's been walking in front and leading the way. We'll work on "heal" again but it's fun to see him with his confidence.
He's learning "Leave it" and now leaves the cat food alone (for the most part of it). He would like to play with the cats but one is not interested and the other kind of hides so he leaves them alone. He also leaves the litter box alone. Keep an eye on this cute pup with big floppy paws for updates. He will make his people happy, no doubt about that.
