Foster Update 6/21

Forsythe is such a patient puppy! I feel so bad for him as his routine is crate in the bedroom, potty, then crate to the living room, potty, then back to the bedroom crate. At the end of the week last week he learned that banging his cast on his crate made more noise than his other paw so he is in a splinted cast for another week. We've tried to calm that down and so far so good. He's only done it a handful of times in my presence now.

He hates the cone and is very good about not chewing on it *in front of me.* So if we are together in a room, he does not need his cone. He gets his cone whenever we leave the house and for bedtime. Otherwise, we are with him and he doesn't chew.

He has a stash of toys in each of his crates. He rotates playing with each of them. His favorite in the living room crate is a kong attached to a think, nylon rope. In the other crate, it's a little blue squeaky dog. He tends to gravitate to the smaller stuffed animals. I think he likes being able to get most of it in his mouth.

We have only had 2 potty accidents this week, out on the patio waiting to go outside. Both times I had to run inside to grab either his leash or the plastic to cover his cast. I am really impressed with his potty training progress as he is so limited on "outside" time. It proves, once again, how incredibly intelligent he is!

His seperation anxiety is making great strides! He whimpers a little bit when you leave the room, but that's about it. BIG difference from last week! At this rate, by next week, I expect no seperation anxiety whatsoever!

It's going to be hard to let this little angel go!

• 100% crate trained
• 85% potty trained outside of the crate
  - Asks to go potty by sitting at the back door
• He"sleeps in" until his people wake up
• Mild seperation anxiety (better than the average puppy)
  He plays fetch and ACTUALLY brings the ball back
• Would be great in an only dog OR multi dog home
• LOVES KIDS
  Known commands: Sit, Down, Stay and Come (from 10 ft away), Calm (when he is getting too hyper he knows to stop and settle)
• Big food drive
• Knows chewing on his cast is bad and causes the "cone of shame" to be put back on so he doesn't (typically) try to chew when you are present (chewing on cast is fair game for him if he doesn't see you)
• He LOVES to snuggle and will wrap both paws around you
• Loves to be held
• Loves car rides. He doesn't like to leave the car.
• Loves bones, kongs, rubber toys, smaller stuffed animals, Frosty Paws, and anything his foster siblings have that he doesn't (he likes balls thrown for him but they are too frustrating for him to play with by himself because of the cast)
• EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT - Too smart for his own good, at times
• Loving nicknames include: Blackbeard, Stubby, Munchkin

Foster Update 6/15

Little Forsythe is such a good boy. I picked him up last week, for the first time, at the vet's office where our wonderful doctor took the time to show me his x-rays to see what we were really dealing with. What a lucky guy he is! Here's the low down:

Forsythe got hit by a car, bounced off and was immediately hit by a second car coming from the other direction. They took several x-rays and body scans and it was determined that he broke his right leg (the bones were literally broken in half) and several skin cuts/blemishes but no internal injuries outside of the one break! WOW!!!!

Needless to say, his leg is healing beautifully. Given his age, they opted to cast it and see how it would heal naturally (instead of having surgery and putting a pin in, etc). Great decision as the bone is coming together nicely! So nicely, in fact, his legs will most definitely be the same length (a concern she was watching for) and he will have no limp! Wow, wow, wow!  What a little fighter!

So, after I picked him up we headed home. He laid sweetly in the backseat and was extremely polite. He was afraid of leaving the car but, honestly, getting a goofy puppy in a cast through a two door car into the backseat, I'm sure he deemed it a traumatic experience. Hopefully our next trip he'll bounce in and out! When we got home, he barked his head off at his new foster siblings, ate a large dinner, pottied appropriately and went to bed.

We go back to the vet tomorrow to get another x-ray. If all goes well (fingers crossed), he gets to wear a soft cast for the next week!!! :)

In the week we have had him, he has been amazing, given the circumstances, and EVERYONE he meets LOVES him!

Forsythe came to us from Animal Control when they had picked him up because he had been hit by a car.

Forsythe is a bright yellow bush, with Forsythe's pretty yellow coat we thought it was a good name for him! 

06.04.11 Volunteer Update:  Forsythe was the star of the event today!  Who doesn't love a sweet Lab mix?  Forsythe is very mobile at this point even with his cast but by doctor's orders we restrict his mobility.  He loves squeaky toys and any other type of toy on which he can chew.  He wanted to play with all of the other dogs that walked by.  He loves people.  Attending the event did not make him the least bit nervous.

*** According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, the Labrador Retriever is a loving, affectionate, lovable, patient dog. Once known as the "St John's Dogs," the Labrador Retriever is one of the most popular breeds in the United States. Originally from Newfoundland, Canada the Labrador was trained to jump overboard into the icy waters to haul fisherman's nets to shore. Specimens were brought to England in the 1800's by English ships coming from Labrador, where the dog's fine retrieving instincts were honed and developed. One of the best family dogs and canine companions because of their gentle, loving disposition, the highly trainable Labrador also excels in drug detection, as a guide for the blind, and service dog for the disabled. The breed is also an outstanding obedience and field trial competitor. Highly intelligent, loyal, willing, and high-spirited. Lively and good-natured, they love to play, especially in water - for they love to swim. They have an excellent, reliable, temperament and are friendly, superb with children and equable with other dogs. They crave human attention and need to feel as though they are part of the family. Labs are easily trained. These dogs are watchdogs, not guard dogs, although some have been known to guard. They have a life expectancy of 10-12 years.