Pupdate: The Floyd

So far, it's been two steps forward, one step back. The Floyd, the sweet but neurotic little mutt we've been fostering for a few weeks now, is just beginning to understand the whole peeing-outside thing after seeing a neighborhood dog do her business on a bush. Progress is still spotty, though: he pees inside, on or near the pad we put down for him, about 50% of the time; he pees elsewhere inside about 49% of the time; and he's peed outside precisely twice.

Part of the problem, we think, is that he's simply not getting enough exercise, entertainment, and attention during the day. As any teachers out there know, during the school year, you're usually at the school about 10 hours a day, then grading for another hour or so at home--so we're having a lot of trouble getting this little guy what he needs.

With that in mind, we've been looking for another foster home for the Floyd, one with an already-trained dog in residence (both for the company and for the good example) and a parent who can check on him during the day. We've found at least one possibility, so it's looking good.

Still, we're going to miss the little guy. It's easy to look at his behavior now and think we haven't been able to do much for him, but we have to remind ourselves what he was like when we first got him. He no longer cries when you pick him up (for the most part), he walks calmly, his teeth have been cleaned, he's back up to a healthy weight, and he's learned a few basic commands. But I think it's clear we've reached the limit of what we can do for him with the time and energy we have to spare. We can't get him fully adoptable, but we've done our part, and it's time to give him up.

So the Floyd will be moving on to his new home sometime this week. Godspeed, little guy!