Petey the Tripod, Day 3: Petey is learning that being inside is a good thing. If we open the door to go in the backyard, he hesitates unless Bruno (his buddy the German Shepherd)and we go out with him. It took about a half a day to house train him and we have been able to leave him home for 3-4 hours without any accidents also. What a smart guy! We were beginning to wonder if Petey had a voice but when I put him downstairs after their early morning outing, he let out a loud “WOOF” after I shut the door. At least we know he can talk and uses his words sparingly! Our next task was to see how Petey did with a bath and ear cleaning. As expected, he did just fine. He let me wash out his ears and clean them with cotton balls and Q-Tips. The bath was a bit more challenging and took both of us to do, but Petey settled down after a bit and loved being dried off with the towel. We have had several dogs at our house for overnight stays and it is always amazing to see the transformation of their personalities in a home environment. That is not to say that they all become perfect dogs once you get them home! As a foster family, it is your responsibility to continue to set boundaries and teach them good manners. It IS a vacation for them, but if we just let them get away with everything it is defeating the whole purpose of fostering adult dogs. They need to learn to BEHAVE in a home so they STAY in a home. Foster families can be instrumental in helping dogs with behavior issues become adoptable dogs (this goes for cats too!). We are enjoying having Petey in our home and we look forward to helping him find the perfect family. Stay tuned for Petey’s progress on the leash! Molly & Brett