I HAVE A FOSTER DOG!
His name is Casper and I just love him.
I'll start with the back story on how I ended up being a single momma. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control picked up this little nugget wandering around with a collar, no tags, and two shoestrings tied to the collar (what a way to tether a dog, huh?). By the time CMACC caught up to him, he had swallowed the shoestrings that were STILL ATTACHED TO THE COLLAR so I have to imagine he wasn't having the easiest time breathing/eating/drinking. Truth be told, it hurts my heart to think of his life before me- defenseless, wandering the streets, starving, shoestrings stuck in his throat, and probably terrified. I try not to think about it since there are currently thousands of animals- if not millions- across the country in similar conditions. My Cas is one of the lucky ones. Anyways, the fact that he is a black pit mix was working against him in a huge way at CMACC (not sure if you're aware, but black dogs are the least likely to be adopted and most likely to be euthanized. For whatever reason, people are less inclined to fall in love with black dogs). Since CMACC does not adopt out pit bulls, he should have been euthanized within 24 hours of arriving at the shelter. Luckily, an angel of an animal control officer thought he just had too much going for him to let his life end so soon, so she was taking him home with her every night so that he would have an extra day. I volunteer with the American Pit Bull Foundation, and since we have no shelter, we can only rescue as many dogs as we have foster homes in place for. When the foster coordinator contacted me about Mac (what he was being called at the time), I thought about it and decided I wanted to help. I mean who could say no to this little face?
Yes, that picture was taken in the animal control officer's house. Look how vicious pit bulls are with children and other animals.
When I picked him up from CMACC on January 20, he was estimated to be around 5 months old and weighed 24.8 lbs. When he went to lose his manhood on March 20, he weighed 49 lbs, and I would guess hes somewhere between 55-60 lbs today (HOSS!). He has the most agreeable personality, and is so calm for his age.
Things I love about him:
-He is so photogenic.
-He gets episodes of "zoomies"- normally around bedtime- but stays calm for the most part.
-He is so eager to please.
-He actually watches TV. He loves cartoons and Bravo's "It's a Brad, Brad World." I find Brad oober annoying, but I leave it on for him if he starts watching it.
-He was crate trained, and nearly completely leash and house trained when I got him.
-He has now perfected bell training for when he wants to go potty. Though I'm positive the ringing bell every time the door is opened/closed annoys my roommates, it certainly helps prevent accidents in the house.
-He will not get onto my bed unless I drag him up there, but man he gets comfortable once he's up there.
-He loves to cuddle on the couch.
-He lays with his frog legs ALL THE TIME ( I LOVE when dogs lay like that!)
Things I've struggled with:
-His grain allergy! Took weeks to figure out what was making his nose run and him chew on his paws, but we finally discovered he is allergic to food that isn't grain-free/holistic. AKA the high-end, expensive stuff.
-His affinity for chewing. Now I know this is a puppy thing. And being a pit, he is a power chewer. Toys never stay in tact very long (I'm talking a couple of hours- if I'm lucky!- before I have to take the squeaker and stuffing out of the hole he's created so he doesn't swallow it), and he has also managed to gnaw his way through a laptop power cord, an Aveda paddle brush, a Bobbie Brown makeup palette, and a Havianas sandal. You have to give it to the boy, he has a taste for the finer things.
-What I affectionately consider his "handshake." He just wants to have your hand in his mouth when you walk in and he gets really excited. He doesn't put any pressure on your hand, just wants your hand in his mouth. We're working every day on breaking this for good so that maybe hopefully he can take therapy dog training in the future.
-He likes to push his toys under the furniture, then whines and/or barks until someone gets it out from under there for him. Seems like getting toys that don't fit under the furniture would be the easy fix, but any toys that don't fit under the sofa also don't fit in his mouth so if anyone knows how to break this, please let me know.
-He likes to push his toys under the furniture, then whines and/or barks until someone gets it out from under there for him. Seems like getting toys that don't fit under the furniture would be the easy fix, but any toys that don't fit under the sofa also don't fit in his mouth so if anyone knows how to break this, please let me know.
