I love this picture! Ozzie cuddling with his best friend Pixie. He is such a sweet and loving boy with those he trusts. You might wonder why I don't just adopt Ozzie myself- and believe me, I've thought about it... He's settled in so well here, and is, in many ways an easy dog to be around. The only, only reason I haven't yet adopted Ozzie is that I know we saved him within hours of euthanasia- with his only crime being that he had no home. A beautiful, healthy young boy, sentenced to die because he was unwanted. His life was saved because I had room in my home to foster him, and made a commitment. I think of that every time I look at him, but also think of all the others that died that day because they didn't get a foster commitment. If I do find the loving home for Ozzie that he deserves then I'll be able to save another one. If I didn't look at the big picture, I'd keep Ozzie for myself- but knowing what happens to over 20,000 dogs a day in this country makes me feel like that's not OK!

Ozzie had an eventful weekend! FOHA held an adoption event yesterday at the Petsmart in Warwick, and my husband brought Ozzie by for a short time. Yes, he was anxious... again, he was just fine with people who ignored him- but when someone approached head on with the "Oh what a cute dog" speech, he warns them off with a bark. The classic "no talk no touch no eye contact" is what is needed when meeting Ozzie. And I was thrilled today! I brought Ozzie to the fire station again- his fourth visit, and guess what! No barks, and he allowed some of my husband's friends to give him affection. GREAT progress and it brought smiles to everyone!

One of Ozzie's greatest strengths is how well he gets along with other dogs. Big, small, young, old, playful or sedate, they are all potential friends to Ozzie. In fact, the presence of other dogs seems to bring him confidence- and he hasn't been involved in anything that's even resembled a fight since he's been with me! One "must" for Ozzie in a potential new home will be the opportunity for playtime and companionship from a furry friend!

Doesn't Ozzie look handsome in his winter coat! And here's another update as to how Ozzie is doing in terms of his fear of strangers- this morning we had a man come to the house to give an estimate for replacing our carpet with hardwoods. He is not a dog person, was totally disinterested in Ozzie, and basically ignored him. Well, guess what! Ozzie gave him a few barks, then approached him for a quick sniff, then settled down and relaxed. I also took him back to the Petco in Taunton where the staff have been just wonderful- he approached an employee he's gotten to know and gave her some affection! Baby steps I know, and it may not seem like a big deal to most, but I've learned a few things- first, that Ozzie is most nervous around children, loud people and people who immediately pay attention to him- and that if Ozzie is ignored, it won't take long before he relaxes enough to approach someone and allow affection. I feel clear too that Ozzie cannot go to a home with children- even if he gets comfortable with the resident kids, their friends may not be experienced enough to not care Ozzie. He has not bitten anyone- and I'm not sure if he would, but I don't want to take that chance. I am not going to set him up to fail! I love Ozzie too much to put him in a situation that would be stressful for him.

I wanted to show a couple of pictures of Ozzie- first, one that was taken at doggie day care that I loved! And one that I took this afternoon- I know it's a little dark- that shows the progress Ozzie has made. I brought him again to the fire station- again, he was barky when we got there, but met a friend of my husband's who was calm, dog experienced and knew just what to do- and after about 10 minutes Ozzie had a new friend! He allowed himself to receive some love and affection and seemed relaxed. It really does take time for Ozzie- I've found that treats, not initiating any physical contact or eye contact, and a calm demeanor seem to be what Ozzie responds to. And I got an adoption application for Ozzie today from a woman who lives with her son in Cambridge- her situation sounded perfect for many dogs, but I have to say that I'm just not comfortable adopting Ozzie to a home with children. Even if he grows to love and trust the resident children, I wouldn't want their friends to approach and try to touch Ozzie too quickly. Yes, he has made progress, but still has a long way to go in overcoming his fear of strangers.

So Ozzie has a new best friend...my mother has no power or heat because of the blizzard, so we brought her here for the night- when Ozzie met her a week or so ago he growled and barked at her- but now he's all cuddles, and has claimed her lap as his new favorite place to be. It shows me how his default way of meeting someone by barking at them really is just his anxiety- he is all love and sweetness once he feels comfortable. And he also is not such a big fan of the snow anymore! there's a big difference between a few inches and the 2 feet we have here now- I shoveled out a spot for the dogs that he runs right to, does his business and runs right inside. Not a single accident in the 4 weeks he's been with me, not even last night in 65 mile an hour winds and blinding snow!

I was pretty curious as to how a Georgia boy like Ozzie would do in the snow- it started here a few hours ago, and I can tell you that Ozzie seems to love it! First, he couldn't stop eating it- gobbling snow until he was shivering!- then ran around with the others until he was exhausted. Things are supposed to go downhill pretty quickly so we'll see how much he likes it later, when blizzard conditions start, but so far he's having a great time. Ozzie is such a sweetie!

Ozzie hanging out with his friends.... he is so comfortable with other dogs, and I am so happy to tell you that he's becoming more comfortable with people! We had what feels like a really successful weekend- I took him yesterday to the Petco in Taunton again and he not only took treats from two of the employees, but allowed them to pet him as well! And I had a friend over today- I had warned her that Ozzie would probably bark or growl at her, and asked her not to approach him. I felt pretty stupid when Ozzie did nothing I predicted he would- he greeted her warmly, and was very affectionate. I had armed her with bits of hot dog, so that certainly helped....then, another trip to the fire station- again, he seemed immediately to be more comfortable than he was last week. Granted, he wasn't completely at ease and did some barking, but allowed two of my husband's friends to pet him- and his tail was held high and wagging instead of tucked between his legs.

My goal is to make meeting people a positive rather than frightening experience. I've learned that one trigger for his anxiety is a loud voice, and sudden movements as well. This is all new to him- but I am so encouraged by his progress. He really is absolutely prefect other than his begging for food and anxiety around strangers. I am so hoping that the right adopter will see beyond his initial impression and give him a stable, loving home.