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.