Ozzie howling

Ozzie cracks me up! My other foster barks like crazy at every random noise he hears- Ozzie can't be bothered to get up and leave his comfy perch on the love seat but he helps make some noise with a little howl...he gets embarrassed when I laugh and kind of slinks away!

Today was a perfect walk day, so we took advantage of it! Ozzie and I took a long walk at Battleship Cove, which was a new venue for Ozzie. As usual, for the first 100 yards or so he barked a few times- but again, as usual, he settled right down, relaxed and seemed so happy. He was even brave enough to say hello in a friendly way to a random guy in a lawn chair! I was so proud of him. After our walk he relaxed with his buddy Salty Dog, my old man. Now, Salty Dog is about 13, a grumpy old man who doesn't like anyone. He even tries to fight with his reflection in a mirror. But Salty Dog likes Ozzie! As uncomfortable as Ozzie is around humans, he loves other dogs and hasn't had a bit of trouble with any mine, or any of the fosters he's met.

Ozzie had his weekly play day at the Barking Lot today, and loves being with his friends there! You can see how much he loves attention and affection from those he trusts- and the staff there all can tell you how much progress he's made. The reason I'm bringing him there weekly is to get him more comfortable out of my home. He loves it here, is the perfect snuggle buddy- but I want him to learn that the world outside is not a scary or threatening place. Building his confidence by creating positive experiences has produced great changes in Ozzie!

Today was a big day for Ozzie- there is a 5K race that we do every year to honor a local police officer who was killed in the line of duty- I walk with a dog or 2, my husband runs with other firefighters. I had debated whether Ozzie was ready for such an event, but I know how comfortable he is with his friend Pixie so I brought him along! We met at the downtown fire station, and Ozzie gave some affection, but also some barks to some of the others gathered there. We walked up the hill to the starting line, and I was careful to keep Ozzie to the side, instead of the middle of the crowd. Yes, he barked little, but was by far and away not the most obnoxious dog there- and as soon as we started walking he relaxed completely! He loved it- a nice long walk on a cool day is just the best. There were people on the side cheering us along, and Ozzie had his head and tail held high, and seemed to enjoy himself so much. I was so glad I brought him!

10 weeks ago I can tell you that I never would have brought Ozzie ANYWHERE where there was any kind of crowd- he's worked hard and changed so much! I can tell you that it takes some extra care to make sure that strangers don't reach out and touch Ozzie, but he can enjoy the same sorts of things that my others do, and I'm so happy for him.