News from My Forever Home

Hi all, bet you’ve been wondering how I am? Well, I will answer by saying “Woooooooohooooooo, I’ve found my FOREVER home & I’m on cloud 9!” I have 2 doggie sisters, a people sister & brother, & a new Mom & Dad! Wow, life doesn’t get any better than this. We go for walks in the forest every day & that brings out the hunting qualities I possess. I love all the smells there, believe me there are plenty. Mom and Dad walk with me while the girls are constantly running ahead & scouting the area for us. They always come back to make sure I’m with Mom & Dad. Even though I’m older than them, they are very protective of me. I like that, I mean they have really made me part of the family & it’s as if I’ve lived here all my life.

Mealtime is kind of funny around here because Mom has so many vitamins to crush up for all of us. I get very impatient when it’s time to eat. I’m trying real hard to calm down because Mom says it isn’t good for my psyche, whatever that is. She is always telling me to “slow down and enjoy the meal, no one is ever going to take it away from you.” I’m working on that. She says I’m doing a good job.

Thanksgiving was so much fun! This was my first holiday in my new home. The day started early with our walk. The entire family went. My sister Val came home & my brother Chris wasn’t working. We had so much fun out in the fresh air. Once home, music filled the house & oodles of good smells all day. The girls and I got some nice treats, oh so yummy! There was football, loads of belly rubs & kisses! Everyone loves me! I love them too!

Next comes Christmas & I received my very first gift in advance. Mom couldn’t wait to give it to me. She searched the internet for the collar that matches my beautiful leash. She thinks I’m very handsome & tells me so every morning. “My handsome boy needs a handsome collar to match his leash.” I think those were her exact words. The rest of Christmas has to be kept secret! The only thing she will tell me about it is that there will be Santa’s everywhere in the house. I guess I will just have to be patient to see what that is all about.

Sooooo, I’m settling in nicely & my family wants me to remind people to adopt a senior! They say you won’t regret it if you decide to open your heart and home to an older gal or gent. Did you see my pictures? Life is good! Peace, Otto!

Just Checking In....

Things have been picking up and I've been much more active. My foster aunt took me away with her to the bay and every day we took a trip to the beach. My foster mom was there with my foster brother and sister and my foster grandparents were there too with my foster cousin. There are three GSPs when we are together - don't we make a motley crew on the beach??!!!

I love walking into the wind or even just sitting with the breeze in my face - it's the best way to smell the sea air.

All this walking and sniffing tires me out though. I sleep very soundly, but then I'm up and ready to go at 5am each morning. My foster aunt loves my company, but she gets tired from all our exercise too. I think she wishes I'd learn that vacations are for sleeping in too. I'm too excited to find what the new day will bring - who can sleep????

I'll be back to my foster home tomorrow. It's fun to visit all these different places. Even though I can't see, I know the difference with each home and environment I'm in and I love them all. I think we'll be home for a while now since we'll be busy with the holidays - I'm not really sure about "holidays", but Thelma, my foster sister, tells me they are so much fun. I'm pretty excited, but I'm not sure what could be more fun then everything I'm doing already. I'll keep you posted!

Bet you're wondering what I've been up to lately....

September and October haven’t been too exciting. My foster parents went away for a couple weeks so I got to stay with my foster Aunt. She’s FUN. She takes me everywhere with her. Sometimes she needs to get away too so she goes to the bay – guess what?! I get to come with her. It’s so much fun, but she’s very happy there is a fence in the yard because when I smell the ducks that swim by in the lagoon, boy am I curious. She thinks I could fall right in if I wasn’t careful.

It’s been lousy weather and rain is definitely not my favorite. They still make me go out in the rain – even for walks. I’d much rather stay cozy, snuggled up inside, but no one cares about what I want… At least that’s what I thought, but my Aunt listened. She bought me a raincoat and it helps. So even though I still have to go out, at least I’m covered. I guess that’s what they call a compromise.

There are lots of holidays coming up. I’ve never celebrated anything before. Recently my foster brother, sister and I, entered into a Pet Costume Contest. We were a bunch of bananas. Check out our pictures and you won’t be surprised (at least that’s what I hear since I couldn’t see) – we won for Originality. I’ll be celebrating Halloween with my Aunt, and I think I’ll be dressing up to help her hand out candy.

It sounds like things will be getting busier here in the coming weeks, so hopefully my foster mom will send another update soon!

Busy Boy!

August was a busy month for me. It seems rescue has lots of events starting now and I get to go along to some of them. Sometimes I even wear a vest. I’m not sure what it says, but my foster mom says I look very handsome in it and it’s going to help me find my own family soon.

At L’Oreal Day my sister, Peggy’s, mom was there. She said I reminder her of Peggy and thought I was very cute. I heard some good news that Peggy just found her own FOREVER home. I’ll bet her foster mom and dad were real sad though because they really liked her a lot and helped her through a tough surgery. I’m happy she has a family of her very own and I know I will too someday.

L’Oreal Day was a fun rescue event. My aunt Lori took me. Sue was there – she’s a crazy fun rescue volunteer… She even let me share her bagel with cream cheese. I never had cream cheese before and it’s messy, but I liked it and so did Sue! Sue also makes the best dog cookies EVER… I especially love coming to these events because she always make a fresh batch and sneaks me a whole bunch!

This past weekend we had a big yard sale to benefit rescue. I stayed outside and wore that cool vest I told you about. Someone came to visit me because they thought I was very cute with it on. They took some information and said they may be in touch. This might be the one for me… if not, I’m sure getting all kinds of attention where I am. I’m a happy boy.

Summers over, but I’m looking forward to this cooler weather. It makes me frisky. I’ll be in touch soon. I hear I’m going to another fun event where these will be lots of shorthairs. I love meeting new people and dogs so I’m looking forward to the day!

Hi All....

It’s been a while since I reported in, but we’ve been busy. Summer started and it seems like we do lots of entertaining in this house. I’ve been meeting tons of new people; kids too and as usual, everyone loves me. What’s not to love – have you seen my face, if you can imagine, my personality is just as good!

Since my last update we’ve been enjoying lots of time outside lounging around and taking walks around town. We still get up real early during the week and do at least a mile, and then I get in a few more walks throughout the day. In between, I relax in the sun on the deck – it’s my favorite place to hang out and get a tan. I'm still looking for that thing under the shed - when my foster cousin was over, he was looking too, but he got stuck. I think my foster dad may believe us now!

This weekend we came to the beach to relax. It was a real dog vacation. We visited Mike at Buddy’s Pet Shop – he loves me too… While I can’t see, my nose tells me where all the good stuff is around his store and I always try to dig right in and help myself. Mike doesn’t care. He’s impressed by my sense of smell. It’s fun to explore there and I scored three new things on this visit... Then we went to the dog Bay beach and I got to swim in the bay and meet some new dog friends. Check out my new pictures.

We are headed home today and I hear we’ll be entertaining again tonight. I’m going to rest up during the car ride so I’ll be ready for the party later.

Even though the pictures show me lying around a lot, don't worry I don't sleep all the time. Whenever I hear my name, I’m ready for action. My foster family doesn’t even think I’m 12 because I’m still pretty peppy – I just know how to chill out until it’s time for the FUN…

I’m checking out now, until next time - peace and love, peace and love…

My Holiday Weekend and more

My foster family had a very busy rescue weekend planned so they made arrangements for me to stay at the home of a dog sitter for the holiday weekend. Boy was it fun. Someone is home all the time there and they have CARPET which is super easy to navigate. That was real luxury for me. They let me on the furniture too! They have lots of woods in their back yard so we did some trail hiking and I really loved that. There were so many new smells.

My first night there, after everyone went to sleep, I climb up on a cozy chair and snoozed the night away. I guess I really scared my dog sitter because he couldn’t find me in the morning. He couldn’t imagine where I could have gone, but then there I was – I blended right into the chair. He got a laugh out of that!

He sent my foster mom email updates because she wanted to keep tabs on me. He ended his first email with: “He is truly a wonderful guy and we are looking forward to the rest of the weekend with him!”. Didn’t take them long to realize… I win everyone’s heart!

In his last email of the weekend, he said: “Otto Has Been and Still Is a joy to have in our home, he is a Very Well Behaved Gentleman and we have thoroughly enjoyed his company this weekend!!!”

Of course my foster mom was happy I was such a good house guest, but she wasn’t surprised. I’m just a good guy all around. What she can’t understand is why no one is banging down my door to give me a “Forever” home. She thinks I’m a real find! I know with patience, my own family will come along. I can wait.

Not much else to report. During the day, I just hang with my peeps, Thelma and Otis, if aunt Lori isn’t home and my foster parents are working. I look forward to our walks in the morning and at night and playtime after work. Today, I showed my foster family I still have my prey drive. I found something under the shed. Otis knew I was right too, but my foster dad couldn’t find anything. I’ll bet it’s still there… I’m planning to check when I go back outside.

I hear I’m headed back to the beach in a couple weeks and also to an Eastern GSP Club event. I’ll post an update again when I have more to report. Stay tuned…

My Weekend at the Beach

This weekend I learned about vacations! Otis left early in the week with aunt Lori and then Thelma left early on Friday with my foster dad and I was left at home with my foster mom while she worked… I was wondering – where did everyone go??? She told me not to worry, once Sam got over after school we were going too. So I snoozed away until it was my turn.

When Sam came over, I was very excited. I climbed into the car and settled in. I had no idea what vacation meant, but I was ready. I slept all the way so I’m not really sure how long it took, but when we arrived, it sure was different. There were lots of stones to walk on and it smelled interesting too. My foster mom said we were down the shore. Thelma and my foster dad were waiting to meet me.

I adjusted just fine to the new house and learned my way around in a snap. I visited the local pet store, Buddy’s, and met the owner Mike. He loved me. There were lots of good smells and I knocked into stuff and things fell of shelves, but Mike didn’t care. He said I’m just the kind of guy he’d like – I mean, who can blame him? I’m very cool.

Sam spent lots of time snuggling with me on the couch, but we also were pretty active. Check out the pictures of me and my posse walking on the beach. I liked the sand and didn’t even hesitate at the crashing waves. The noise was loud, but I investigated and when the water touch my paws, I didn’t run away – but it was sort of cold….

Today we are getting ready to go home – my foster mom is cleaing everything – even me! I had a Kiehls’s bath and I smell so fresh.. It was fun and very relaxing. I spent lots of quality time with my foster family and would love to have a family of my own to go on family vacations with. My foster mom said I just roll with it and take no time to adjust at all.

What a weekend!

Hi, it’s me … Otto - Happy belated mother’s day to all the foster and forever moms out there. Sorry I am a day late, I had a party to attend yesterday.

Saturday, May 9, 2009
First, I spent a couple of quiet nights with my foster aunt Lori. When she came home from her trip I was not afraid to meet her at all. I plopped right down, rolled on my back and demanded some love. (She said she wishes human men would do that too!)

My foster mom and dad took Thelma and Otis to the beach (I am going there next weekend!!) so it was just me and Lori. I stayed up later, but got to sleep in too! We went for a walk around 8 am instead of 5 am. I don’t mind either time, so I can be an early or a night bird, so long as I have some routine. Everybody tells me I am a good walker. She started to say step every time I went up a curb, but I don’t totally understand what it means yet.

I went into the house for the first time, since there were no dogs home to catch the end of my cough. That was pretty cool! I bumped into a couple things, but after a while I knew to walk past the chair, turn right and find my bed. I also remembered where the water was, but I tend to kick the bowl or step in it first and when I hear the noise I find my drink.

I just LOVE to sleep! So long as I find a familiar bed or chair, and I know someone is in the room, I settle down. Once I am comfy and after a few pets, I snore pretty hard. I pretty much stay in one place, so I don’t always have to be with a person, but I know that aunt Lori listened for me and checked in while she was upstairs cooking. I am pretty smart, but I always need a human to keep me safe.

I chewed my crate again last night, so aunt Lori didn’t put me in it. I slept in a cushy blow up chair in my room and didn’t move all night. She slept in the next room just to make sure I didn’t get into anything and I behaved.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

On Sunday morning, she let me out in the yard with her while she did some clean-up. The yard is nice and big and totally fenced. The shrubs and trees are all on the perimeter, so I hunt them down to pee, but wander in the middle otherwise. I especially like to smell the area under the bird feeders - what did you expect, I might be blind, but I am still a bird dog!

One of my favorite things is to roll in the grass- I do it so hard and roll so much, I make myself dizzy! I guess I looked a little drunk when I stood up. Aunt Lori said I was silly. I can pretty much smell or hear my humans and follow them around the yard. Thankfully they never leave me out on my own. If they call me by name or clap or snap, I can pretty easily zone in on where they are and make my way to them.

Since the party was on the deck, I needed to familiarize myself with this space - I hadn’t been up on the big deck yet. Aunt Lori put a leash on me and held on tight as we went up. She kept saying step again, and I think it’s becoming clearer. I am good at going up - although I don’t necessarily go up straight, so if there is no railing, I would fall right off without help.

Once up there, all the openings were blocked off so I wouldn’t take a mistaken step. I learned where all the furniture was pretty quickly and found the cushy lounge chair and hopped right up! When I got hot, I hopped right down and found a shaded area.

A few bumps here and there, but I am used to it, that is why I walk slow when I am trying to figure out where to go. If I don’t settle down or wine once or twice that probably means I have to go “out.” Going down the steps is kind of scary since I can’t tell where I might land. Aunt Lori put me on a leash again and as I put my paw out to feel where something solid might be she said step again.

My foster mom & dad came home and Thelma and Otis too - I really missed them all and am happy being around other dogs. There were all sorts of yummy smells coming from the house, and I pretty much napped on the deck and waited for company.

Did I tell you about my tail? I don’t really want to think about my old life, but somebody cut my tail way to short so I don’t have much to wag. But when all the people started to arrive, I was so happy, my whole butt “wags.” I make do with what I have pretty well. Aunt Cheryl was first, I met her before and know she likes Thelma best. Then grandma Pat C and grandma Pat P and grandpa Dick and my “cousin” Sam. I never met a foster kid before - he is thirteen and really nice. He liked me a lot. Everybody liked me a lot. In fact my two grandmas missed all the appetizers because they were talking and sitting with me. Pat C gave me a hedgehog toy and I wouldn’t let it go! She says I remind her of Sport - so good natured and sweet. I never met Sport but I heard he was a rescue also and if he was anything like me, he must have been great!

Once the food came out, I was ready to eat! Chicken and ribs! Wow - where’s my dish, I thought? I sniffed a lot at the table and snuck in between seats to try and get a nibble. Turns out it was people food. It’s hard for me to tell the difference, so I went to my room while everyone ate. They brought me back to the deck and I tried for some berry pie, but I guess that is not for dogs either so I laid back on the lounger.

It was so much fun to meet so many people, but I was dog tired after that! Sandy brought me home a different crate from Aunt Sue because everybody thinks it is much safer for me to be confined at night. I didn’t chew it and didn’t make a peep. I do like the feeling of leaning on something when I sleep, so maybe the crate isn’t so bad after all. I hope my forever home is just as good.

Well naptime again, I will write more from the beach next week.

All About Me!

I’ve been in foster care for a bit and I’m really settling in. We are learning a lot about each other and I’m finding life can be pretty good.

Unfortunately, I’ve have this terrible cough that mostly bothers me after my naps, but Sunday, I was feeling really yucky. Luckily it was a rainy day so I just slept and slept. My friend Sue came by for a visit. She and Rayna sprung me and Peggy from the shelter. She brought me her special treats – she makes homemade cookies just for dogs and they are the best. I think they helped with my cough too because ever since my first one, I’ve been getting better and better. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but that’s what I tell my foster mom so she keeps giving them to me. KO Cookies are super!

I met my aunt Cheryl yesterday and my grandma Pat. Thelma told me to keep away from Cheryl as she’s her favorite and Cheryl doesn’t like the boys. She seemed nice to me, but Otis told me it’s true. Maybe I’ll win her over. Grandma Pat was really nice. She thinks I’m a cutie and can see how lovable I am.

Apparently, I have a foster aunt who lives here too, but she’s away. She comes home tomorrow and I’m very excited to meet her. See, here my foster mom and dad get me up really early – 5am!!!! – and they hardly give me any time to wipe the sleep from my eyes and off I go for a morning walk. Thelma, my foster sister, comes along with me, but she seems used to this. I’m learning our route and getting along faster, but Thelma and my foster mom told me not to get too used to it… as I get better, we are going to go for longer and longer walks. I’m hoping when my aunt Lori comes home, things will change. Maybe I’ll be able to sleep in and she’ll walk with me instead.

I’m a good eater and love my breakfast after my walks. Initially they made me special rice and beef to be sure my tummy was ok adjusting to a new diet. Yesterday I started to get the same stuff Thelma and Otis do. Besides the crunchy stuff, I get this yummy soft stuff and vegetables… I hear the veggies change, but my first ones were peas and carrots and I LOVE THEM!!!! Peas are really good and I eat every last one – even if a few fall out of my bowl while I’m eating, I find them all… they are DELICIOUS!

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks???? I’ve pretty much got sit covered and we are going to start working on down. This training stuff is fun and I get yummy treats – besides KO Cookies, which are my favorite, I also get these really good chicken things. I get very excited when I smell them and I’m ready to work. It can be hard to sit when my little tail is waggin so much, but my foster mom tries to make me focus.

I’m showing them how snuggly I am. Sometimes they let me crawl in their lap and at my first chance, I hop into a special chair and curl up on the comfy blanket. They think I was probably a couch potato in my last home because I can always find the best spots to cozy up.

I’m still crated when no one is around and I do ok. If I get bored, I chew on my crate some, but they gave me some new chew toys and they taste way better and my foster mom told me they are way better for me… we’ll see – I’m going to do my best to stop chewing on my crate.

Check back on me soon – I have a lot going on so I’ll be sure to keep everyone updated. Even though things are pretty good here, I’m hoping to find my very own home where I can get into a whole new routine and have a family of my own. I want to be someone's favorite just like Thelma - she's lucky.

My first Day at my Foster Home

WOW is my life different. I came from a life with two sisters and we always had to hunt for the basics - no food or water for us, but we did live in a house. Someone took us and then we went to a shelter with lots of other dogs. The people there were so nice and found a group to take us. We had to get split up, but that was ok - life is going to be better for us all.... I just know.

I'm Otto, I might be 12, but tough to tell from my rough start. Even though I'm a bit older, I'm ready for a new beginning. I'm blind, but it doesn't bother me. I'm curious and explore without hesitation. Since I can hear fine, it makes learning new places much easier.

My foster mom never had a blind dog before, but she says I'm really easy. I'm ok with a crate and know to keep it clean. I whine sometimes, but that's because this is all new. My foster dad gave me a shirt he was wearing and boy did that give me some comfort. Then I slept straight through the night. My foster mom had to wake me up.

I've learned where to find my water. I like bones and even toys - I haven't showed her my true colors yet, but I'm one frisky fella. Wait until she sees how playful I can be. She even took me for a walk today and that was fun. She said I'm really good on a leash.

There are a couple other dogs here that seem to like me ok. I like them though. We pretty much keep to ourselves, but it nice to know they are around. Right now I'm staying in a smaller space to take my time adjusting, but in a few days, I hear I'll be exploring more of the house.

I've had all my shots and even got neutered. I am lymes positive so I'm getting some medication to clear that up. Since I couldn't tell them about my past, they did an xray of my front leg because they say it looks a little funny even though I walk fine. I wanted to tell them myself, but they learned I had a fracture some time ago that wasn't cared for properly and now I have arthritis in my elbow. I also have some arthritis along my spine. But I'm ok and don't complain. I hear I may have some physical therapy or a pill to help me be more comfortable.

I love to be pet and would crawl in my foster mom's lap if I could. I'm very affectionate and sweet. When she finds a good scratching spot, boy do I groan. It feels so good, I have to tell her. Right now I'm enjoying a bully stick and relaxing after an early walk and hearty morning breakfast. I love chewing this stick so much that I whine while I'm munching... I can't believe how good life can be! Since this is only my first day here, I'm sure I'll have lots more to tell about soon. So stay tuned.

My foster mom said she'd keep me forever, but I'd rather not be a "foster" dog. My dream is to finally find my FOREVER home with a family of my very own. I just want a family who will love me, include me in their life and care for me. I deserve this! Will you make my dreams come true?