Karen’s First Foster Pups – Jojo and Sylvie
As soon as I adopted my dog Milo, I knew I wanted to get involved with a rescue group so I could foster dogs in my home.
After checking around, I signed up with Gateway Pet Guardians and was approved as a foster parent. A few weeks later, I brought home 2 baby puppies, not quite 6 weeks old.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but puppies are a LOT more work than bringing home an older dog. Two weeks later, we’ve got a routine going. While life is not back to normal, it is running more smoothly. Especially now that I’ve got them sleeping through the night!
Jojo and Sylvie:
I was able to name my two pups, so they are named after the best grandparents a child could ever have – Joe and Sylvia.
They have completely different personalities and looks even though they are from the same litter.
Sylvie has a more delicate build, and at 8 weeks, weighs about a pound less than her brother. That said, she’ll still be a big dog when she is grown.
Sylvie is a love bug. She follows me wherever I go, and checks in regularly with me when I’m working on the computer and she’s playing. She is a bit needier than her brother…wanting reassurance that I’m paying attention to her. She also has a feisty streak. If she’s not sleeping or chewing on a bone, she will wander over to Jojo and get a wrestling match started. She’s also known for snatching things away from Jojo and my dog Milo (and both just let her!).
Jojo is much more independent. He pays attention to what I’m doing, but is content entertaining himself most of the time. He almost never starts the wrestling matches with Sylvie, but can hold his own when she gets him going. Jojo is going to be the perfect buddy for a family who wants an active dog, but one that doesn’t need attention every minute of the day.
Both devour their food when it’s time to eat, find it fascinating playing with tags under the furniture that I never cut off, and noisily complain when they are confined to a crate or room.
And like all puppies, they seem to pee constantly.
Jojo and Sylvie go on daily walks in a little cart since they are too young to walk in the grass in public spaces (they are just waiting for their next round of shots). They have also been to a couple of adoption events, and everyone who sees them thinks they are adorable.
Sylvie has been adopted. She did great when she met her new family. And while I wish she hadn’t peed in their house (3 times!), it was really great to see they didn’t freak out over it. Sylvia will be going home to mom, dad, 2 teenagers and 2 cats next week as soon as she is spayed.
Jojo, on the other hand, is still waiting for the right family.
Jojo is a Shepard mix and will probably be around 50-60 lbs when he is full grown. He is a strong boy already and you can tell he is going to be bubbling over with puppy energy as he grows.
Jojo whines more than he barks when he wants something, but that really only happens when he is confined to his crate or he sees a dog on our walks who he wants to meet. He has learned how to go up and down steps and has a wrinkly forehead that will melt your heart.
Jojo will need plenty of exercise, so he either needs a yard to run or a family who will take him on walks every day. I think he would be fine in a home with other dogs, or one where he is the center of attention. I doubt he would pay much attention to cats once he got used to them. He would also be fine with small kids as long as they are supervised since he hasn’t yet learned how to be gentle when chewing on people.
Jojo is working on crate training. He spends time in the crate during the day and at night. He is loud when he goes into the crate, but settles down in a few minutes. If he is asleep, you can easily move him into the crate (or anywhere) and he will lay back down and go right back to sleep. He sleeps solid and noise doesn’t bother him.
He stays quiet in his crate from about 10:30 until 7, sometimes with a short episode of barking in the early morning but when I ignore it, he stops within a couple of minutes. I honestly think it’s more Sylvie and Jojo would be more content in the crate if he was alone as long as there was something in there with him to chew.
While Jojo is too young to really get serious about potty training since I can’t take him out every couple of hours, he is getting used to going outside and goes right away every time you take him out.
Jojo’s favorite things are to wrestle with his sister, chew on squeak toys and antlers, and go exploring in the grass. Starting next week, he will have his 2nd round of immunizations, and will be safe from parvo, and he will be able to start walking on a leash. He will also be ready to go to his forever home.
Help me find the perfect home for Jojo. If you or someone you know would like to adopt him, fill out the adopt form at Gateway Pet Guardians and get ready to take this beautiful boy home.
