Foster #6: Teddy Ruxpin

Last Thursday, I posted about how we would be fostering a 3-year-old Terrier/Shepherd mix called Mrs. Beasley over the weekend. I also mentioned that Mrs. Beasley had entered the shelter from which Lucky Dog rescued her with her lookalike brother, Teddy Ruxpin. Well, I have now learned that when fostering it's best to expect the unexpected (this point had somewhat already been made when we fostered Margo and had to drive an hour home with her with the car windows cracked in 50 degree weather because she had pooped and puked on herself during transport and smelled so foul). When Mrs. Beasley was unloaded off of transport, it was discovered that she had somehow managed to partially re-open her spay incision during the trip. I was a bit anxious about caring for an unfamiliar dog in this situation, since it's not something I've had any experience with, so it was decided that a more seasoned foster would take Mrs. Beasley home with her, and we brought her brother, Teddy Ruxpin, home instead!

Teddy Ruxpin in the shelter

Despite the last-minute foster switch-a-roo, Teddy turned out to be one of the easiest fosters we've had. I sat in the backseat with him while Peter drove us home from transport, and he spent the ride affectionately trying to stick his tongue in my mouth or, when that failed, licking any part of me he could reach (my hands, my shoulders, my neck, etc.). When we arrived home we took him and Lily for the customary "get comfortable together" walk that we do with all our fosters, and when we arrived back home they hung out in the yard together with Peter until it started to rain. Then they came inside, where Teddy was polite about respecting Lily's boundaries, unlike two of our past foster pups with whom we had to do tie-down training to give Lily some space.

Teddy respecting Lily's boundaries

That night we had some friends over for s'mores on our new fire pit, and Teddy was quite the social butterfly, visiting with each person in turn and soliciting attention and petting. He really has an excellent temperament. While another of our fosters, Darling, appealed to me personally more (and beagles like her and Lily have a special place in my heart), I think Teddy's personality, of all the dogs we've fostered, is the most broadly "adoptable." He's just very steady and gentle, friendly but not hyper. I actually think that, with some training, he would make a great therapy dog. Of course, I'm sure he'd be perfectly happy just being a beloved pet if his forever family prefers that! He also didn't have any accidents while he was with us, and slept through the night in his crate no problem, not waking up until we got up and roused him. He's one of those easy, go-with-the-flow, fit-right-in kinds of dogs.

Unfortunately, while Mrs. Beasley got adopted at the siblings' first adoption event this past Sunday, Teddy is still looking for his family. I really am shocked that this great boy wasn't immediately snatched up. He's now staying with a long-term foster, though I can't imagine he'll be with her for very much time at all. If you're interested in learning more about Teddy Ruxpin, his petfinder profile can be viewed here. And if you think you'd like to adopt him, contact his adoption coordinator (her contact info is in the petfinder profile) ASAP! This fantastic pup is sure to get adopted very soon.