BJ's First Week

I realize that, in the overall context of fostering, a week is not long at all. Some people foster dogs for months, a few even for years, and I'm sure a week, to them, seems like a drop in the proverbial bucket. But until BJ, the longest we'd had a foster was three days. So for me, a week is actually a fairly big deal!

BJ has done much better than I expected in his first week with us. Having been warned by multiple people about his shyness and fearfulness, and having witnessed it firsthand when I went to visit him in the shelter before we agreed to foster him, I thought that by the end of the first week he might still be hiding behind furniture and bolting whenever anyone approached.

Instead, BJ is an attention whore. He was cautious and shy for about the first half a day that we had him, and then he began to follow us around the house, soliciting petting and belly rubs and plopping down in any available lap. His fearfulness still re-emerges occasionally if he encounters a new person or noise, but basically, once he gets used to something he's completely fine.

addicted to belly rubs

Similarly, he had a couple of accidents during the first two days that we had him. After those first two days, once he felt safe and had a better idea of our routine, he hasn't had a single accident. Not overnight, not while we're at work, not on the day when we went to work, I came home for an hour and a half, and then we left for a few more hours to have dinner with my family. Again, like the shyness, once he adjusts and feels comfortable, he's fully housebroken.

He loves other dogs. He hasn't chewed anything he's not supposed to. He knows "sit" and "off," which is only necessary to use when he jumps up on your leg to request petting, because he doesn't counter surf or try to get on the kitchen table.

napping with Lily

frog legs

Basically, he's a lovely dog who just needs an adopter who will be patient and understanding about his initial shyness and the fact that he needs a little extra time to comprehend that whatever new thing he's encountering isn't going to hurt him.

Please share his petfinder bio. He deserves a great home!