Red House Fosters

So happy for Raj!!!!

The good news just keeps coming! It’s Raj’s turn to celebrate with the Adoption Day cake! Yay!!! 🎉

Moishe is on Instagram. Check him out!

Moishe the Mini Aussie (@minimoishe) is on Instagram 49 Followers, 19 Following, 44 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Moishe the Mini Aussie ()

Trying out a new bed

Kato and Moishe had a great and very tiring time at the park today. Both are so excited to fetch.

Moishe has been working hard on some new commands.

A busy Sunday for Moishe…went to the car wash and he wasn’t spooked, drove downtown to drop some supplies for Henry, and played ball at the park with Kato. It was a good day for both dogs with no growling and less fear so hopefully this will continue.

Playing ball at the park! Moishe is tired!

One week in and settling in! Moishe has found his comfy spot on the couch and under my desk!

Marshmallow (we’re calling him Moishe for short) had an exceptional day! We were leery of taking him to a family bbq with 7 adults and 5 dogs with him being so reactive. The dogs let him into the pack while the adults ignored him a bit then gave him treats. No fighting, no biting and just a few growls to stand his ground. It was a big day after only 5 days with us and we’re so happy. Here’s a pic from all five dogs getting treats and video of him playing with Geordi who’s more than twice his size.

MM got snugly tonight with our daughter and it was sweet. It would have been more time but he kept jumping up and barking at the nearby fireworks. ☹️

We haven’t fostered in a few months but haven’t stopped loving dogs! I started traveling quite a bit for work lately and just haven’t been able to put all the time I’d need to into fostering. It is a wonderful experience but a lot of work too and I am thankful for all the fosters that make such sacrifice to their own lives and home to help these dogs. We’re definitely grateful for the two dogs we helped and learned a lot from the experience. We definitely love helping rescue dogs and helping them adapt to a more “normal” life. From fostering Oreo, we realized how much we love border collies and Australian shepherds.

So welcome our newest project, Marshmallow. He’s a 1-2 year old Aussie (mix???) that was picked up as a stray in Iowa. We were drawn him since his story was so similar to our dog’s: stray, house trained, scared of people, and a bit underweight. It didn’t hurt that he’s small, smart and so darn cute. We currently have him as a foster to adopt to make sure he fits our home well and can adapt to our family. His foster family brought him a long way already but we still have challenges ahead to realize that all people are not the enemy. Our dog Kato came through and I’m sure Marshmallow can too!!!

He arrived Wednesday and is doing well so far in our first few days. He’s already relaxing a bit more each day and learning the daily routine. I hope that continues over the weeks to come. Our story will continue!

Raj is so cute when he sits waiting/begging for food (he wanted some of my orange) but he tough to photograph at night. Flash makes him look like Kujo.

We’re sad that this is our last night with Raj. Unfortunately, our senior dog, Kato, does not appreciate Raj’s constant youthfulness and persistence so Raj will be returning to Hartland tomorrow. Raj is great with other dogs, Kato is the grumpy one here. Raj has come a long way in two weeks for us. He’s learned sit, off, leave it, and fetch. He’s house trained when kept on a schedule. He goes in his crate nicely when given a treat and is good at night. He’s young so he does have a puppiness to him and needs plenty of exercise either in a fenced yard or a dog park so he gets tired each day. He’s smart and very treat driven so he’s capable of learning a lot more. He’s been good with kids too during our few meet ups in the neighborhood. I think he’ll continue to make progress and would be a great addition to any family. ❤️❤️

We tried to get a nice updated headshot of Raj tonight but realized too late that he has crumbs all over his face. 🤣

Want to adopt this handsome boy?
http://rescue.fluffydog.net/how-to-adopt.html?fbclid=IwAR2HmX1et6BHwTXG-_IHp4zNk9zd4FjdfUutxHrkY1_qikVV9thxsQ3wnN0

Hi I’m Raj. My foster family keeps chasing me off the counters and I don’t know why because I have skills and like to cook. I have amazing ideas. But I’m afraid of the blender and Kitchen Aid mixer so I don’t make drinks or bake much. Hot surfaces are a “no no” when you have fur. So I make excellent salads. But cutting is challenging without opposable thumbs so I tend to use whole vegetables. My creations are beautiful!!! I hope you’ll give me a chance to cook for you!!! Just fill out an application.

http://rescue.fluffydog.net/how-to-adopt.html?fbclid=IwAR2HmX1et6BHwTXG-_IHp4zNk9zd4FjdfUutxHrkY1_qikVV9thxsQ3wnN0

P.S. I am pretty good at staying off the counters now too.

Raj decided that his bed in his crate didn’t have the right feng shui

A small breakthrough for Raj tonight…he laid down near us while we were watching TV. It may not seem like much but it’s another step in his transition. Normally he can’t sit still and has been pacing around the 1st floor, but tonight was different. I think the afternoon fetch helped but also that he’s finally getting comfortable. It’s nice to see his gentleness starting to come out.

After lunch and a walk, Raj has his “calm” part of the day and will come up to me for hugs. He can be pretty sweet.

Raj definitely had sit mastered! He’s figured out the routines like going out and coming back in and he’s in position. He’s very treat driven which is great as we work to tame his inner puppy.

Too funny. Had to share. Raj is still exploring the house each day and tonight was totally spooked by the larger than life pic of our son as a baby. He was cautiously sneaking up on it, jumping back then hiding behind the bed. Maybe it was a deja vu for some past crazy dream with big babies. 😂

Click here to adopt our current foster, Raj. He is a 1-year old black lab. He’s from Fluffy Dog Rescue in Hartland, WI and is fostering with us in Downers Grove, IL.

http://rescue.fluffydog.net/how-to-adopt.html

Fluffy Dog Rescue is not a foster-to-adopt organization, so being a "foster fail" and adopting Raj is not an option for us. We have loved watching our own rescue dog, Kato, learn and grow over the past several years. We are honored to be a part of another pup's journey to happiness!

For Raj's second walk of the day, he got to taste a yummy treat sample from Happy Dog Barkery.

Raj is beginning to settle in today. In between his periods of sweetness, he’s been a bit anxious pacing around getting familiar with his new surroundings and sounds. This afternoon he’s finally relaxing a bit more with some great quiet time, toys and a nap. I’m certain he’s dreaming of a nice fenced yard as he’s constantly looking out the windows and wanting to be outside! 😂