Happy Birthday, Tucker!

I can write or talk about fostering and fostering all day long...I love it...I live it.  But when it comes to my own two, words escape me sometimes.  They mean more to me than anything or anyone has ever meant to me.  

Just less than two years ago (March 27), my world was forever changed.  My little blue eyed, black baby came home with me!  Tucker turned two on February 17, and it blows my mind that he has grown up so fast.

I brought home an itty bitty little fur ball.  He quickly turned in to a 75 pound, long legged, monster.  I'll admit, when I brought him home, I had NO idea what I was doing.  I had no idea I wouldn't get a full night's sleep until he was five months old.  I never knew about food allergies, or dog training, or separation anxiety.  And I DEFINITELY didn't know I would fall head over heels in love with a little boy who would never be able to say "I love you too, Mama."

But fall in love I did.  Tucker taught me to always look at the glass half full.  There's not much better in life than a fresh tennis ball or rawhide.  He'll never talk to me...but I know what he's thinking.  He has the most expressive face of any dog I've ever come in to contact with.  He's the biggest love on the planet, and all he wants to do is be close to his people.

He went to the vet for his one year check up in April, and passed with flying colors!  Other than some seasonal and food allergies, he's as healthy as can be!

As I've mentioned before, last July, we became a family of three.  I know it was hard on my boys, as it was hard on me.  Tucker assumed the roll of "man of the house", and wouldn't leave my side for months.  He had to sleep right next to me.  It was as though he was reassuring me, "it's going to be okay mama...we are going to be okay."  

Tucker got to help Grandpa with his deer last fall.  He was one proud guard dog!

In September, I ran my first 10K....I had the CUTEST training buddy!

Tucker got me in to rescue...I knew I wanted to give back, but didn't know how.  At the time I wasn't ready for another dog.  So I started fostering.  I had sent quite a few dogs on to their new lives, and Tucker was a huge part of that.  

Then Tucker and I failed, and we welcomed his little brother Ollie.  We fostered a couple dogs after Ollie adopted us.  He always seems to know just what each dog that he's fostering needs, whether it be cuddle time, play time, or space.  Tucker is such a great foster brother, an even better big brother, and my one and only heart dog.  

I had so much fun celebrating Tucker's birthday with my family!  He got a few toys and treats, and a huge bone from Michael!

 Tucker, you mean more to me than you will ever know and you have taught me so many things.  I love you to the moon and back!  Here's to many more years!

My name is Ashley, and I'm a Foster Failure...

When you start fostering, everyone warns you about the one you won't be able to give up...the one you will "fail" with.  Failure is defined as: 

1.

an act or instance of failing or proving unsuccessful; lack of success

2.

nonperformance of something due, required, or expected

This definition seems so negative...but as a foster failure, I can assure you it is the very BEST way to fail.  I've mentioned before about a special little guy who entered our lives...although every foster I've had has touched my heart, this one completely stole it, and refused to let go.  This is Ollie's story...

We'd had a sting of puppies...Levi & Lily, Joe, Barley...and had decided it really was time for a break...side note: in the "foster world" you say you are on a break...but they NEVER last as long as you planned!  Anyway, during this "break" I came across these pictures on the KC Pet Project Facebook Page.  I knew instantly break time was over....

FREEDOM RIDE!!!

Before I could contact the shelter to offer to foster him, I found out he had been rescued by Erin's Midwest Animal ResQ.  One of the fosters for this organization, Lori Beam, had sprung him from doggie jail.  I immediately emailed the awesome director, Erin Morse, and put in my application to foster him.  I was approved pretty quick, and got to pick up my new project the next day (Sunday, April 15).  When I first got him, I was shocked at his appearance...the shelter said he was about 3 months old, but after Erin and her vet examined him, they determined he was closer to 5 months old as he had lost most of his baby teeth.  He weighed 14.2 pounds...at 5 months old...he was skin and bones and he had patches of hair missing from having fleas.   This little guy was a total mess!  He also had a touch of kennel cough, which is very common in dogs from shelter environments.  I learned that my little Ollie had been through SO much in his short life.  He had been seized by animal control due to cruelty and neglect.  He had to be held at the shelter as "evidence" and was even smaller when he first came in.  Even with all that he'd been through, he was such a happy dog.  I was so excited to bring him in to my home and get him fattened up and ready for his forever home.

Play time!

I got Ollie back to the house and introduced Tucker to his new foster brother.  They were immediately smitten with each other and began playing. Tucker is the best foster brother and knows just how to play with each dog.  He seems to know just what each one needs.  They played for a while, napped, played some more, and napped again.  Ollie was settling in perfectly.  Later that night, Erin called and told me KC Pet Project had puppies break with Parvo.  My heart sank. This little guy's immune system was already compromised and I knew if he got Parvo, he probably wouldn't make it.  She thought that between the vaccines he got at the shelter and the fact that he'd been out a few days before the Parvo came in, he would likely be fine, but to keep an eye on him.  

Cuddling with a sick pup...

Foster mama, I don't feel good... :(

That night his coughing got worse, and he didn't want to eat much.  I chalked it up to being in a new home and an afternoon of playing.  All he wanted to do was lay on me and sleep.  While I absolutely LOVED this cuddle time, I was starting to worry more and more.  He slept on my chest that night.  His breathing was very labored and he couldn't seem to get comfortable.  I stayed awake for most of the night, as I was terrified he would take his last breath.  I was prepared to rush him to the ER vet at any moment.  We made it through the night, but he was worse the next morning (Monday).  I called Erin and rushed him to her house...I really thought at any moment he would just quit breathing on me...and I would have killed my foster dog!  I got him there and she took a look...We were both thinking Parvo...she tried to get him to eat some wet food...he gulped it up!  Big sigh of relief, as that is the best way to "test" for Parvo.  She decided it was most likely just a REALLY bad case of kennel cough.  She gave him a steroid shot, an antibiotic shot, and we continued on with our treatment plan.  I got him home and was completely devastated to have to leave him.  Luckily Billy was able to go home early and keep an eye on him...he said Ollie seemed to be doing a little better, but still didn't wasn't the puppy I'd brought home.  He was eating a little bit of wet food here and there, and would drink pedialyte.  Tucker was SO great during all of this.  He would curl up next to Ollie and sleep with him...I was hoping Ollie would finally start to turn the corner...but that night he got even worse.
Tuesday morning came, and he wouldn't even move.  I had to pick him up to take him outside to do his business, pick him up to come inside.  I had no choice but to take him to the vet.  I had to wait until 8 am, when they opened....the clock was moving slow as molasses!  Ollie and I cuddled on the couch until it was time to go.  I was, again, so scared at what the vet would tell me.  It was my first time at Independence Animal Hospital, and they were SO nice to us.  Dr. Wingert could sense how scared I was and reassured me I was doing everything right.  He did the exam, ruled out Parvo for sure, and decided that he most likely had one of the worst cases of Kennel Cough he'd ever seen, and a touch of pneumonia.  Dr. Wingert gave Ollie another steroid shot, another antibiotic shot, upped the antibiotics Ollie was currently taking, and started us on another antibiotic.  I got Ollie home and settled in his kennel, and finally felt like we were on our way to a healthy pup...
Billy went home early again and sent me a video of Ollie and Tucker playing in the back yard.  My little miracle pup was on the mend!  We still needed to keep him fairly calm so he could get to 100%, but we were FINALLY out of the woods!  Over the next couple weeks, Ollie really came out of his shell and started to put on weight.  His little ribs and butt bones were starting to disappear under his skin and his hair was filling in.  Tucker and Ollie would race all over the house together.  

I was already in love...and so was Tucker.  I kept telling myself that I couldn't keep him...that he deserved a loving home of his own...that fostering would change forever if I kept him.  I was dragging out getting his neuter done...he needed to gain weight, he was still coughing...any excuse to keep him with me longer.  I was working on preparing myself to put him up for adoption when I had a request to do a home visit for an out of state rescue.  The director of that rescue needed to know how the kids were around dogs and what I thought of the home/family.  I decided to take Ollie with me.  Ollie did GREAT.  The kids fell in love with him.  The parents wanted to know if they could adopt him.  I was so not prepared for that!  They had applied for a dog from Nebraska!  They couldn't adopt my Ollie Pup!  I quickly said, "Um, well, he's not quite ready for adoption yet...he is still working on getting healthy and needs to be neutered."  The mom asked that I keep her updated on when he was available.  YIKES.  I cried the whole way home.  I couldn't imagine parting with my miracle pup!  Ollie licked my face as if to say, "it's okay mama, I already know I'm home...you're just now realizing it!"  It became CRYSTAL CLEAR that day that Ollie wasn't going anywhere.
Erin asked if I was ready to put him up for adoption and schedule his neuter...I told her yes on the neuter, and absolutely not on the adoption!  This little boy was home...we had been through so much together.  Tucker showed me a completely different side of himself with Ollie...he was great with all our other fosters, but with Ollie he was on another level.  Tucker knew that Ollie was meant to be his little brother.  They both knew Ollie was home long before I did.  On April 30th, it was official....Ollie was ADOPTED!  I finalized the paperwork a couple days later.
Ollie has been such a wonderful addition to our family.  He's such a sweet dog and is attached to my hip when I'm home.  He was by my side through my recent break up.  He would rather be cuddled up with me than anywhere else.  I couldn't have dreamed up a better little brother for my Tucker Boy.  We're a little family of three now, and I couldn't be happier.  Those two pups are my world.  Ollie is almost a year old and you would never know he was once a neglected little 14 pound pup.  He's almost as big as his big brother and still growing more and more each day.  
Ollie has taken after his big brother is so many ways, but I'm most proud of the foster brother he's become.  He welcomes dogs in and LOVES to have new playmates.  He's on the submissive side, while Tucker, can at times, be territorial.  Right now, we aren't taking in any fosters, as we had to move in with Grandma & Grandpa for a little bit...but once we're in a house of our own, the Wagner Foster Home will be back open for business!  Here's some of Ollie (and Tucker's) former foster siblings...

Dottie and Ollie snoozing after playtime

Lola (Ollie's "girlfriend") and Ollie waiting for a treat

Barley, Tucker, and Ollie wanting in.

People are often scared to foster because they're scared they will "fail".  Truth be told, I could have failed with any of them...especially Riley.  Because Riley was my first, I made myself give her up.  But looking back, I know that was the right thing to do.  Had Ollie been my first, there is no doubt I would have failed.  Ollie was meant to be in my and Tucker's life forever.  You will know if they're meant to be with you or not.  They will know long before you do...but what's meant to be will be...and Ollie is living proof of that.

Mama and her babies...

Tired after the dog park!

Nap time after a play date

You don't have to go to work, Mama!  Stay with us!

Tucker

Today I'm going to stray away from our foster babies and write about our pride and joy, Tucker!!  One year ago today, our lives were forever changed when we adopted a super sweet, 5 1/2 week old puppy from Creighton, MO. 

Billy and I both grew up with dogs, but this was the first time either of us had our own puppy in our own home.  We had been talking about getting a dog for a few months, and had come across a few different ones that needed homes.  We talked about each one, but none really seemed like what we were looking for.  In March of last year, I was perusing Facebook, and came across a friend of a friend who had posted a picture of five little puppies needing homes...mom is 100% Boxer (what Billy wanted) and Dad is 100% Lab (what I wanted).  We debated if we were really ready to have a puppy, especially one that young, and if we could dedicate the time to raising a little one.  We decided to keep talking about it, but made plans to go down and meet the pups that coming Sunday.  I knew once that appointment was set, there was no turning back!

Baby Blue Eyes looking up at me on the way home...

Getting a puppy, especially one at 5 1/2 weeks is more work than either of us could have imagined, but I wouldn't trade it for the world!  There were many sleepless nights.  He decided early on that he wasn't a kennel dog, and would need to sleep in bed with us...one year and about 60 pounds later, he still curls up in his favorite spot...right in the middle!  

He loves to help Mom clean...

Tucker has changed our lives for the better and in more ways than we could have ever imagined.  He is a ball of energy and the happiest dog I have ever met.  He always wants to play and no matter what kind of day I've had, always brings a smile to my face when I get home.  He is the best cuddle bug a girl could ever ask for.  

... And always finds the perfect spot for a nap

Tucker has grown so much in the last year...he was so shy and timid when he first came home, and now he is the life of the party!  He loves to go to Doggie Day Care at Summit Pet Care and meet his friends at the Dog Park.  Tucker has shown us that just the simple things in life are all that really matter.  He's perfectly content kicking a tennis ball around the house or going on a walk with Mom and Dad. 

Relaxing in the sun after a swim...

Tucker has brought such joy into our lives and we feel so blessed that he "rescued" us. We've recently begun to pay it forward and Tucker has become the best foster brother ever.  He welcomes our foster pups in with open paws.  He shows them how fun it is to play and wrestle.  We cannot wait to be in a bigger house with a yard, so Tucker can have a full time friend!




Thank you, Tucker, for coming in to our lives.  You are such a sweet boy with the most amazing outlook on the world.  You have been such a great addition to our family and we can't wait for many more years with you!!


We've taken so many pictures over the last year...but here are some of my favorites...