Foster update: I first met Joe the day he came to Sycamore Vet with his siblings. He was severely underweight, and all of his siblings wouldn't let us near them. Joe was always friendly and quickly taught Liz and Merry it was ok for us to approach them. When he came to the shelter three weeks later, I started fostering him. I was only able to have him for a little over a week, but I've watched him grow so much since I first met him. He loves people and getting pets but at first, he would cower when someone approached. He quickly learned that he loved cuddles and that he was not going to be hurt anymore. He is a pretty active dog for his age but still loves to hang around - he is obsessed with the couch. One thing is he absolutely hates confined spaces and will resort to hurting himself if he is kept in a small area. Because of this I never tried to put him in a crate and as long as I put all the food away he never had any problems being left out. I'm sure he could be crate-trained with a bit of love and patience. He was not potty trained when I got him initially, but he is pretty good about it now. We've been working on putting some weight back on him, and he is probably fifteen pounds heavier than when I first met him. He really is an extraordinary dog who has not let his hard life define him.
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Joe and Chop were surrendered with their sisters Merry and Liz. They're all seven-years-old and look similar. They're also all very shy. I had Joe and Chop out together and the sisters earlier. Joe is more confident than his brother and would come to me and roll over for belly rubs. Chop would check me out but wasn't ready for pets or belly rubs yet but liked running with his brother. They'd just been surrendered, and Chop understandably needs more time to feel safe. Their former owner said they're good with other dogs and have been with children ages 5 to 12. It's sad that this little family is now at the shelter, and I hope they all find new homes.
