Meet Cricket!

Wow – it’s been a while since we’ve posted! After Parker was adopted, we took a bit of a break from fostering. Well, it wasn’t much of a break. I think it only lasted a few weeks.

We’ve got a new foster in our home now, and she’s settling in. Cricket is a 7 month old puppy in a fully-grown body. What does this mean? We’re dealing with about 55 pounds of pure puppy – and she doesn’t seem to realize her size. Having a dog this young and this big is a bit different for us. We usually have adult dogs (except for our one adventure into puppy-dom this spring!) Given Cricket’s size, we forget that she’s still just a kid at heart with lots of learning to do.

She’s fantastic, though, and has this amazingly expressive face. She sleeps all night in a crate (which is more than I can say for the little puppies, or even our own dogs.) She’s figured out that if she sits, we’ll scratch and pet her, and that if she’s standing or jumping we won’t.

Her reaction to the first snowfall was absolutely priceless! She wasn’t sure what to make of it, and spent the evening jumping around the yard. Not walking, not running, but hopping and jumping.

Most importantly, she gets along really well with Murphy and Symba. Murphy’s aging, and doesn’t tolerate a lot – he puts up with her. Symba is picky about who she’ll play with, and within a couple of days she and Cricket were chasing each other around the back yard. Quite a breakthrough!

This dog is going to be an amazing addition to any family. She clearly loves people, responds really well to training, and wants to learn. She absolutely loves playing fetch and chewing on kongs. She’s already part way there – she’s figured out her crate, knows how to be polite around people, and can walk on a leash. She’s a big girl, but is a definite cuddler.

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