Things to do when foster dad goes to pick up foster mom at work:
- Escape from this silly crate
- Eat that new box of kleenex and decorate the floor with the pieces
- Chew up those 4 CDs
- and the set of coasters
- Eat that bag of candy on counter (it’s not chocolate, so I can have all I want)
- Help myself to a can of Sprite (poke lots of holes so it comes out faster)
- See what’s left in that glass my foster dad left on the table
- Move all my toys to my foster mom & dad’s bed
- Check out the upstairs – kinda have to pee after that sprite
- Find squirt bottle and chew holes in it so they can’t squirt me when they come home – do it on the couch, so the water doesn’t get on the carpet
- Eat dad’s shoe that he left upstairs
- Bring blanket into living room
- Check out books – eat paperback one, not too hard; and that wooden book end looks good too
- Eat that pad of paper I saw mom writing on
- Grab a dish towel from kitchen
- Eat that dog brush
- Wait by door and greet mom with a big kiss and show her I finished my to-do list
–Spot
Kristen and Leonel are now the proud owners of Spot, an adolescent Great Dane. As you can tell from his ‘to-do list” above, he is sometimes a bit mischievous. When Kristen was asked how she handles his not-so-good days, this is what she said:
“In the split moment you notice something “not quite right” and the realization that your wonderful, loving, loyal, energetic furbaby has done SOMETHING – typically bad, your range of emotions go from heart-sinking shock (yes, sometimes horror) to anger (that’s it! he’s going back to rescue!), to amazement (how the heck DID he do that) to pride (he really is smart and industrious) right back to unconditional love when you see the tail wagging happy dance of your precious pup whose day you just made by coming back home…to them. What can you do? You absolutely can’t stay mad – so you tell all of your friends (who think you’re a bit off your rocker) about the funny stuff your baby has done, because for some insane reason, it is now funny and it makes a really great story.”
Kristen and her husband have the right attitude – go through the range of emotions, but in the end laugh it off and share the funny story with your friends. Now, don’t misread this – not all Great Danes are mischievous, but if you want to bring a Great Dane puppy or adolescent into your home you should be prepared for a bump or two in the road. Plan to buy a crate to keep your new furry kiddo contained when you can’t watch him. As Spot has shown, crating is not always a guarantee that it will keep a dog out of trouble, but it’s much safer than allowing a dog free reign before you know how he/she will react to being left alone. Make sure the Dane has something in the crate to keep his/her mind busy. A kong filled with peanut butter and then frozen often works well. And remember – above all else – make sure you have a healthy sense of humor!