Previous foster loves

In September of 2005, I started volunteering with the Central California Labrador Retriever Rescue group. In November, they gave me my very first dog to foster. I would have to say, this experience has been one of the best parts of living in Davis. All the fun of dogs, without the longterm responsibility (which I can't handle with leaving the country for research and all). I've been meaning to put these pics up for a while, but never got around to it. So, here they are. Unfortunately, most of them are pics of pics from my old film camera that was definitly on its last legs. So, the quality isn't so great, but it's all I've got, so deal! ;)

October 2006
I can't remember this puppy's name, pathetic isn't it? It was right after my qualifying exam, so I have a bit of an excuse. I only had her for a very short time too. But she was sweet.

Miss Mable: August and September 2006
Miss Mable was my proper, spunky old lady. She was nine, and she made sure you knew that she earned that distinction! She knew what she deserved. She was so dainty and prim, but really knew how to play (who says she was old!?). I had her for 2 months and she kept up with me on the bike just fine, even suprised me a couple of times with her puppylike behavior.


Alex: July 2006
I only had Alex for a weekend, sort of a babysitting between fosters. He was the most beautiful yellow lab! But, he had a nasty eye infection from his eyelid turning in and it took forever to heal. I loved this little (actually huge!) guy, we had a lot of fun in our short time together. His real fosters got him healthy and fattened up, he turned out to be a wonderful dog.

Caddie: June 2006
My adventure pup. Poor Chris almost killed me for this one. She had so many escapades in her week with me, it was insane. The best/worst was an escape out of the truck. Yeah, it was a bit too much. She had figured out how to push open the canopy door, so Chris put her in the cab once while he went to do a bid for a job. The windows were rolled down slightly for air of course. Caddie managed to push her way through the 2 or 3 inch slit and get most of her body out... but not her hips. So there she hung, by her hips out the window, scratching the heck out of the truck... needless to say, Chris didnt get that job! This little one just could not handle not being more than 10 feet away from you. I couldn't handle her, so she went to a special foster that gives extra training. Phew!


Scamp: May 2006
This guy really could have used more time with me and the run to school, he was quite overweight. His name confused me, when I think of scamps I think of little scrappy mutts, not giant black labs! He did live up to his name a bit, and got me into a decent amount of trouble. Pushed the door open in my office and trapped himself outside of it with his leash caught in the closed door. Snapped and growled at people in the hallway. Including someone deathly afraid of dogs, and some important administration people. Yeah, I got a talking to there. There only reason I have been able to have more dogs is that everyone loves having them around in the department. Ouch. But, he was a sweetheart, when he wasn't trapped and scared. He went to a new foster and found a good home later.

Caesar: February and March 2006
This dog was my love. If any have ever tempted me to keep them, Caesar was it. I still regret that I couldn't, and it has been a year. So sweet and good, he loved to wrestle and play, stayed by my side off leash, and did wheelies when he got excited. Sigh, I miss that little guy.



Oso: January 2006



Oso was a giant lumbering sweetheart who absolutely loved to run on the bike. Once he discovered he could go as fast as he wanted with me at his side, he went crazy. My bike ride to school normally takes 15ish minutes, but with Oso in top form, it took 6 or 7! Starting the day sweaty, yes I was. He went to this great family who I hope can give him the speed he craves.

Cutter: 1 day in November 2005
Cutter was very cute, but way too much for me as only my 2nd dog. He was only a year old, and had entirely too much energy for my tiny house. Therefore, I only had him 24 hours. I think now I could have handled him, but at the time...

Maggie: November 2005
Maggie was my first foster, I had her for 2 weeks. She was a definite alpha, and trained me right up as a foster mom. I had been begging to get a dog from the lab rescue group for two months at that point. Then, one day as I was helping out at the farmers market booth, I overheard people discussing what in the world they were going to do with this dog since all their fosters were full. Hello! I said, I have been asking for a dog for ages! and, whoops! there you go. I have to admit I wasn't in any way actually prepared to have a dog. But, we survived, she even got rid of a lot of her middle aged flub (she was about 7ish) with all our bike rides to school. She would come into the lab with me, even the classroom where I taught. Just slept in the corner and was simply an amazingly behaved dog. Knew how to manipulate the hell out of me though! Sneeky brat.