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Pepper
It happened. We caved. We always planned to adopt one of our fosters once we found a dog that was the perfect fit for us, but we didn't realize it would happen so soon. She was only our third foster dog, but Pepper is absolutely perfect for our lifestyles and we knew we couldn't let her go. We only had her for about two weeks before we decided she was already in her forever home.
We think Pepper is a beagle/pointer/basset mix as she has the coloring of a German Shorthaired Pointer but the body of a beagle. A google search for "beagle pointer mix" brings up several photos of dogs that look just like her, though I could care less what breeds she is - she's just adorable! She is estimated to be four or five years old, and it's clear she was well treated in her past. Pepper is very well socialized with other dogs and is friendly to ever single human she meets. She is patient as well, you can bathe her, brush her, brush her teeth or clip her nails and she will just sit there without complaint. I'm not sure how she ended up on her own; a woman found her with no collar or tags, and she had a lot of fleas. The woman thought she may just be lost and spent a few weeks driving around and asking if anyone recognized her. Unfortunately, she was unable to locate anyone who knew anything about Pepper and since she couldn't keep her forever, she brought her to TLC Pet Rescue. She had to stay with the rescue for a period of time to see if anyone would come claim her, but nobody did. Once that timeframe was over, I was quick to offer to foster her. I have a soft spot for pointers as I grew up with one.
The second I picked her up from transport, Pepper was wagging her tail and licking my hand. I gave her some fresh water and she was so happy to have a drink, then she promptly hopped in my car and fall asleep for the hour or so drive home.
When she walked through our front door, she was overwhelmed with excitement. We had a few friends over for football, and she was going up to each person to give kisses and ask for a head scratch. She was a little bit dirty from the Georgia clay, so I gave her a bath and she became the SOFTEST DOG EVER. Seriously, I think everyone who has met her has said "Oh my God she is SO soft!"
She was very laid back those first few days, and we thought that she was just tired from the long drive North. She didn't pay any attention to toys, but her tail was always wagging if you pet her or talked to her. We quickly realized she wasn't tired, it's just her personality. She is probably the most mellow, laid-back dog I've ever met. She loves to nap, but she'll spring right up for treats and roll over for belly rubs. She already knew "sit" and "paw" and is quick to offer her paw to you if she thinks it will convince you to share your snacks. Although she isn't interested in toys, she does get super excited over squirrels or rabbits. Her usually calm self gets electrified when she sees a squirrel in the distance, and her little legs will do anything they can to get to it. I had no idea how fast she could run on those short legs!
It was only about two weeks with her as a foster before we decided to officially adopt her. I was on board first - I had spent the last week asking Colin if we could pleas please please keep her. One night, he came home and walked over to where Pepper and I were sitting and he kept saying to Pepper "Guess what, guess what?!" After a few minutes of this he finally looked at Pepper and said "You're home! You're gonna stay with us!" I was SO happy and Pepper's fluffy little tail was wagging like crazy at all the attention she was getting.
We've had Pepper for a little over a month now and we couldn't be happier that she's ours. With both of us working full time, her relaxed personality is perfect. Both our parents are absolutely in love with her, so she always has a place to stay if we go away for vacation. She gets to take long walks in the woods all the time so she can see all the squirrels, and she sleeps in the bed with me in the mornings after Colin leaves for work. I mix fresh meats and vegetables into her food every day as well, so needless to say she is totally spoiled, but we wouldn't have it any other way.
We still want to keep fostering, which is another reason why Pepper is a great fit for us. She's dog friendly and totally low-maintenance, so it wouldn't be overwhelming to add a second dog to the equation. We do have to be sure that any fosters we get are pretty mellow as well, as she gets a bit annoyed with high-energy dogs who won't leave her alone, but she's going to be the perfect foster sister. We couldn't not be happier to have had our first foster fail!
