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Good things sometimes come in small
packages, and Tara is living proof of the truth in this
saying. Although she’s filled out nicely from her days as
a stray and then a shelter dog, her weight should stay in
the 60-65-pound range; she weighed just 50 pounds when we
first met her. In spite of the noise and chaos of shelter
life, Tara had a sparkle in her eyes and a desire to bond
with humans that was really touching. The ACO pointed out
that she had lost the tips of her ears to frostbite, so we
were fairly certain that she had spent her first two years
of life outside and at the mercy of the elements.
All that changed for Tara once she
moved into her foster home. She was assigned an FPIC who
supplied food and toys immediately; Tara’s favorite is a
fluffy, bone-shaped pillow that squeaks. When she’s
feeling playful or just plain happy, she scoops up that
pillow, gives it a few squeaks and then settles down to
rest her head on it. Little by little, Tara has revealed
an impish side to her personality; she has bursts of energy
where she’ll run around, chase a ball or just dance around
while looking up at you.
For the most part, though, she just
wants to be with you…as close as possible and as much as
possible. Tara will do best in a home where someone IS
home most of the time. She will snooze peacefully in a
crate when you are nearby; but she will pace back and forth
and whimper if you go out of sight. She will lie on her
dog bed right next to your chair while you read or do
Email; and if you get up to do something else, she will be
right behind you, ready to come along.
Tara can be loose in a room when you
do have to leave the house, and she does not damage
anything; but she’s much happier when you’re right there
with her again. She rides well in the car and will lie
quietly on the back seat; but you have to exit the car
carefully so she doesn’t dash out into traffic; she REALLY
doesn’t want you to go into the store without her. When
she knows you mean that she must WAIT in the car, she will
sit and watch to see where you go.
Someone with a lot of love to share
will find a wonderful companion in Tara; she certainly has
an inexhaustible supply of love and affection she’s eager
to give.
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Foster Parent
FPiC