The Best Laid Plans of People and Potcakes: Keemo's Arrival

Last night my dad and I met two other volunteers to pick up three potcakes from Delta baggage claim. As we approached the Delta office we spotted the dogs. Their crates were stacked on a cart in the aisle and they seemed understandably scared but happy to see some friendly faces. They got a lot of attention as we wheeled them back to the parking lot. The cart clunked along horribly over the seams in the concrete and we felt so bad for them having to endure more scary noises after all they'd been through, but we finally got them to an empty space next to the cars and took them out to stretch their legs. My first impression of Keemo was that he was very much a puppy. He leapt around on the leash and mouthed my hands. I wondered what I'd gotten myself into...

I was surprised that he went willingly back into his crate so soon but thought it best he ride in it in the car, having no idea if he'd been loose in a car before. These guys make such a journey from The Bahamas - they see more in a two-day trip than many dogs do in their lifetimes! On the way home my dad and I strategized about the introduction. It was late and what we most wanted to do was get everyone settled down to rest, but I knew that Ruby would have to meet him or she would be a maniac all night long. I believe her to be reactive partly out of frustration, so dogs she can see and smell but not get to are very hard for her to handle. We decided that my dad would walk Ruby and I would walk Keemo so they could meet side by side. I took Keemo's crate inside so that both girls could get a good sniff before actually meeting him. When my dad came out with Ruby I kept my voice very cheery and said "look, Ruby, a new friend, let's walk!" We walked them around the complex and it was a total non-issue. They both had playful body language (if a bit unsure from Ruby, Keemo is tall and lanky so is quite a bit bigger) and Ruby was even on the disinterested side. I breathed a sigh of relief as I thought the hard part was over - at least the part I'd been most nervous about.

Something I left out of my foster dog preparations was to expect the unexpected, as that is exactly how things happened last night. My reactive dog welcomed a newcomer easily and my calm, social dog wanted to send him right back to The Bahamas. That's right...Boca is not a fan of our visitor, and told him so in no uncertain terms after a great initial introduction. Once I had separated them with Keemo in the kitchen behind the dog gate in order to spend some time with the girls Boca started barking and lunging at him on the other side of the gate. I was shocked - I'd been so confident that Boca would be her sweet and easygoing self that I was completely unprepared to see this side of her. After doing my best to calm things down and comfort a now-frightened Keemo with a stuffed Kong and some calming music, I went upstairs with The Ginger Sisters and lay awake filled with anxiety and doubt, wondering if I'd made a big mistake.

This morning I'm glad to report that things are better - I'm still keeping Keemo and Boca separated but we took them on a walk together and they did fine. She has only barked at him once and seems to have resigned herself to pouting. Keemo and Ruby are playing wonderfully together (and I think Boca is jealous about this even though she has little tolerance for Keemo's rowdy teenaged boy ways). Keemo seems to be a fast learner and although he is bouncy and mouthy, he is already getting the idea that polite behavior earns attention. He is cautiously interested in everything and very food motivated. He slept in the kitchen overnight with no accidents or destruction and has pottied on the patio for which he gets praised and treated. He climbed the stairs hesitatingly but trustingly - I had intended to bathe him but decided not to push things since the stair negotiation was scary for him and opted for a dry shampoo spray and wipedown instead. He is a sweet and eager boy who just needs a patient teacher. I'm excited to try some clicker training with him in the next few days. Meanwhile I am trying to keep things as low-stress as possible (not an easy task for someone as anxious as I can be about my animals) and hope that Boca will warm up to him. Fostering is hard, you guys; each time I do it I wonder if I'm really cut out for it. But look how cute he is...