THIS IS MY FOREVER HOME

Great News! Foster Mom and Dad are no longer that. I have been adopted!!!
They could not bear to part with me and they have adopted me. This is now my
forever home.

This is like an early birthday present. I turn 10 next month.

My Friends

  Gizmo and I...on the coffee table

Gizmo is the Pekingese who lives here permanently. He is not a foster dog like JoJo, Peeka and I. He and I get along really well. He's not at all uppity (Foster Mom says that's a Peke trait) with any of us. But he can be, even with his Mom and Dad, sometimes.

In front of flower bed with JoJo in the spring

JoJo is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (English Toy Spaniel) mix. He's a really nice guy, but a little insecure. He always has to be right there whenever Mom or Dad calls one of us. Silly. We all get lots of love and attention.

In front of flower bed with Peeka in July

Peeka is a Pekingese X. Mom says she doesn't know what the X factor is, but he's got a lot of Peke in him. Peeka doesn't like strangers, and it takes him a long time to warm up to someone. But he's been fine with all of us right from the start. Maybe because we were all here before him.

The four of us all get along well. Our favorite times are when we all go for a walk together with Mom and Dad, and Treat Time.

Summer is Over

Summer is almost over. Mom says the leaves will start to turn very soon, and the days will be shorter. Does that mean we get to sleep longer?

We've had a good summer. There weren't too many really hot days, which I don't like. And unlike some places which had WAY too much rain, we hardly had any. That's why the grass is so yellow.

I hope my forever home adopts me before winter sets in, so I can get a real "lay of the land" before the snow flies.

Even though I like to take lots of naps, I don't like to be alone, and would really like to have a mom or dad who is at home most of the time. Another little dog would be nice, but I wouldn't mind being an only dog.  Cats are alright, as long as they dont bug me.  I'm not fond of young kids, but don't mind older ones who won't try to maul me.

Why Do We Need Rain?

Why do we need rain?

Mom says we need rain because the grass is all turning brown and dying, and anyway, she's tired of having to water the flowers twice each day because the ground dries out so fast.

But if it rains, will there be thunder? We doggies all hate the thunder. It's scary.

And when it rains we don't always get our walks....just a quick run out to relieve ourselves. And JoJo's den will get all wet and muddy and he won't be able to go in it. (Mom does not like us to get muddy)

Please, can it rain only at night when we can't go out anyway?  And be dry by the morning?

I like days that are not too sunny and not too hot. Mom leaves the patio door open and we can go in and out whenever we want. Like today.  When it's too hot she closes the patio door and pulls the shades and makes us all stay in the house where it's cool. Today looks like a perfect day.


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Are We Gorgeous?

Well, here we are, posing on the coffee table after our visit to the groomer's this afternoon. Do we look gorgeous?

Me and Gizmo on the coffee table

It'll be another couple of months, the groomer said, before the hair on my head is long enought to get a proper top-knot. But my beard and mustache are growing in nicely. But they get really wet when I have a drink of water. Can't be helped. I get messy.

Freshly groomed and neat

After the posing session I rolled around on the couch and buried my head in the cushions. Foster Mom says I'm hopeless. She says neither Gizmo nor I would make a good show dog. We're not sedate and dignified, and she says we go out of our way to get messy looking. Not true. It just comes naturally.

 

What's wrong with this look?

So if you're looking for a doggie that always looks perfectly groomed, and has no sense of fun, please look somewhere else. But if you want a someone to love you and be a good companion, that's me. 

Off To The Groomer's We Go

Gizmo and I have an appointment at the groomer's this afternoon. Foster Mom says we both look shaggy and messy and we need to be "tidied up".

Mom's  been waiting for my hair to grow out so she could see what I would look like in a full Shih Tzu coat.  She's even tried to put the hair on top of my head in a clip, but I guess it's just not long enough yet to stay put when I shake my head to try and get it out....I don't want to look like a sissy!

She's hoping the groomer can give her some tips on how to keep me looking neat while my hair grows out .  We'll see.

Another New Friend

 In front of flower bed with Peeka

We've got another doggie living here. His name is Peeka, and he's a Pekingese mix. He's been here a week now. He was really scared when he first got here because, unlike me, who came straight to my foster home when I was surrendered, he was dumped at a shelter, caged up, and muzzled. He's getting over it though. I think he'll be fine. Foster Mom and Dad are really patient with all us doggies.

As you can see, my coat is beginning to grow in nicely, and I don't look so scruffy anymore.  Mom says I still need a trim around my eyes, but she would like to see me in a full Shih Tzu coat...even if it does mean a LOT of brushing. Hmmm, don't know about that...but Gizmo doesn't seem to mind it. His coat is REALLY long. Will I have to wear a ribbon in my hair like those Shih Tzu show dogs?

I'm a happy fellow.



Am I scruffy?

Foster Mom says I'm starting to look scruffy, and it's time to go the groomers..

Just a trim, and not too much around the eyes, because the reason we Shih Tzus have so much hair there is to keep the sun out. I squint a lot, cause I don't like the sun in my eyes.

I guess I did look neater when my coat was a little shorter. But Even when I'm "scruffy" she says I'm still really cute.

In The Flower Bed

Humans can be a little weird.

Foster Mom has been telling us doggies to stay out of the flower bed. So what does she do? She plunks me in it because she says it will make a cute picture.

Do I really need to have flowers around me for people to see how cute I am?

A Month Already?

Today is exactly one month since I joined my foster family,

Now that it's warm Foster Mom leaves the patio door open so Gizmo and I can run out and chase away those pesky squirrels. She doesn't want them eating up all the bird seed. And we like chasing them. She says we can chase away the pigeons too, but they don't fly into the patio very often.

This is a picture of JoJo and I in front of the flower bed.

It almost looks like we're one dog with two heads!

JoJo doesn't chase squirrels, or pigeons, He just lies down and watches us do all the work.

Sometimes we cross the courtyard and go play with Emma (she's part Shih Tzu)  and Ernie (he's a pug).  Sometimes they come over here to play.

And we go for nice walks with Foster Mom in the morning and Foster Dad in the evening. On weekends we all go together. I like that the best. Then we stop to say hello to lots of other little doggies in the neighborhood. There's some big dogs too that Gizmo is friends with, but I don't like big dogs.

Here's me with Gizmo behind me. The sun was getting in my eyes.

That's why I'm squinting.

The last month has passed really quickly. There have been so many new things to see, smell and learn about I've hardly noticed the time go by at all. 

I love my foster family, but would lreally like to have a forever home to call my own. I would love to have a family  with and a mom or dad who are home most of the time. I wouldn't get underfoot. But I would  like to snuggle up at your feet in bed at night.

Adoption Days

This is National Adoption Weekend  ( Friday–Sunday, April 29 - May 1, 2011) at all PetSmart stores across North America.

My foster brother JoJo and I spent the whole afternoon today at PetSmart, meeting all kinds of people who really like doggies. A lot of them brought their own pets with them, so we met lots of other doggies, and a lot of very nice people who thought we were really cute.

Foster Mom made us special bandanas that said "Adopt Me" to wear.  It was interesting and fun, but sort of tiring, so I'm really ready for a long nap.

We're going back again tomorrow, but only for a couple of hours this time.

Foster Mom says this is a wonderful opportunity for me and all the other doggies looking for a new forever home.

Would you like to be my forever Mom and/or Dad? I would like a home where someone was home all or most of the time. I don't like being alone. And please no little little kids, as I don't like being mauled. Nor any big dogs either. Older kids and other small dogs are just fine.

Some Pics of Me

Hi all,
My Foster Mom keeps taking pictures of me and my foster brothers, so thought I'd share some with you.

This is me on the comfy chair by the patio door.

Gizmo, ME, and JoJo in front of the patio door.

Gizmo and ME looking for squirrels to chase.

Me under the maple tree in the courtyard.

I'm getting used to life as a foster dog, but Foster Mom says that it won't be long before I'll become a spoiled darling of some lucky family who adopts me and gives me my new forever home. I would really like that. I also wouldn't mind if you  have another little doggie for me to play with . It's OK if you don't, but please be home most of the time, so I won't get lonely.

A Dreary Day

Slight mist in morning made everything wet and my foster mom does not like us doggies out on the wet grass. So we were limited to the patio, and could only peer out at the squirrels running around.

Two black squirrels and one gray one kept running across the top of the fence laughing at us. Nasty critters. But Gizmo and I made sure that they didn't get at the bird feeders. They can't mess with us.

It started to rain right after dinner, so our evening walk was really short. It was just a drizzle! Then we had to have our paws washed and dried before we were allowed on the furniture. Humans can be so fussy.

This kind of weather makes me sleepy. So I guess I'll just settle in for a nice nap until "tea and treats" time later this evening. I love a treat before going to bed.

Chasing Squirrels

This was a fun day. I found out that my foster brother Gizmo  likes to chase squirrels, just like me. So we spent a lot of time out in the yard keeping them off the fence and making sure they didn't eat all the bird seed.

My other foster brother JoJo (he's a foster just like me) just lay around in the sun. He's a nice guy, but he doesn't know what fun he's missing!

I met Gizmo's friend Emma today and a big REALLY fat bulldog called Oscar.  He's really slow and really waddles. He's so fat he can hardly walk, but he's really friendly.  My foster mom says its a crime to let a dog get that fat.

For sure I'm not going to get fat. Chasing squirrels is lots of exercise.

Booda - Purebred Shih Tzu

Booda is a grey, white and cream coloured purebred nine year old Shih Tzu who was surrendered by his owner because she had to move to Costa Rica for professional reasons and could not take him with her. Don't let his chronological age fool you. Although in dog years Booda is a senior, he acts ( and looks) like a much  younger dog.

Booda is a healthy, darling little boy, used to living with two other dogs and his owner who worked from home, so he and his siblings were rarely left alone, and then for only short periods of time.

He is a very friendly and inquisitive little fellow who loves going for walks and car rides, romping in the yard with the other little doggies ( he does NOT like big dogs) and of course, chasing squirrels.

Booda is not used to having children around all the time, and is wary of very young children. He would not do well in a family with pre-schoolers, but  is fine with dog-savvy children over ten years of age. However, he prefers his "teddy" and will spend hours with it. He would be happiest in a family where one of the adults is home all day. He likes to be held for short periods of time and nestle up beside his person, taking a quiet nap when play time is over.

Booda is neutered and weighs approx 15 pounds. Although Booda has a grade 3 heart murmur, which needs to be monitored, this does not present a problem, nor prevent him from any normal activities. He needs to be kept from being overheated on hot summer days, thus air-conditioning is important, and should always travel in an air-conditioned car.

Hi! I'm Booda

Hi Everyone, my name is Booda. I'm an adorable nine year old male Shih Tzu.

I ended up in rescue because my mom is moving far far away to some place called Costa Rica, and she can't take me with her. But the nice people at Loyal Rescue said they'd help me find a new mom to call my own.

My foster mom and dad  say I'm really sweet, and there will be lots and lots of people who want to adopt me. 

I have  two foster brothers, Gizmo and JoJo, who want to be friends with me. JoJo is a foster like me. Gizmo lives here all the time.

I'll be keeping you up to date on my life as a foster dog, and my adventures with my foster brothers.  Foster Mom will also be writing to tell you how I'm doing, so check in regularly.

P.S. I'm not fond of young children nor big dogs.