Tired ALREADY, Fozzie?

It is so fascinating to watch the dynamics among dogs, and what energies different dogs bring out in one another. I've always thought of Fozzie as a dog who has off-the-charts energy, and that was certainly what they thought of him at the shelter and almost certainly the reason he was on death row.

But watching him with other dogs, I see another side. I see the complex, sensitive dog who loves attention from all the creatures in his orbit, but needs his time to collect his thoughts, feel loved, and know that he has stability and structure in his environment. 


Sandy the little fireball is always ready for play, nipping and humping and jumping all over her uncle Fozzie every minute. At first, Fozzie was ready for all the action she could throw at him. After the first couple of days though, I could see that he was a little blown away by her energy level! As she humped and jumped, he drew into himself and tried to get to somewhere he could mellow out. He still gets into it with her on a regular basis, but he has an off-button. 


Even when I think of our time with Lars, I can remember that although Fozzie adored him and wanted to be near him always, he seemed relieved when I would put Lars away in the crate. And now, when I put Sandy in her crate, Fozzie comes immediately over to be close to his humans, and seems to crave contact with us. As if he needs comfort and structure more than ever after the somewhat overwhelming experience of a 10-month old puppy.


It is so precious to see this side of him, and to feel how deeply he connects with us. My plan of getting another foster in order to get less attached to Fozzie seems to have backfired!