Dog Foster

I volunteered recently to be a foster home for this New England Boxer rescue group that I have been dealing with. The dog that I was originally supposed to get last month fell through, but they contacted me last week with another dog who needed a place and I got to pick him up on Friday night. Mojo arrived on this rainy night right after his neutering and to much trepidation on all sides. The poor guy, I don't really know anything at all about his history except that he was in a shelter for some reason. I don't even know how old he is. Anyway ...

Can I say that I just LOVE this dog??? Mojo is unbelievably sweet. He’s gentle with my smaller dogs (he’s interested in them, but not too pushy or overwhelming to them), yet he gives the right amount of energetic horse play with Tig (my Boxer) that they both enjoy the experience and are able to fulfill that Boxer playfulness that they need, without it ever getting too aggressive. When not playing, he is completely mellow. He likes to stick close to me, always sticking his big head into my lap, or crawling on top of me to claim my lap for a nap. I don’t think anyone has ever taken the trouble to teach this guy much as the only command he seems to know is “sit”. But this makes me even more impressed with his wonderful good manners.

I had thought that bringing another dog into my home would make this place even more chaotic. But to be honest, I believe the opposite is true with Mojo here. He seems to be lending a nice, calm energy to the other dogs. Tig is no longer chasing Fitz (my boy Pug) in laps around the house, nor is he any longer baiting Lola (my girl Pug). He seems completely fulfilled by having another Boxer around, and the calm energy of Mojo seems to be rubbing off on him as well. I had worried that he might be a little jealous, but I really think he is whole-heartedly enjoying Mojo has a member of the pack. Even Lola seems happier as she now no longer becomes the focus of the other dogs when play escalates. Although, I suspect part of Fitz misses being chased a little bit.

I was of the mind that three dogs was my limit, but this happy circumstance is causing me to re-think that idea. I’m wondering if another Boxer (at least one with the same temperament and energy level as Mojo) might actually be a great situation for us after all. In any case, Mojo is doing wonderfully. He already seems quite happy and he has relaxed quite a bit from his first uneasy night. He is pretty skinny, so I’m hoping some good quality food (and plenty of it) and lots of treats will fill him out to where he should be.