Nick
	Gender: Male Age: 7 Years Foster Home: Linda

In my previous home I was kept outside pretty much all the time and when my owners got a new pup they decided that they didn't want me. I have been at my foster home for about 3 months now and have all sorts of stuff done to me. I kept eating but was hungry all time and didn't put on any weight and looked very thin. Well, I was taken to the vet and she found out that I had lots of nasty things in my insides (I think they called them worms) and that I also had heart-worm - they are really yucky. Now I have just finished my third (and last) heartworm treatment and have already gotten rid of the other worms, so I have put on weight and look and feel a lot better. I have had all my shots, too.

Shelter photos

Now my foster mom, Linda, and the vet keep whispering about my being"fixed" - whatever that means. Apparently that has to wait for about a month to make sure all the heartworms have gone. Mmm. I'm wondering if I will like that. Being an outside dog, I wasn't house-broken when I arrived at my foster home, though I got the hang of it pretty quickly. The indoor plants sometimes look tempting but I know that I am supposed to wait until I go outside, so I stand at the door. There are two pretty female dogs living with me. At first I wasn't used to them or the toys we had. Sometimes I would growl if they took a toy or a ball, but now I realize that there are enough toys for us all, so I don't mind so much. I love to play with the toys and like to take them all out of the basket. I also love to have a cuddle and I really like living inside, though most days we go for long walks in the state park. That's great, though there are a lot of rabbits and squirrels and I would really like to run after them. At the moment I am on restricted exercise because of the heartworm treatment, but we still go for walks and I charge up and down stairs and have a great time with the toys.

Sometimes, if I get the chance, I have an urge to escape. Twice I have run off to investigate the neighborhood but then I decide that I don't want to be away from my foster home where everyone is so nice to me. So, when Linda sees me and calls my name, I come running back to her. She gives me a treat and a hug and we walk back home together. For some strange reason I did not like to travel in cars when I first arrived at my foster home, but now I think that it's great. I lay down quietly in the car and don't bug anyone. We go for rides to the state park and to the dog park, so I get to meet lots of people, which I really like. Sometimes I meet a male dog that I don't like and I think that I would be best living with either female dogs, or as an only dog. That way my owner could give play with me and give me all the love I have missed. In the evening I like to lie down under one of the end tables and snooze; then, when it's bedtime, I go in my crate where I stay all night. I am quite an easy-going dog and in a few weeks will be looking for my forever home so please think about me if you are looking for a loving and playful friend.

September 20th:  Well, I was neutered last week and I can tell you that I DIDN'T LIKE IT ONE BIT! I have to wear a special collar that looks like a lampshade and it has turned me into a weapon of mass destruction. Everytime I swing my head around, something gets knocked off. By the end of this week when my incision is healed the lampshade can come off. The good news is that that I am now a very healthy boy - no heartworm, nothing nasty. Plus I had a couple of baths last week and I look and smell wonderful. The vet (who keeps saying that I am a VERY GOOD BOY) says that I have to keep quiet and not run or jump around until I am completely healed. This is very difficult for me. My foster mom says that she is going to change my name to Tigger because I love to bounce around. Even though I am seven years old I am a very active dog and I adore people. 

November 15 Nick is doing so well - from that scraggy, thin dog that came to me a few months ago, to a handsome guy with a lovely coat. He is even getting a bit chunky in spite of long runs each day. However, that's because he sometimes decides to finish off the "girls" food before I have the chance to move it away and he does love to eat! He is a wonderful, loving dog, and is getting better with other dogs, though I would recommend a home either with no dogs, just females, or a very passive male. He is not a herdy dog but he has the bc "eye" - check out his photographs.

November 1st I seem to be getting better with other dogs when I am off leash. When we go to the park we often meet dogs and I like to have a sniff but, mostly ignore them. However, I still love to chase those squirrels! I am not good with other dogs when I am on the leash, though. Maybe it's because I know that I can't run away from them. My coat is looking so much better and I have put on weight. Of course, I really like to eat and sometimes I finish off Angel and Mitzi's food, I have heard a new word being mentioned - DIET. I used to be an escape artist but now that I know how nice it is at Linda's and that we go for walks and playtime often, I don't want to be very far away.

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