This is a foster dog diary post. We will add new information to the end of this post instead of posting many short updates. This allows prospective rescues/adopters to find all the info on Bud in one place and in chronological order.

This post was last updated: Feb 3, 2017

December 31, 2016 at 11:38am · Doug

Today we welcome Bud Steele. We’re told he is a Shepherd mix and he weights about 35 pounds. We were told he was dog friendly and people shy but our experience today points to just the opposite, although the dog-shyness may be due to the fact that all of our current crowd are bigger than him: most are over twice his weight. More as we discover it. For now, this is all a little too much for him to take in.

January 1 at 4:59pm · by Cochise

Lil Bud was kind of smelly and had white flakes in his fur, so NiceLady gave him a bath with oatmeal shampoo. That will help the former situation for sure and we hope it will help the latter as well. He was sweet and cooperative through the whole thing,, so he got a warm blanket fresh from the hot box in his crate after a thorough toweling off. And he wasn’t the only one to get a bath (but the only one in the sink).

Later that evening, Bud Steele is getting past his trepidation over us big dogs. After a bath, and dinner, and stretching out on NiceLady’s lap in front of the fire, Bud is so relaxed he’s about to fall asleep!

January 4 at 8:21pm · by Cochise

When Buddy Met Sammy (and Erin)

HairyFace’s nieces, Erin and Sammy, from Nebraska are visiting and he took the opportunity to introduce them to little Bud Steele. We can now tick a box on Bud’s resume: Good with children? CHECK!

January 5 at 6:13pm · by Doug

Lil Bud is coming along nicely. Blondie is playing mommy to him, taking him outside for me so I don’t have to walk out into the yard in my slippers each time he goes out. She also sees him back inside. But has learned that “outside” means going to the door and out into the yard. He has not developed any particular signal, but does come give me “the look” and turns toward the laundry room when he needs to go. If I’m paying attention, that works well. So far he has not had any accidents.

January 6, 2017 by Cochise

NiceLady wanted to take Lil Bud on her ride to work this morning.
HairyFace has to take her to work so he can use her car to transport dogs because the truck is broken again. Using Marie’s car for hauling dogs was NOT in the plan, but … (shrug).

SO Hairy put a quilt over the back seat for Bud. Then when they got home, moved the quilt up to the shotgun seat because he KNOWS that’s where I will insist on riding.

Bud has been getting more trusting of most of the big dogs. He’s still nervous around Gator. In the afternoon Bud felt comfortable enough to hang out with the big boys.

January 8, 2007 by Doug

We had snow today and all the dogs had a good time going out to play in it. Lil Bud got past his … shall we say “mistrust” of Blondie and played with her. Well, more like played AT her since she wasn’t joining in much.

January 10, 2007 by Doug

It was mid-afternoon. Gator was loose inside for a play session and he was doing well, so it lasted an unusually long time. Tinker and Bud were taking turns demanding head scritchies while I watched Gator play.

Bud started getting more demanding, reaching out with one paw to scratch at my leg or arm. I thought he wanted more scritchies and provided them. He kept getting more insistent. Finally I asked him, “What? What’s the deal with you, Bud?”

He stood straight up on his hind legs and waved both forelegs over his head. I’d never seen him do that. I’d never seen ANY dog do that, it was kind of amazing. “What is THAT all about?”

He got back on all fours and RACED to the back door.

“Ohhhh, I see…” And I opened the door for him. He RACED down the path and out into the yard. He really needed to GO! It is good to know he is that dedicated to asking to go out. Gold Star for you lil fella!

January 11, 2017 by Doug

Bud is feeling like The Little Master today.

January 14, 2007 by Doug

Bud has graduated to Full House-dog status. He has for some time been allowed to roam freely though the house all day long, but now he’s added being allowed to sleep in a dog bed in the bedroom at night. The only time he’s crated is when we leave the house for an extended time, and that is more for his own protection: Blondie and Bud play a little now and then. If left unsupervised they may get carried away, and that might lead to Bud being frightened by Blondie (who is 3 times his size) getting bouncy and rowdy. She would not hurt him, she has had small playmates before and never hurt them, but I don’t want to set him back.

January 15, 2007 by Doug

Bud has taken on a job: Kibble Tester. He takes his responsibility seriously, investing the time (and kibbles) needed to come to an informed and accurate assessment. We would not want our fosters to be eating stale kibbles!

January 16, 2017 by Doug

Bud is feeling kinda cocky today, he’s enjoying having a snuggle bed that is designated as being his.

He has gotten over his timidity with all the dogs except Gator. Gator is still a little worrisome as be bounces around.

January 17, 2017 by Doug

Blondie woke up playful today. As everyone was waking and stretching, Blondie rolled onto her back and stretched way out, just inviting Bud to take advantage of all that soft under-belly. And he did! He’s hop in to “bite” her then hop away. As the trust built between them it go more rowdy.

Even Cochise knew they were just playing … but they annoyed him just the same, so he left the room.

January 18, 2017 by Doug

Bud allowed me to trim his nails today. I’ve tried this in the past and he fought so hard it was not possible to do without the risk of injuring him. But after watching me do Blondie and Cora today (and seeing that it didn’t kill either of them) he decided that the treats I hand out liberally while I work was worth allowing me to fiddle with his feet. He has long quicks (from not trimming enough in the past) so I didn’t cut much off: I don’t want to hurt him when he’s being so cooperative. They are still too long, but the nails are blunted now so they won’t scratch when he paws.

To shorten the quicks I’d need to file or grind the nails to a conical end, removing support for the quicks inside, which will then recede. With regular trimming and shaping the nails can be shortened to where they do not touch the floor when he walks, which is as it should be.

January 26, 2017 by Doug

Bud is doing very well as a house dog. He has lost all timidity with our current herd of dogs – all of whom are bigger than him. Even Gator, who is not especially careful of where he plants his feet when he’s bounding around in eh house. In fact, this morning Lil Bud offered to take Gator under his … umm … foreleg, and teach him to be a good boy. Bud IS qualified as an instructor.

It looks like Lil Bud will be leaving us on the February 3rd transport day. He will be neutered tomorrow and have a whole week to heal up. Tinker will also be riding that run, so Bud will have someone he knows going along.

January 27, 2017 by Doug

Today Bud gets neutered. That means no breakfast. We got sneaky and Marie took Bud into the bedroom with her and closed the door while she got dressed. I fed all the others while he was distracted. When Marie and I had breakfast everyone went to their places and expected to be fed AGAIN! Lil Bud was well behaved, as he asked, “Where’s my breakfast? I’m HUNGRY!”

Bud is a good rider and I had no trouble getting him to the mobile vet clinic. he definitely knew something was up though: no breakfast, no one but him going with me, he gets to sit up front: mighty suspicious!

But when we got there and I handed his leash off to Amy, he hopped right up into the big van the clinic is built in. She exclaimed, “What a good boy!” And he is, he really is!

January 29, 2017 by Doug

When I picked Bud up from the clinic, we was a bit groggy yet, but got over that quickly. When we got home I gave him the kibbles he didn’t get that morning, but he was not interested. He just wanted to lay on Blondie’s blanket in the corner behind the dining table and rest.

The next morning we found Lil Bud’s belly to be bruised. I called Amy to see if this needed special attention and she assured me it’s not unusual. I have not seen this before, but … (shrug).

Amy recommended putting a towel over a heat pad and let Bud lay on that to stimulate circulation which will speed healing. We did that:

He liked that for a little while, then decided to go somewhere else. Maybe it got too warm for him. He moved around several times before coming back to the original spot, now sans heat pad. When he did, Gator decided to come keep him company.

“Scuse me, shorty.” shove, FLOP.

“HEY! I was here first, go find your own bed to lay on.”

“We can share, there’s lots of room, see?”

Well, Bud wasn’t too keen on that idea, so he found another solution: a comfy spot that also prevented his being stepped on by the bigger dogs.

The problem with this, while I empathize with him, is that it sets a precedent and once he gets the idea that this is acceptable, he’s not going to give it up — and others will decide they should have that right too.

So I built him a special snuggle bed and warmed a blanket for him. That seemed to placate him … for a few moments. Then he got snooty: “If I can’t sleep on the sofa then I’ll just go back to my spot in the corner of the eating room.” And he did. I think he likes it there because it’s extra-low traffic.

We are watching out for him because he is still tender and gets guarded when others, especially Gator, come nosing around. But he’s coping well and should be just fine by next Friday when he is scheduled to go on the rescue run out East. I’m told he’s headed to Pawsitively Perfect.

January 31, 2017 by Doug

Bud has been seeking solace anywhere he can find it because he’s still sore from his neutering. he cozies up to Cochise, he cozies up to Blondie. He trusts them both more than any of the rest. He does not trust me! I’m the one who took him to have bits cut off. He knows that and avoids me.

He still adores Marie, though. He has not been as much of a lap dog lately, but he likes being hear her, and he sleeps in the snuggle bed on Marie’s side of our bed.

Final Notes:

Since Bud will be leaving on Friday, it’s time to summarize what we know of him in hopes of helping his next stop find a forever home for him.

Bud is a German Sheppard mix who weighs around 35 pounds. He is in good physical health other than some flaky skin. We give him a fish oil capsule with each meal and that has ended that.

He routinely eats around the table with the three other Full-Fledged House Dogs and we have no trouble from him. He will sometimes growl at another dog if he’s got some special treat and the other is looking like it might try to take it away from him. It’s just a warning: “Get away, this is mine”. Again, he facing down someone three times his size. There have been no incidents.

Bud is fully house broken and crate trained. We only crate him when we leave the house for an extended time. He sleeps in the bedroom with us at night and has the run of the house during the day.

He will ask to go outside, but you have to know what to look for. Usually he will come, sit by me, stare at me a moment, then reach out and touch my leg. This can be mistaken as asking for affection, but if you ask, “need to go out?” he will scamper off to the door to the outside. If he asks, LET HIM OUT. He tends to wait until he really needs to go, to ask. I make it a point to ask him (or put him outside) every few hours.

Bud likes to play, but he’s uncertain around the bigger dogs. He has, on several occasions gotten rowdy with Blondie Bear … but she’s a big ol snuggle bear who would not hurt anyone. Sometimes Tinker tries to play with him, but Tinker trash-talks and that scared Bud. So they don’t play. He does like to go out into the yard and explore with The Pack. But if they go “on alert” and start stampeding around, Bud heads for some safe place: the porch or the playhouse. He will go on extended wanders when outside by himself. He likes to patrol with Tinker too, as long as no attempts to play are involved.

Bud knows, “come”, “sit”, “shake” (paw), “get down” (4-on-the-floor), “go outside”, “go inside”, “in your room” (crate), and “on your blanket” (for meal times). These are the basic commands we teach all of our fosters. We don’t get into advanced commands because we usually don’t have the time and because everyone will have their own set of behaviors and preferred commands.

Bud rides well in a car, but is not excited by that prospect. He is gentle and easy to lead on a leash. He is a little shy with strangers, but not defensive. Overall, he’s a submissive animal who almost never goes on an offensive.

He is affectionate and likes to snuggle. He is kid friendly and cat tolerant. He gets along well with other dogs once he gets to know them. He’s a bit timid at first, especially when all the others are 3 times his size. He is a good size and temperament for a house dog. We have no reservations about recommending him as a family dog even with other dogs in the house already.

February 3, 2017 by Doug

Bud’s neutering incision has become infected. I’ve been doing a phone conference with his vet from the mobile clinic, sending her photos and descriptions. She prescribed some antibiotics for him, which we began yesterday. The pills are too big to hide in a treat: he’d just excise the capsule and spit it out. so I open the capsules and mix the powder into about 1/4 cup of canned dog food, then mix in a half-portion of kibbles. He scarfs that down. Much easier that poking the capsule down his throat.

To keep him from licking the incision we had to cone him. He HATES being coned and spends most of his time pouting in his room (crate). I have to clip a leash on him and make him go outside from time to time.

That first evening he refused to eat, just sat there glaring at me over the edge of his cone. Marie poured his kibble onto a plate thinking that might be easier to navigate than his bowl. Not good enough.

He insisted on being hand fed! Fortunately Marie was willing to indulge him. By the next morning he was being less belligerent. We still had to put his kibbles on a plate, but he ate them on his own and was not giving me the stink eye at every turn. I took him in to be neutered. I put the cone on him. I made him go outside when he wanted to just lay in his room. Marie cuddles him and gives him treats. He LOVES Marie, I’m a meanie. Sometimes “parenting” is hard.

By the time Friday rolled around were were friends again. Of course that’s the day I gave him a bath, put him into a crate and sent him away forever.

The up side to this is that I know dogs are resilient. When he arrives at the other end and goes into either a foster hope of his adoptive home, he will be loved and he will love them in return. He will forget about the mean man who did all those things to him and just enjoy his new life. That’s really all we can hope for. Another life saved, and multiple lives improved: his and his family’s

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