As I had mentioned in an older post, we tried to foster a puppy for Guide Dogs. It was a unique experience, but we failed in doing it for the full duration. Our puppy advisor suggested that we should try to foster an older pup. We were very apprehensive that we would be successful in raising or fostering puppies.
A few days later she came up with the need for someone to look after their puppy for a week. It was a 8 month old male called Imber. We had doubts but then we thought, this might be our chance to have a different experience. So we went ahead with the opportunity.
We visited Imber with his carer before he was to come over. His carer Jonny informed us that Imber was the most chilled out puppy one would ever come across. He was a big, happy Labrador Retriever who just filled our hearts with joy.
Imber came to us on a Sunday morning. For some time he searched around for Jonny. He was a bit on guard, walking around the house and following people - especially K. We called over Papa, Mummy and my sis who are all tremendous dog lovers to meet up with Imber. When they came over, the house was quite busy. Imber was happy and friendly with all of us. But he was still a bit fazed at his new surroundings. He was unsure of how to behave and what looked to us, not too keen to let his guard down. When people moved, he moved. When everyone sat down, he sat down as well. We thought he was going to tire himself with absolutely no rest throughout the whole day. It seemed like he did indeed for around 9 in the evening he started dozing off. He went off to his crate and was fast asleep by 2130.
The next day was a working day. But K had decided to take .25 days off for the entire week. We were not going to do the same mistake as with Lucky which was to try to manage work and a puppy at the same time. Being able to finish early allowed K to give undivided attention to the puppy. K did most of the caring tasks for the puppy - the feeding, the toilet tasks, the walk. Though we accompanied him, K was the main care giver. This made Imber bond supremely with K. The very sight of K used to make Imber's tail go round and round like the wings of a helicopter :) It was so cute and crazy.
The girls fussed over Imber like anything. They were always around him, playing with him, combing him. There was one time when Imber came over and fell asleep on Chiyaa's lap! It was just the most adorable thing ever. By day 3 he was getting way more comfortable and confident with all of us. He started to be naughty and try to chase and steal shoes. Day 4 he even went to the extent of sitting all smug on the sofa.
Imber was becoming such a lovely part of our life. It was amazing going on those brisk walks with him thrice a day. We took him to a park where he ran around. We were still scared to let him off the lease, but he loved chasing the kids around while on the lease - making us run in the process. He loved playing fetch. Giving him treats and getting those tiny licks from him was just precious.
The day Imber was to be picked up, felt quite emotional. We took him for a 45 minutes walk around our neighborhood. When Jonny came over, Imber went crazy with joy. He literally ran all over the house giddy with excitement. We had to let Imber go, but it was an immensely enriching and warm experience for us.
We took some time to recover, but we felt had done a much better job and way more justice to Imber. We were more confident and also relaxed, which helped us all have a wonderful time.
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