I'm checkin' in to give y'all an update. I'm still at Camp Erwin and my foster Mom is just keeping me so busy!

Yesterday was the Fourth of July! My Foster Mom and Dad and some nice people ate in the back yard under the big tree! It was fun watchin' them and we got to have a little steak! (we had to show off all of our tricks first, though). I know how to sit, now, pretty well! Every body cheered me when I did it! When the big boomers in the sky went off, though, I didn't like it. My foster mom let me into my nice safe crate in the bed room and I was happy there.

Today, My foster Mom took me to Doggy Day Care. My foster Dad is going to the city most of the day and he didn't want me to be stuck in the crate all day. Besides, she wanted the Doggy Day Care person to temperament test me to make sure that I will be able to play with the other dogs there. I don't think that I'll have a problem with it at all and My foster mom says not to worry because everybody there liked me a lot when I stayed there the weekend when my foster Ps went out of town.

Tomorrow I'm going to have my first 'beedience lesson! I think it'll be fun. Trudy says that Laura, the teacher, is really nice! My foster Mom says that education is a good thing. Maybe, if I do good, I can do 'jilidy like Trudy and Grace! My foster Mom says I jump really pretty like a...well...fawn!

Oh, by the way, I have been really good about staying in the house and the yard when I'm s'pose to. My foster Mom says that a good girl should always have manners! I guess I'm getting manners like Trudy and Grace. (although I have better manners walking on the leash then them - tra la)


I do know "stay" when my foster Mom and Dad go through the doorway and want me to stay put. My foster Ps watch me like a hawk when I'm in the yard. That darn zap monster has put a real kink in my exploring. I like my yard though. There's lots of things to do!


P.S.

Hi, everybody, this is Fauna's Foster Mom! I have to say that Fauna is a very special dog with many great attributes. She has a lovely temperament and is socially adept with both people and other dogs. She loves her soft sided crate and goes there with the door open to rest and get away from the hustle and bustle.

She has one small flaw: Fauna can be quite the little explorer. She's fine inside and respects you when you take her through a door and doesn't rush in front of you when you open it. But, she likes to check if there are any places in the yard where she could possible squeeze through and has a reputation for being a fence climber. Once she knows that she is contained, though, she is content and happy. My husband feels that if she solidly bonded with a person and became acclimated at a new home (remember, this can take 6 months of more - patience is very important with a rescued dog), her exploring would lessen.

We have trained her on the PetSafe Instant Fence. (click for more information) I know that when most people think of an e-fence, they think of $$$ and in-ground installation of wires and paraphernalia. This e-fence is virtually plug and play, portable, and inexpensive.

We take it with us to our cabin in Central Michigan, and our beach house down on the gulf front in Alabama. It works from a car or an RV as well, and it cost less than $300.00. When we go to a new location we plug it in, set the distance, put out a few flags to mark the perimeter and walk the girls around with their collars on so they know where the boundaries are and that is it! The only disadvantage is that the transmitter transmits in an adjustable circle (90' dia. to 180' dia.) and you cannot custom design the boundaries.

We still check on them in the yard and we don't leave them out all day, but we know that there are no places for them to dig under, jump over or squeeze through. Fauna has not escaped the yard at all since we have taught her about the "zap monster". It's been a valuable tool for us and our two (three, including Fauna), energetic, prey-driven bird dogs.

We heard that we all got a job. The neighbor said he would stop counting the dogs in our yard if we could help him keep the birds and squirrels away from his fruit trees. We now are pointing in groups to show the birds and squirrels that we mean business. My foster sister, Mallory, told me that she loves to pick the pears that grow on our side of the fence. I hope that I'll be able to get a few...but it won't be for awhile! I hope that I will be in my furever home by then. Maybe they will send me some?

I might not wear a red skimpy bathing suit, but I know how to be a lifeguard! I was curled up on the bathroom floor while Sofia was taking a bath. My foster mom thought I was sleeping but I had one eye on that little girl the whole time! I watched her while she splashed and played with her toys. Then, Sofia flipped over onto her belly and started blowing bubbles. I jumped into action and put my head into the tub and nudged Sofia! Sofia pulled her head from the water, I licked her face and then curled up into a ball on the floor! Good thing I was there to save her life! Everyone tried telling me that she was playing but I didn't see it that way!

I had the best time this afternoon! I had Mazie and Mallory chasing after me in the yard. We were running so fast and furious that chunks of sod were flying through the air! After 10 minutes of Olympic quality sprints, I plopped down on the grass and was panting. Mallory walked over to me to instigate things and she walked away disappointed. I was too tired...or so she thought! As soon as Mallory had turned her butt towards me, I sprang up and went to tackle her! We raced to the other end of the yard and slid into the peonies! SAFE! Very nice grass stains!

I must admit that this yard is alot of fun... even if it is a city yard! We can always find something to do! Usually we have the most fun when my foster mom is picking up the poop! She's too busy watching where she steps to have all of her eyes on us! Four dogs, city yard...you get the picture! Hee Hee!



This morning, Sofia (a toddler in the house) helped me dig a hole to China! She pointed to the dirt and said "Fauna, get Verms!" I thought, "Cool! I don't know what a "verm" is but this should be fun!" So, we dug 10 inches into the herb garden and all we found were squishy, wiggly worms. I didn't see any "verms"! But, my foster mom saw us and she was NOT happy!



Sofia pleaded our case and we were told that next time we want worms, my foster mom would help us. I got in trouble for "Worms"? I thought I was looking for "Verms"? Sofia and I need to have a talk!

Good news...I am not camera shy any more! My foster mom just has a hard time getting shots of me because I am so fast! She says she needs a better camera but I think it might be an issue with the photographer....shhh! Didn't hear that from me!

I have heard through the foster dog grapevine that news about my new furever home will come to our house in an email! I always see my foster mom sitting at her desk reading email. So, this must be the place! I really don't understand how the mail man gets in here...I can barely fit! I'll just wedge myself in here and wait for news! Still waiting! Hey what's that noise? Thunder? Yeah... I think I'll still wait in here!

I must give my foster mom credit! She is trying really hard to get pictures of me! She was just on the phone with someone she called "paparazzi"! Is that a topping on doggie pizza? I guess I should hang out here until I know what I am dealing with... cameras or pizza!

My foster mom said that I am being a silly dog! For some reason, I do NOT like to have my picture taken! Maybe the camera looks or sounds like a sea gull? I guess I am just camera shy! Honestly, I am a very brave bird dog!

I am a career dog now! I was my foster mom's assistant during an IBR home visit! Lucky me! I met a really cool dog that really wanted to play with me but I had to take care of business! No time to play! This is serious. I had just started the meeting when something caught my eye! What is that? It's in the house? How did that happen? I had to check it out!

So, there I sat! And sat and sat and sat! I looked just like a statue while I watched the parakeet in it's cage for 30 minutes. I don't think I blinked once! I hope my foster mom asked the important questions. I was too busy showing the amazing talents of IBR dogs! Yep! I'm a bird dog! Atleast that bird couldn't chase me!

A nice romp in the yard turned into a nightmare! I couldn't believe my eyes! I was following my foster sisters through the bushes when we spotted a robin. So, being bird dogs, we just stood there and pointed at the nice bird. I don't know if we tripped a secret alarm or what...but what happened next was unreal!

TWO HUGE SEAGULLS landed right behind the robin. We don't even live that close to a lake! Dumb birds! They started squacking and screaming at us. We SLOWLY started to back up when they attacked. Those monster birds started chasing us throught the bushes. We all saw the door to the house and ran for our lives... A stampede of English Seters! In a pathetic effort to save us, my foster mom stopped laughing long enough to open the door. She could have thrown a shoe at them or something else a bit more heroic!

We had the pleasure of watching every movement of those mean birds from the comfort and safety of the king size bed! The sea gulls sat on the neighbor's roof for an hour just flapping their beaks! Trust me, they had nothing nice to say... I hope they don't come back. My foster mom said we should relax because they were just birds! JUST BIRDS? Who's she kidding? Do I look relaxed?

Well, I have been at my new foster home for a week. My foster mom thought I would be depressed when I got here because I had so many critters to point out and flush at my temporay foster home! The first day was pretty boring without the deer but it is still bird heaven! Birds are everywhere! Even when it's dark out.... I still don't understand the weather in Michigan. First it's sunny and warm. Then, it's a White Easter! Strange!

I have 3 foster fur sisters that are birdy English Setters, just like me! Sometimes, a Portuguese Water Dog comes over to play with us! We are teaching her to be a birddog so she can have some meaning in her life. She likes to sniff the pheasant feathers and she runs after the birds. She really needs to work on the pointing part...it is getting frustrating. We just wait and watch the birds and then there is this big, black ball of fur running by the birds and scaring them.