I recently heard from local hiking friends that they will be in Germany for a year and have found the logistics of taking their dog along to be almost impossible. They sent out a letter to all their friends asking if someone would be willing to take care of their dog for a year. I responded right away.

This last weekend, Oscar stayed with me as a trial run, and we got along just fine. Everybody is happy--Oscar, his human parents, and I. So starting August 1, Oscar will be living with me for a year. He's a 7 1/2 year old Parson Russell (also known as Jack Russell) terrier. He's quite mellow for a Jack Russell and is an experienced hiking dog.

I can't seem to copy/paste an image here, and my flickr account has gone dead, so I finally got an image to work in my next post, so you now don't have to take my word for it that Oscar is really cute! Of course I'm used to 75 lb. galoots of dogs, so it's a new adventure to have one that weighs only 22 lbs. It takes only 1/4 of the time to groom him as it did Hysson, for example!

Oscar's humans will furnish his food, incidentals, vet care and half the cost of putting him in a kennel. (Oscar dislikes loud noises so won't be able to attend Civil War re-enactments.) They of course are bringing all his accoutrements, including dishes, bed, crate, pack, etc. They gave me a list of friends and relations who will take Oscar in an emergency or if I need a break.

I'm really excited and can hardly wait until August!

Enjoy your doggie fostering!

Finally got an image to work! Say hello to Oscar!



Photo taken in the Trinity Alps in mid-June by Oscar's "mom." She's in Berlin now; her husband leaves in early August, which is when Oscar will come to stay with me.

I guess now that his people will be living in Germany, we need to change his name to Oskar?

OM - he is so cute! Have fun with him.

What a cutie pie he is! Looks like a lot of fun to hike with

I predict dognapping charges against OM a year from now. Giving him back could be a problem.

Hey, I gave my daughter's dog back to her after 2 1/2 months, and that was a lot harder because Hanover was a lot like Hysson (except for being black). A good thing, though, because poor Hanover has developed medical problems and my daughter has spent a lot of money on him (even though, as a veterinarian, she can do a lot of the tests herself).

Oscar arrives August 4. I can hardly wait!

Oscar is here!

Looking forward to trip reports from Oscar.

Oscar has gone back to his humans, although he will be visiting occasionally. Due to a crowded summer, I'm waiting until fall to look for a dog of my own. Since I'll probably be getting a rescue dog, I want to be able to spend several months concentrating on his/her adjustment and training. The obedience school where Hysson and I trained is great and specializes in rescue dogs, so we should do well.