Finding Jax a home

Nate came into the kitchen the other day and said, "You only wrote 44 blog posts in 2016."

"I got busy."

I wasn't super inspired to blog last year. I think it is just the dedication of taking time out of the day to write something, and when you're not writing at work, it is really a bigger commitment than I realized.

But I probably should blog more this year. It makes me stop and think through things and appreciate the little stuff more than I realize. It really does wake up those "Everyday Moments," and log them away so I can look back at the little things with a smile.

One of the biggest things that has been taking my time is our foster dog, Jax. He was an impound dog that no one claimed, and the veterinarian's office was going to put him down.

Nate didn't want that to happen, so we introduced him to Noveske, hoping that adding another dog to our lives wouldn't be a big deal.

Suffice it to say, she was not a fan.

When they first met, he was not fixed, and all he wanted to do was mount her, and she was having none of it. When he invaded our home, she was not a fan of having to share her cuddles, her toys, her mama and daddy. He would come up to her, and she would growl. He would try to sit on the couch with us, and she would growl. He would try to "make things happen," and she would bite him.

It wasn't a great start.

We decided that it probably wasn't going to be a lasting plan, and we're now working with the local humane society to find him a home while we foster him in ours.

He really is a sweet boy, and this has been an interesting learning experience. First, he is a pit bull terrier. I kind of hate telling people that now, because the first thought is always, "Oh...yikes." But now having had one in the house, I can say this breed is completely misunderstood. They are sweet dogs. Yes, he has growled at me a couple of times, but the more I get to know him, the more I realize that is not at all a result of his breed but is a result of mistreatment he must have had in his previously life. Even now, when I try to shake my finger at him or gently move him when he's doing something wrong, he flinches. Obviously, his previous owners were not kind people.

Second, training takes patience. We knew this when we purchased a puppy, but at 2-3 years old, I guess I expected that Jax would know the rules.

He doesn't.

He had to re-learn to poop outside after having lived on the streets, he had forgotten some of his housetraining. He has to learn that he can't put his paws on the counters, even if he is just curious at what we're doing. He has to learn that he will get fed daily and he doesn't have to scrounge for every scrap of food in the house.

Every day, we can see that he is getting to used to being loved, getting used to having rules and getting used to the fact that even if he messes up we're not going to beat him.

This sweet dog deserves a wonderful home that treasures him. Novie sure hasn't warmed up to him, so that home is not going to be ours, but I hope that someone will find in him a companion that he or she always wanted.

It is hard to fall in love with a puppy in your house and know that they will be leaving you, but I heard this story on Dave Ramsey that a couple took in a baby that was abandoned at the hospital and just kept it long enough until an adopted couple could find it a home. Foster parents do it all the time. I don't know how they do it though; a dog is one thing, a child something completely different.

So my prayers at the beginning of this year are "Thy will be done, Lord. Thy will be done in finding Jax the perfect home. Thy will be done in how long we are supposed to keep him. I trust you in bringing the right people to us so I don't have to worry about him after he leaves us. I know that you are completely in charge of not only the sparrows, the lilies and us, but in loving charge of puppies like Jax too."