Update January 31, 2011 and new photos

Things have been pretty quiet lately with Elvis.

He's enjoying having Snickers, the mini-smooth dachshund we're fostering, around. I think it's because he's no longer "low man on the totem pole" in the pack hierarchy. He by no means lords it over Snickers, but you can tell he's liking having a new dog here. And they get along really well, which is even better.

I was out in the backyard today TRYING to get some decent photos of Snickers, and lo and behold, I actually got a bunch of Elvis. Though he occasionally looked sideways at his "nemesis", for the most part today he handled the camera pointing in his direction very well.

I haven't weighed him lately, but he's looking pretty much like he usually does. I've increased the food today and will the next few nights since it's supposed to be very cold here. All my guys will get a bit more calories over the next several days.

Not sure when I'll post another update. As long as things are quiet, I pretty well don't make updates. Unless, of course, I've got something good to share...like today's photos.

(Oh and for those of you wondering what on earth those brown things are in the yard...No. They're not some strange form of animal leaving...they're the damned magnolia "cones" that show up this time of year. Take it from someone who has a 50 foot magnolia tree in her back yard...if you are EVER tempted to plant one of these trees, resist the urge. They drop crap all year around, and the dogs eat part of the blossoms and then come in and puke them up. There is absolutely NOTHING good about these trees.)

An unexpected bonus...

Elvis has apparently picked up on the fact that being held is a pretty good thing.

Ever since the new foster dog came in, Elvis has been MUCH more inclined to let us bend over and pet him and to be picked up (at least by me).

He's not always OK with it, but most of the time he seems to be.

What a nice surprise!

18 Months...

Whew! Seems like just a moment ago, I was writing about Elvis being with us a year. I blink and it's now 18 months.

Stunning. Unexpected. Absolutely marvelous.

From the puppy mill refugee in May 2009. To the foster in July 2009. To the permanent foster in October 2009. To now.


Elvis has surprised us all, and I couldn't be happier.

I would have loved to have posted some new photos of him that were better quality, but as is probably obvious from these two, he's gotten very camera shy. Unless he's VERY distracted (like at dinner), he wants nothing to do with the camera.

We did get a dinner video from a couple of nights ago. I sort of wish it had been taken last night, because he was in rare, rare form. It's not often that he barks in the house (or outside for that matter), but he was definitely making his presence known last night and tap dancing for all he was worth. In this one, though, more than any other we've done, you can almost see the expression on his face that I see. He gets SOOOOO excited and looks SOOOOO cute...sometimes I just wish I could pick him up and hug him.

(And, if all goes well today, Elvis will be getting a new canine foster buddy. Stay tuned for more on that.)

Oh NOT with that flash thing again!

I'm NOT going to look!

Coming up on another milestone

Yep. Another milestone is peeking at us over the horizon. In a few days (three to be exact), Elvis will have been with us 18 months.

Pretty outstanding, eh?

I am going to try to get at least one dinner video and some new pictures, but it's gotten so he is VERY camera shy. Every time I bring the camera out and point it in his direction, he takes off. Don't know if it's the flash that does it or the "magnification" of someone looking at him. He's not the first dog I've ever had that had that problem, and if that's what it is, there's not a whole lot I can do unless he's distracted from the camera.

Anyway, hopefully I'll be able to get some fresh footage for Thursday. :)