How many of us need a soft landing after a loss, trauma, or a new beginning? Hi, Dot & Jerry Underfoot here to say, we nose we did. Dot was found abandoned with her littermates when a family moved away, & I was found in a trap & taken to the vet clinic our fursister Olivia used to visit. HuMom met me & adopted me right away because I’m adorable & very affectionate with humans, cats, & puppers. When I arrived at my forever home, everyone accepted me by showing me loving kindness & compassion.

Eddy needed a soft landing when he found himself at the local pound, & HuMom gave him the loving kindness & compassion he needed to settle into a new home, routine, & furmily. Eddy didn’t know his name, wasn’t housebroken, & had severe separation & thunder anxiet but he was also a sweet, kind boy. It took time for him to learn his name & where to do his business, because HuMom showed him compassion, patience, & loving kindness. You can read more by pawing When HuMom Met Eddy.

Last Tuesday, HuMom took in a new temporary foster named Buddy. Although he is a total sweetheart with HuMom, he has a strong prey drive. Not to mention his very loud, booming bay & pawerful scent drive. He’s a coonhound, & that’s just their nature.

HuMom brought him in on lead & he began to mark his presence in several places & he lunged at Dot. Dot is not afraid of dogs & may actually think she is top dog, so this was not a good situation. HuMom quickly cleaned Buddy’s markings with Skout’s Honor Urine Destroyer (pawtastic stuff) & then took him outside.

Our friends who cared for us when HuMom has been away (she says it was only a couple of days but Dot & I nose it was almost forever) brought a crate over immediately. HuMom & Buddy stay outside until Buddy is ready for a nap. Then he comes in & sleeps in his crate. When he’s outside, HuMom praises him every time he does his business outdoors (pawsitive reinforcement).

Dot will often try to play with Buddy’s tail when he is sleeping or she will walk around his crate, which of course causes Buddy to react. HuMom tells Dot to leave the dog alone & reminds Buddy that Dot is pawt of the furmily. HuMom also picks us up & gives us lots of kisses, letting Buddy nose that she loves us & doesn’t want to see us hurt or chased. He is a little calmer when he sees us, unless Dot is too close to his crate. I never go near his crate, but I let him nose that HuMom is mine by curling up with her on the sofa.

Buddy is very attached to HuMom & goes dog gone out of control when he can’t see her. His crate is near the door, which is also in the center of the first floor, so he can view our everyday activity & see HuMom. He also howls in the mornings continuously until HuMom can be with him outside. I asked her how she handles his loud, nonstop whining & howling. HuMom told me it’s easier when she thinks about what he’s been through (it wasn’t nice at all). She says loving kindness & compassion helps her focus on him instead of herself. His howls are very sad indeed.