Last month I started doing a monthly recap to keep track of what we’ve been up to at a high level here on our blog (alongside our regular sharing on Instagram). Here’s our December overview!
Find me in absolute disbelief that 2022 is already over…
TLDR: Top December highlights
- Scout had a successful annual vet visit.
- We said goodbye to our foster puppy Mystic 😭
- Everything is in place for our van pickup!!
- Scout joined us on a whirlwind trip home to Wisconsin for the holidays.
- I read a few more dog-related books.
Foster dog shenanigans: Farewell Mystic
On December 15th our foster puppy was scheduled for x rays to check on her fractured tibia. The shelter and I decided it would make the most sense for us to leave her with them after that appointment as opposed to bringing her back home with us only for a few days before we traveled over Christmas.
I knew it was the right decision, but it was hard.
Mystic has a very special place in our hearts as one of our first-ever foster puppies. And there can be a lot of pressure to be involved in a dog’s journey from start to finish — while we knew going in that the latest we could keep her was mid-December (and any time out of the shelter is better than none) I struggled with a mixture of sadness and relief and guilt.
We knew she was in good hands, though. At the time of writing she’s with a new foster who is seriously considering adopting her once her leg is fully healed!
Van life plans: SO CLOSE
Last month we found out that our van would be ready three full weeks ahead of schedule. The collective excitement in our house has only been heightened ever since. (Scout has no idea why Sean and I keep dancing around the kitchen, but she’s happy to join in.)
Just one week from today Sean will be in Colorado picking up our new home! We plan to hit the road full time before February… which means that in less than a month we will officially be nomads. It doesn’t quite feel real.
We did an Instagram Q&A in December that I saved to our “van prep” story highlight and also published a compilation FAQ blog if you’re curious for more details. Always thrilled to chat van plans or dogs or whatever else!
What’s new with Scout specifically this past month
Annual vet visit
Scout did not love going to the vet — an accurate description is that she actively disliked it — but I was proud of how we all handled the experience. On top of our usual steps (which you can read about more in depth in this article) this time we also:
- Actually muzzled her for the blood draw. Scout’s been muzzle trained just in case since early in our life together, but we’ve never “needed” it. We all appreciated the extra peace of mind.
- Soaked her recent meals in a low sodium chicken broth and water mixture to maximize hydration for good veins.
- Asked if it would be possible to draw blood from a back leg instead of front to put less pressure on her compared to previous visits. Our team was so wonderful and I think it helped!
- Scheduled her appointment a little later in the morning and brought in our own fecal sample instead of having them take one at the clinic. That’s always been Scout’s least favorite part.
- Brought Sean along for moral support. Because even if you know you’re a strong independent adult with a good dog who can handle things… it never hurts to have another loved one around 💛
Recovered from having a very chaotic foster dog around
While we humans love Mystic and mostly enjoyed having her around, the reality is that our fourth foster experience was a lot. Like a lot a lot.
Scout handled sharing her home better than I could have dreamed on the surface — great decisions at liberty, awesome impulse control, altogether trustworthy behavior — but we definitely noticed some residual stress after we said goodbye. We took it easy and did our best to prioritize fulfillment and relaxation before our big trip home for Christmas.
Joined us on our trip home for the holidays
On December 22nd, a week after sending Mystic off, we drove through the night to my parents’ home in Wisconsin. I’ve written about how we handle this sort of travel before — we essentially followed the same approach and prioritized lots of play and social time.
The biggest events:
- Our family successfully navigated some subpar driving conditions. Scout was a dream in the car, which I will never take for granted.
- She met my new niece! (It was only the second time I’d gotten to see Olive and Sean’s first, too.)
- Scout gracefully handled three nights at my parents’ slightly chaotic house (two resident dogs, seven adult humans, a baby, and far-below-freezing temperatures) and then joined us for two night’s at Seans’ as well.
- It was by far the smoothest visit we’ve ever had. Despite the weather not allowing us to walk them together, Scout and my mom’s therapy dog Margo absolutely crushed the coexisting game inside the house.
- We’ve definitely “gone soft” since moving to Florida and Scout especially hated the cold. Yes, she absolutely wore a jacket.
December reading
(I have a running list of books I’ve read as a dog owner in this article, if you want the full spectrum!)
- The Emotional Lives of Animals by Marc Bekoff. This was very similar to Bekoff’s 2013 essay collection I read in November. Thought provoking!
- Your Dog is Your Mirror by Kevin Behan. This is the only animal-related book I’ve read that I actively do not recommend. The author made wild claims (like that dogs don’t think and aren’t individual consciousnesses), cited almost no sources, and tried to assert that a dog’s behavior & personality are entirely caused by the owner. Yikes from me.
- Lost Companions by Jeffrey Masson. While I appreciated the overall emotional sentiment that we should never belittle anyone else’s grief, several passages were off putting in a judgmental way.
- A Dog’s History of the World by Laura Hobgood-Oster. A professor of religion wove together several broad topics for an interesting read. Lots of mythology and high level reflections.
- How Dogs Love Us by Gregory Berns. This was my first-ever Kindle read, in the car on the way home from our trip. It was more personal and narrative than I expected, but I largely enjoyed it.
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[…] fostered five dogs in 2022 — an injured adult and four puppies, one of whom came back to us months after her initial adoption with a broken leg — even though it required some […]