Li'l Herman's letter to Daddy Wayne and his bio

5/27/05 Letter came Snail Mail

Hi Mr. Wayne,

My name is Lil’ Herman. I am so happy you have adopted me, because I want so badly to have a place I can call home and a family who will love me, I can barely stand it.

Let me tell you a little about myself. As you know, I was lost and couldn’t find my way back home. One day, a man in a uniform picked me up from the streets and took me to a cold and scary place that had a lot of other lost dogs there. We were all so scared. A few days later, a nice woman came and looked at me, and took me to her home where there were a lot of other dogs living. This nice woman shaved off all my dirty and matted hair and gave me a good bath… it felt so good. I enjoyed living at this woman’s home. There were food and toys around all the time. I just loved having food and clean water whenever I wanted, because it was pretty hard to come by when I was lost.

One day, a man came and took me to a house that had a fluffy white dog already living there. His name is Augie Doggie, and Augie seemed to have everything I had hoped I’d have one day… plenty of food and water, lots of squeaky toys and chewy things, and a great back yard with big trees and shade. I soon discovered these little furry animals that ran around in the trees and on top of the fence. My foster dad calls them squirrels. I try real hard to catch them, but they’re pretty darn fast runners, plus they can climb trees really good. Maybe one day one of them will be sleeping or busy doing something else and I’ll catch em’.

My foster brother, Augie, was a little jealous of me at first because he was used to getting all the attention from my foster dad. But the longer I lived at his house, the better he seemed to like me. We’d chase squirrels together several times a day, and sometimes would chase one another around the house. I still like to take his squeaky toys from him, but he has so many, that I can’t possibly guard them all. When I first came to Augie’s house, I spent the first couple of nights in a cage, then my foster dad started letting me sleep in the bed… holy moly what a great feeling! I just love to stretch out and roll around in that bed, then fall asleep next to my foster dad. He holds and cuddles me so good and it makes me feel so safe and loved. He also lets me sit in his recliner chair with him and fall asleep on him for some great naps. Another thing I’ve learned is that when he walks into this one room with a lot of small doors and food smells, there seems to be something good to eat in everyone that he opens. As you can guess, I stay pretty close to him whenever he walks around… I just might get a tasty treat.

Sometimes, we go for a ride in his car. I just love to ride in the car. One day all three of us spent the whole day in the car. We traveled 700 miles in order to rescue a little baby Bichon puppy whose owner couldn’t care for any more. The trip was great. I didn’t get sick at all, and I think I chased away about 100 big trucks while we were going down the highway. We would come up beside them on the road and when their big tires got a little too close to our car, I would growl and bark at them and pretty soon they would be gone. I guess I just had to teach them not to mess with us.

Another thing I love to do is go for a walk. Whenever my foster dad brings out the long, red leash, I get all excited and start wiggling around, because I know we’re going for a walk, and I can hardly contain myself. I walk really good on a leash, but my foster dad still needs a little practice. Somehow, he seems to be pretty good at getting the red leash wrapped around my feet while I’m trying to lead us down the sidewalk. I suppose with some practice, he’ll learn to do it better.

I’m pretty happy at my foster home, but know it’s only temporary because he has to help other dogs, like me, find a home. I’m looking forward to living at your home and being a good dog for you and all my new step-siblings. I still need to learn a few manners, and hope you will be patient with me while I learn the rules of your family. I had a little separation anxiety at first when my foster dad would leave the house, but he taught me how not to have it. If I have a relapse, you can ask him how he fixed it for me. Like most dogs, I love table scraps, but I also like my regular dog food too. I’m easy to please, and am a loving baby who just wants to be safe and loved. Thank you for adopting me Daddy Wayne.

With love,
Lil’ Herman

Li'l Herman's bio on Small Paws Rescue:

Hi! My name is Li'l Herman! Can you tell I'm one happy fluff? I have a zest for life! You could say the world is my oyster. I am 1 ½ yrs old and weigh about 12 lbs. I was a lost puppy that ended up in a scary shelter but I was rescued just in the nick of time! Boy! Was I a mess! I was one big matted furball. Well, after my extreme makeover I felt and LOOKED like a different dog. My hair is still a little short right now because they had to shave me down but it's growing out nicely. I have some patches of gray here and there. My foster dad says I'm adorable in a clownish sort of way.

Since my release from "jail" I have made it my main mission in life to have fun and soak up all the attention I can get. I am very outgoing, playful, and friendly. I'm a brave boy too- not scared of nuthin' ! I like other dogs just fine and I like to play with and chase my squeaky toys. My all time favorite hobby is to chase the squirrels in my backyard. They are fast little things! Someday I hope to catch one!

I love to snuggle, cuddle, and most importantly receive belly rubs. I follow my foster dad everywhere he goes. I'm very curious. I am housetrained! Really, I am!! And I'm learning manners like "down". I walk okay on the leash but I sometimes get wrapped around my foster dad's legs so I could use some training and practice in that department. I'm a quick and eager learner.

My dream is to someday have my own forever home. (Well that dream and the squirrel catchin' dream.) Are you the one that will make my dream come true?
P.S. Don't worry if you don't have squirrels for me to chase at your house. I'll find another hobby. And if I catch me a squirrel soon I'll bring him with me to live at your house!

On Thursday, May 26, Li'l Herman flew into Las Vegas and into my heart from Houston, TX via Continental Airlines... he's a Coton de Tulear and not a Bichon but my four Bichons Ricky, Lucy, Princess and Snowball don't mind at all... even my newly adopted Persian cat Silver thinks Li'l Herman is pretty cool! Sugar is also a recent adoptee and has been my shadow since I rescued her from the pound but she's learned to share Li'l Herman with me too... she sleeps against my back and Li'l Herman sleeps against my front... he even likes sleeping under the covers with his head on my shoulder like Spuds used to... he sits on my leather recliner chair with me all the time in the store. If I have to get up to wait on a customer, he follows me and then is back up on the chair before I can get to it... he runs and stretches just like in the pictures and he loves to play... even knows how to chase a ball and bring it back... something my Bichons weren't interested in doing... he's a joy! I don't know how his foster Dad was ever able to give him up.

******5/28/05

Thanks for the update on Herman (you can never send too many updates as far as I'm concerned). It's so comforting to know he is transitioning so well. It sounds like he is truely settling into his new home with you. I hope he and your other dogs are getting along... although it can take a little while for multiple dogs to settle on their own set of boundries. I hope Herman is the loving cuddle bug you were hoping for. And yes, I really do miss him... he has such an addictive personality. I think Augie even misses him in an odd way. Thursday, he seemed to be a little puzzled over how quiet the house was, and yesterday, for most of the day, Augie would stand up and put his paws on the arm of the chair I was sitting in and look at me (his normal way of telling me he wants to go outside) about every hour (normal schedule is about once every 6-7 hours). Augie would then walk around the yard and trees as though he was looking for Herman... where's Herman, because Herman would normally lay down at the base on one of my two huge Oak trees and wait on the squirrels. It was so cute but so sad at the same time. I guess, given a little time, we'll all adapt and have many happy memories. I suppose another round of fostering will help ease the feelings and re-focus our attention on helping other dogs in need of a home. Herman was my first foster and he'll always hold a special place in my heart, not only for being the first, but for being Herman.

The little 4 month old female Bichon baby we drove 700 miles for is doing great with her foster family. Her and Augie started playing and chasing one another around the house as soon as we got home from the trip. It sounds like she and the family's other Bichon are inseparable... almost from minute one. The foster mom says she doesn't have room for another dog (she already has 3 other dogs of her own) and will put her up for adoption once she is old enough to be spayed, but I suspect she'll end up wanting to keep her. She is very friendly like Herman and likes to cuddle, and is a little bossy... supposedly doesn't take anythng off anybody just because she is tiny. I kept her for the first night because we got in so late, and I intended to cage her for the night to keep her safe from the Augie and Herman, plus prevent her from pottying althrough the house, or chewing on an electric cord or something. Well she made it clea r she would have no part of the cage business... man, what a set of lungs that baby had. I'd thought she'd gag herself. Next I took her from the cage and cordoned her off in the dining area with a portable dog fence and went to bed. Again more blood curdling screaming. After about 5 minutes, she got real quiet, and I figured she tired herself out. The next thing I new, I felt something tapping the side of the bed. At first I thought it was Augie, but when I looked, it was the baby Bichon trying to get on the bed, so I figured what the heck, and helped her up on the bed and we all fell asleep... Herman against me on the left, the baby against me on the right, and Augie on the floor in the closet. It was great. Whatever the outcome, someone will end up with a fantastic little Bichon.