Foster Rollercoaster

[I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO]

Like everyone else, I try to do special things with my dog when I have a foster. He sleeps in our room and the foster is crated in another room. We go to agility class one night a week, we go to trials by ourselves if they are local, and sometimes my husband will take Mikko to the dog park by himself.

I ended up asking if there was another foster home for a dog several months ago. We had him for almost three months and not a single person had shown any interest in him. He was a mix and was priced at the purebred BC prices and we lived three hours away from the rescue. He had really bad leash aggression and we live in a place that we walk our dog everywhere and there are a lot of other dogs walking. And we didn't want to take him to agility trials- but we travel a lot for them. He was really affecting our lifestyle and Mikko's lifestyle. We didn't feel that he was getting anywhere with us and not long after he left for another foster home, closer to the rescue, he was adopted.

Yet, my last foster- a GSD- we fell in love with and wanted to keep so badly.

[Bridget]

I so understand what you are going through. We have our first foster, a little terrier. We are not the best foster scenario because two of our three dogs are dog aggressive, so have to share the loose-in-the-house time with Ashley. We agreed to foster Ashley temporarily, as she was confiscated from a bad situation, it was supposed to be for about ten weeks. We have now had her for four and a half months. I agree that we will most likely have to "market" Ashley ourselves, as being in a foster home makes her not as high a priority to the shelter director as the dogs who live in the shelter. Which makes sense, but doesn't help us much. (I think the director figures we will eventually adopt her anyway LOL!)

I am finding that you are walking a fine line with fostering: you have to keep a mental distance for the dog's sake and for your own, but at the same time the reason for fostering is largely to give the foster dog a family life and learning experiences. So you can't keep her completely out of the family.

Sometimes I feel sorry for my own dogs, that this isn't fair to them. Other times, I feel like they are so very lucky and it doesn't hurt them to make the sacrifice. I'm not much help except I know just how you feel. Rollercoaster....yep.

[wildo]

Thanks everyone- glad to know this is normal...

I have not yet decided to label Gretchen as "adoptable." The HS told me the two criterion we should use for Gretchen's adaptability are:

1. Can she be walked in public without shutting down
2. Can she be left alone in a crate without going insane, hurting herself, or attempting to escape

I would definitely label her adoptable on criterion #1, but I'm not ready to concede #2. Until I've had a chance to test her in a wire crate for a period of time, I don't feel it satisfactory to call her "adoptable." Having said that- I think she's come a long way and I'm surprised how little time it's taken. If the HS can supply me a wire crate to work with, I'd probably be willing to mark her adoptable in a few weeks depending on her crate behavior. She is not currently listed anywhere such as PetFinder or on the HS website.

Thank you all for your suggestions on separating the two. I do try to keep the lifestyles separate, but sometimes it's not enough. In a lot of ways, Pimg is very much an "only child" and while that might be anthropomorphic, I really think it's true. She doesn't enjoy the company and she barely tolerates it. I think she's kind of getting sick of Gretchen and her lack of focus while training last night seems to indicate such. And to be honest- I'm sick of hearing my dog growl all the time... She's very socialized, but she just doesn't like the company. (Pimg is not DA; I don't want that to be taken the wrong way.)

I guess I'm just hitting the apparently normal period of "get this dog outta here please!" Of course I'll work through it... I do like the suggestion of possibly finding a place for Gretchen to stay for a day on a weekly basis. That could really be nice!

[wildo]

Wow! Just the pick-me-up I needed!

Just got a response from the foster coordinator who apologized for the delay in response. She found me TWO large wire crates (I have my pick), has put in for a refill on the Prozac, and is also getting a HW preventative together. Additionally she's floored by Gretchen's progress.

(And as it were, she's also the owner of a GSD from a particularly popular kennel on these forums, and we have scheduled a meet & greet with her dog [to meet the dog- of course I've already met her].)

ummm... SWEET!!

[Lilie]

Great news, Willy! I'm glad things have taken on a better light.