Fostering Pets [Archive] - Simple Living Forums

Geila

6-5-20, 11:51am

Hey guys - since our potential move has been cancelled due to various factors, I've decided to foster dogs. I've never fostered before, and even though what the shelter really needs is help with their many kittens (our shelter gets over 5500 kittens per year and this is kitten season), my resident cat would be a problem. She wants no other cats around. I would LOVE to have a bunch of adorbs kittens to play with.:(

I wanted to get some honest feedback from those of you who have fostered.

1. How many pets would you say is too much at one time?

2. What type of issues are the hardest to deal with? i.e., medical, behavioral, etc.

3. How was the dynamic between your pets and the fosters?

4. How were the rescue orgs in terms of providing what they said they would provide?

5. Best part... Worst part... of fostering?

6. Takeaway experience?

sweetana3

6-5-20, 12:12pm

iris lilies

6-5-20, 3:47pm

Geila

6-5-20, 6:20pm

I have four cats. When you foster, they dont run around with the home animals. They have a dedicated room for quarantine and safety. Kittens can get into very dangerous places and things.

1. Last time we had four kittens. I actually babysat them for quite a few weeks and fattened them up. 6 or 7 from one litter would have been ok. Just as hard to clean up after one or two as 6 or 7.
2 Medical is the hardest. Knowing what to look for, giving medication and weighing need to be done and careful track kept.
3 They did not interact. Interested in doing it because the kittens food smelled really good.
4. Got a lot of help. Coordinator available and worked in our spay/neuter clinic. Important to have emergency numbers and understand how emergencies are to be handled
5. Best part, watching them grow up and learn that humans are great. Worst having them leave. (take a lot of pictures.)
6. Get the book, Tiny but Mightly, which is the BEST book on raising young kittens I have found. Kitten Lady on Youtube has all kinds of videos on how to do it also.
PS I would foster kittens but that is my personal preference.

Fostering can be hard and stressful but we have such fantastic stories and memories. Our youngest was a foster failure.

sweetana - Thank you so much for the detailed response. It's very helpful. I wish I could foster kittens but I think it would be too stressful on the household. Four kittens would be heaven! Maybe someday. I will check out the book though, it sounds like a fun read. And thanks for making me think about the medical. I can see that it would be hard. I get stressed even when my own have medical issues so I can imagine that it would make everything harder. Since this is my first time fostering, maybe I should start out with a more manageable case.

Geila

6-5-20, 6:35pm

UGG I would take those two pitties over the three yapping yappers (chis) any day.But that’s me, the yapping makes me crazy.

I will come back later this evening to talk about fostering. I’ve just spent 2+ hours sitting around my patio talking to a potential adopter of my current foster dog. It went very well, we all liked her a lot she asked good questions and she interacted well with the dog.

IL - I was hoping you would reply! I have a small dog that is not yappy at all and next door has 2 chis, one is great and the other is yappy and has been my female boxer's nemesis since they met. The chis at the shelter seem traumatized and are very quiet so hopefully I'll be able to manage them. Pitties are so strong and need so much exercise that I'm hesitant about taking them on. I have nothing against the breed, I like big dogs, but pits are just very strong. I have a hard time walking them at the shelter. I don't know how much of a factor the stressful environment and confinement is in how hard they are to control.

I got more info on the pit with behavior issues and he is quite reactive and dominant with other dogs, both male and female. So I think I will pass on him, he is probably best suited to a house with a more experienced foster or as an only dog.

iris lilies

6-5-20, 7:58pm

I am lucky to be in on the ground floor of 11 -12 years of our rescue organization for English bulldogs. It is headed up by a no bullshit Alpha bitch, ha ha, I am terrified of her! But she runs a tight ship. On a scale of 1 to 10 she is a 9-10 for health knowledge at a layman level, and she’s a 10 on behavior. Having this kind of expertise to count on is wonderful.

I will try to answer your questions.

1) . I don’t know how many pets are too many, and if I start yapping about my experiences those are just endless stories that are irrelevant to your situation. Keep in mind your local ordinances about how many household pets you can have.I’m not saying you cannot exceed that, wink wink, but just keep that in mind.

2) For us the medical stuff is harder because this breed is known for their laid-back friendliness, and they have been tested for temperament by the time they come in our house. So the behavioral stuff is not too extreme. The medical stuff can be. You do have to be objective in observing and reporting to whomever you report to. In my case I report to our rescue head and then she gives me her opinion if the dog should go to our local vet up the street, or if this is a visit for our bulldog vet 40 minutes away.

3) We have almost always had a pet of some kind, usually a dog of our own when we take in foster dogs. So our dog had to be somewhat accepting which they always have been to varying degrees.

4) our head of rescue is very hands-on, she always answers her phone, and fortunately for me she doesn’t live far away so she can speed over here to eyeball a dog if that’s what I’d like her to do for a health issue.

St. Louis area has a well organized pet food pantry for 501(c)(3) organizations like ours, so I get free food. I personally always pay for routine veterinary visits to my local vet simply because that’s so much easier for me, they are less than a mile away. For very Serious stuff, we take our foster dogs to our bulldog vet who is 40 minutes away, and the rescue organization pays for that, although sometimes I do as well. I’m on the board so I throw money towards Bulldog Rescue, I don’t really worry about costs, it’s just part of my charitable contribution.

5) By far, the best part of fostering is that I get to have many dogs in the breed that I love. They are so much fun! They are so different! The foster dog I have now is a very smart and sensitive boy. Usually they’re not this smart. I am enjoying him for his high intelligence.It is fun! When it stops being fun, I will stop doing it.

The worst part is euthanizing a dog due to temperament. Even though these dogs have been temperament tested before they come into my house, sometimes they’re iffy and we know that. Of the 38 foster dogs I’ve had we have euthanized 4 of those, for temperament. Of those 4, 2 attacked me. The other 2 had weird anxiety behaviors that will not allow them to live in a normal Home.

For the takeaway I will just say as a repeat, it’s fun. I do it because it’s fun. When it stops being fun I will stop doing it.

Teacher Terry

6-5-20, 8:16pm

We haven’t fostered because we would fail. The most we have had is 4 even though it’s only legal to have 3. We have taken many that no one wants due to health, disability or behaviors.

iris lilies

6-5-20, 8:18pm

OP, it is great that you have a sense of your limitations with the big strong dogs. That’s really one of the nice things about rescue if you can identify your strengths, and then provide a solid foster home for dogs in that situation, it’s great.

For us, we like old dogs. We like middle-age to senior laid-back dogs. Of the 38 dogs I’ve had there was one who made me absolutely crazy. He went out to a foster home and it didn’t work out, and I told the rescue coordinator that he cannot come back here he’s making me crazy. He was very young and he jumped around and he was always mouthing me and ack! Nutso! So another foster home stepped up and took him, and they like young active dogs. They thought he was fun. And that worked out until He got a permanent home where he’s been for many years.

I’m pretty laid-back about dog urine. We got our rescue coordinator‘s show dog for a year because her adoptive home gave her up because she was leaking urine. Well, for me that’s not a big deal, She slept On bedding I washed every day so it all worked out. We enjoyed having her, she was a funny little old lady bulldog and she was gorgeous and we enjoyed her the year she was with us.p until she died of a heart attack.

Teacher Terry

6-5-20, 8:23pm

If you don’t have carpet it’s easier to deal with accidents. When Noki was old he would occasionally poop when sleeping or walking and he was 80lbs.

sweetana3

6-6-20, 6:05am

Love this thread about fostering. Such an important activity.

Teacher Terry

6-6-20, 12:09pm

You are doing such a good thing!!

iris lilies

6-6-20, 12:38pm

The little gray faced black one is so sweet. They are cute. People like little dogs so they should be easier to place although if they’re old for some reason people don’t like that. Those Chihuahuas live forever!

My foster dog just left my house and he’s going to go stay with a potential adopter. She has two weeks to see how he fits with her house.

Our rescue coordinator who is a good dog trainer took him for a walk this morning because I had been reporting him as being very dog aggressive. She wanted to see how he behaved on a lead with someone who didn’t let him get away with bullshit.

He was an absolute perfectly behaved dog when we took him for a walk this morning where we went up to our neighborhood park to see other dogs.But she did see that yesterday when she was here with him, saw that he has been trained already. She she says somebody put a lot of time into training this dog. He comes when asked, he heels perfectly, he does not jump up on people, takes food gently from your hands.It’s just that he didn’t have confidence in me when I was walking him and he was reactive to other dogs. Plus he’s a maniac behind the fence so he has barrier anxiety but that is real real real common. I was so proud of him to see him act like a perfect dog!

Teacher Terry

6-6-20, 1:08pm

Most of my little dogs have lived forever. Even a senior will be around for awhile. Little dogs are easier to take places, you can carry them if they have trouble walking and they eat a lot less.

Teacher Terry

6-7-20, 5:16pm

You can put a belly band on the boy with a part of a pad on it so it catches his urine. My Maltese are only 5 and 7lbs. Some Chi’s can be so tiny.

iris lilies

6-7-20, 5:28pm

Geila, so far so good! Sounds like they are doing well with you, keep it up.

Geila

6-9-20, 11:45am

You can put a belly band on the boy with a part of a pad on it so it catches his urine. My Maltese are only 5 and 7lbs. Some Chi’s can be so tiny.

Thanks for the tip. I'll check those out. Your pups are tiny! I bet they're adorable. I love fluffy little dogs.

iris lilies

6-9-20, 1:30pm

I think the tiny ones scare me. Our friends have little Yorkies that seem to weigh about as much as a bird. In contrast our smallest Frenchie, while small, felt like two bricks to pick up. She was a solid mass of bone and muscle. I would always be afraid that I’d step on the little bitty bird like dogs and crush them!

Geila

6-9-20, 1:38pm

I used my cat collars on the pups since they fit. When I've put them on the cat she simply rips them off and throws them on the floor for me to find. The collars have a bell on them and it's a great alarm system. The pups hop about me and around my feet anytime I'm up and hearing the bell has saved many a squashed toe or pup.

Teacher Terry

6-10-20, 12:52am

Little dogs learn to move and not get under foot from unpleasant experiences:))

Geila

6-12-20, 1:09pm

TT - what harnesses do you use for your littles? I'm having a heck of a time finding something that fits.

Teacher Terry

6-12-20, 1:33pm

Puppia

iris lilies

6-12-20, 2:33pm

We used a Puppia harness for Lily, our foster dog who couldnt have a collar around her neck.

Oh my gosh isn’t this cute:

https://www.chewy.com/puppia-vivien-style-dog-harness/dp/169874

Or what about this one:
https://www.chewy.com/puppia-junior-b-style-toy-small/dp/169852

I am thinking our new little girl bulldog coming in within the next couple of days will need some stylish harnesses! Usually I don’t buy my dogs junk like sweaters and clothes and toys-that-dont-last, but I think she’s going to be cute enough that we will want to dress her up.

Teacher Terry

6-12-20, 4:43pm

I like the first harness the best IL. My babies need clothes in the winter because they are cold in the house. I saved some of the clothes between dogs but Max needed a boy wardrobe. I also bought him new toys.

Geila

6-12-20, 6:59pm

How cute is this!
https://contestimg.wish.com/api/webimage/5acc7e889bda4e37b97744a4-3-large
https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1tm7ebuUXBuNjt_a0q6AysXXaH/GLORIOUS-KEK-Soft-Suede-Leather-Small-Dog-Harness-for-Puppies-Chihuahua-Yorkie-Cute-Pet-Harness-with.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/51/0a/a9/510aa9fce20784f6725d117d59cb6ec3.jpg

JaneV2.0

6-12-20, 7:22pm

I bet some of those=--like the last one--would serve the same purpose as Thundershirts.

iris lilies

6-12-20, 7:55pm

Louie belongs in a household with no other pets or children.

Geila

6-12-20, 7:56pm

Louie belongs in a household with no other pets or children.

Thanks.

Geila

6-12-20, 8:08pm

Just got off the phone with rescue, she's working on moving him.

Teacher Terry

6-12-20, 8:14pm

If the dogs are bonded they should go together. We never have certain beds that are only for a certain dog. They can lay in whatever one they want. We rescued a dog that would bully the others but luckily she couldn’t move fast so the others could get away. I worried about my son’s 2 big dogs getting sick of it but they stayed afraid of her. She also bit me a few times. I attributed that to her injury.

mschrisgo2

6-12-20, 10:05pm

Sounds like Louie may need a visit to the vet. Perhaps he is hurting some where? Grumpy behavior is often a sign of not feeling well.

It also occurs to me that he May need a home with less animals. That’s a lot for him to work through to find his place in the pack.

I’m always clear with fosters that they are at the bottom of the totem pole. I feed in order. My 3 yr old boy is first, because my girl acquiesced to him when he was about 1.5. She comes second. The girl I rescued and kept comes third, and fosters after her.

I had bad behavior, like you describe, with my rescued girl for a while. It took me a while to figure what was going on. I had gotten lazy and started setting the girls food down at the same time, one in each hand. She took that as permission to challenge and try to move up in the pack. A friend happened to stop by at doggy dinner time, and pointed out what I was doing. Arg! I know better! As soon as I corrected my behavior, she settled back into her place and all the obnoxious behavior stopped.

Dogs- can be complicated little beings.

iris lilies

6-12-20, 10:34pm

I didn’t finish my thought about poor Louie.

He may be very stressed due to of all the moving and also all the animals in your house.

But he should go to an experienced foster home With a warning that he will bite. Sounds like Miss Chris would be great! We wouldn’t be so great here ‘cause we’re kind of lackadaisical.

We have taken in two “bonded pairs” People mean well When they describe dogs this way, but I am telling you that each of these dogs would’ve been fine separating. The first bonded pair was simply two females of a similar age not raised together as puppies, who fought pretty often. I don’t think they had any particular love for each other, but they came into a county shelter from a home that intimated they were bonded.

Our set of Frenchies were mother and daughter. You would think the daughter would want to be with her mom in year 11 and 12 of her life since she had been with mom year zero through 10. But in those last two years of her life she got cranky and fought with everyone. Her heat cycles must have been hard on her. She was already 10 when we got here so didn’t want to have her spayed at such an advanced stage but it was a problem.

Geila

6-13-20, 10:56am

I bet some of those=--like the last one--would serve the same purpose as Thundershirts.

Good idea. Lucy does get cold and shivery so I got her a little hoodie and then put her fleece on top of it and she loves that. I think it makes her feel cuddled and held, the same as the Thundershirts would. Peeps around here are already shooting off fireworks even though it's illegal. Last night we had the windows all open because it was a very nice night and the poor thing got spooked. >:(

iris lilies

6-13-20, 1:39pm

If Louie was a bulldog, he would have to go to doggie heaven. Their jaws are massive and they inflict big damage on Humans..

But the little bitty biters get to live because people dont take them that seriously. Life aint fair.

I don’t know much about tiny snappy dogs other than the fact that the tiniest dog we’ve ever had here, 17 pounds, was also our biter. I don’t know how hard it is to find a home with no children, and no grandchildren, for Louie. But I do know that tiny dogs are in demand, around here anyway, so it’s not impossible to place them.

iris lilies

6-13-20, 1:42pm

The princess in pink driving car is cute!

iris lilies

6-13-20, 11:22pm

I am so glad to hear this. Fostering dogs should not be a miserable experience.

Many years ago, in the first year when we were fostering, we had a foster dog who was aggressive. Only I didn’t realize that he was too aggressive for the average home, I thought I was the problem. And in a way I was, because he did not respect me. I was a little afraid of him and he knew it, he was a big dog. He had more respect for DH. DH would turn him over on his back in submission exercises.

Sometimes I dreaded coming home from work at night to that dog.I remember one couple came from out of state to look at him. They did not take him and that this is just as well because he was not the right fit for them, the woman was weaker than I was. Also in those days I guess we considered out-of-state adoptions but now we do not do that.
There was one other woman who came over to our house to look at him, and It seemed she could handle him. She was tall and confident and I got a sense that he respected her immediately and she would not put up with shit.She chose a pitbull instead.

We were really new at this, an this dog was borderline.

After a couple more weeks and some serious talks with our rescue head, we all came to the conclusion that this dog was just too aggressive for the average home. He never bit anyone but he threatened to bite when we wanted him to do something like get off the chair. Go outside. Sit.

We did euthanize him. And with that dog I learned that I should not be miserable in my own home due to a foster dog. There’s something wrong with the dog in that situation. At best, there’s something wrong with the dog being a match for me.

I mentioned earlier that there was another dog who made me miserable, but that’s not because he was aggressive, it was because he was super happy and always always always moving and mouthing me and chewing on my hand and just hyper. This damn dog was hyper. We were not the right foster home for him and that’s OK, not all foster homes fit all dogs.

Teacher Terry

6-14-20, 1:08am

What I have done with big dogs that threaten to bite is to get the leash and they happily comply to what you want them to do. Some of what I have read is really sad.

Geila

6-14-20, 2:35pm

I do think it's important to know your own boundaries and what kind of pet guardian you can be. We're a very soft household (well, except for the cat), so knowing that any kind of aggression is going to be problematic, I can use that information going forward and make decisions accordingly. And I'm finding that dogs, like people, let you know who they are if you pay attention. The dog growled at dh the first time he tried to gently pet him and several times after that. Next time that happens I'll let the rescue know that I can hold the dog for a few days while they find a new foster home for him.

And, like IL pointed out, what might be a great match is all relative to the creatures involved, humans included. Our wonderful, amazing, unforgettable, still miss him 7 years later dog was returned by no less than 3 families before we adopted him. He was a huge puppy retriever/chow mix and young families kept adopting him for their kids to cuddle with, I assume. When he proved to be mildly destructive when bored, like all young dogs, and when he didn't want to be chased around by kids (chows are a bit aloof), and required daily walks, and was afraid of white men because one of them had clearly hit him in the past, they returned him to the shelter saying they didn't have enough time to care for him.

We were the perfect home for him. We socialized him heavily and he outgrew his fear of white men, we cautioned the young nieces/nephews that he didn't like being chased, and with 3 adults in the house we were able to exercise him enough to minimize the destructiveness when he was left alone all day while we were at work. We had him for 14 years and every single day wondered how we got so lucky and how anyone could have returned him to the shelter.

iris lilies

6-14-20, 3:12pm

My most beloved cat ever was like that, she had been returned by adopters who said “All she does is sit there.”

ummm, yeah!She was my Buddha cat. She exuded peace, calm, and happiness by cat-smiling and never moving. She was Zen and In The Now, inspirational to me! Boring to the family that returned her.

JaneV2.0

6-14-20, 5:18pm

Hooray for Louie--hope that adoption works out!

Geila

6-15-20, 3:28pm

Now that the boy is out of the picture, little Lucy is starting to blossom. I didn't realize how much he overpowered and intimidated her. She's become a happy and relaxed little thing. Before she mainly kept herself out of the way, tucked into one of the beds in the corner. Now she's constantly making us laugh. Dh is falling in love with her too; she's the gentle cuddle bug that he wishes the cat was. Oh, IL - we too want a Buddha cat!

And so far (don't want to jinx it), the three dogs are a very happy pack. I need to get her to the vet. Her breath stinks and one of her anal glands was impacted, had to express it myself when I brought them home. She was constantly scooting and clearly uncomfortable. The gland excretion as very thick and dark and the gland was difficult to express. Clearly the shelter didn't check her. I want to vet to check her out. They came from a different shelter than I normally work with and they did a poor job on both of them.

And I think she's developing cataracts because she squints all the time and her eyes are cloudy. Poor baby. But despite it all, she is the sweetest thing.

Teacher Terry

6-16-20, 12:26am

Super cute! It’s great that you knew how to express her anal gland. I have no clue.

iris lilies

6-16-20, 7:27am

Lucy is doing well with you. She is a nice little thing.

talula

6-17-20, 9:20am

How long is too long to foster dogs? Is there a time period that is considered too long?

iris lilies

6-17-20, 9:43am

How long is too long to foster dogs? Is there a time period that is considered too long?
With our rescue group, a dog is fostered until it is stabilized meaning we have assessed health and temperament. That can take a couple of weeks, but it may not be that long if we know and trust the stated background of the pet.

It can take another couple of weeks to locate a potential adopter, check out their references, arrange for meet and greets, and Send a pet there for a test run.
I recently had a foster pet for 4+ months. Much of that was due to COVID-19 lockdown. But we want to get his health stabilized as well.

The longest foster I had was one year. I was in no hurry to offload her and I decided to keep her at the end of the year, and then she began to attacking my own dog in earnest. She had always been rough with him but she decided she wasn’t going to leave him alone. While he was bigger than she was, he really didn’t want to fight, he was a nice old boy, he just wanted peace and quiet. So she had to go. I miss her like crazy, but I know that she went to a home that’s better for her because they had children and she was a young dog who like kids.

Teacher Terry

6-17-20, 10:54am

I have friends that foster for small rescues and the agreement is that the dogs are kept until a home is found. Since both specialize in seniors the reality is that many never leave.

iris lilies

6-17-20, 11:19am

For some stupid reason I had in my head, years ago, the idea that small dogs would not be as much trouble or resource intensive as big dogs. So that’s why I agreed to take six Frenchies all at once, my logic being 3 of these 20 pound dogs are about equal to one of my 60 pound dogs.

I’m not sure why I was such an idiot. Let’s just say that idea was false.

Teacher Terry

6-17-20, 11:30am

IL, that’s funny.

iris lilies

6-17-20, 11:43am

IL, that’s funny.
It was too bad really. I couldn’t give the Frenchies the individual attention they needed because it was just kind a mass production Frenchie care factory around here for a while.

Teacher Terry

6-17-20, 11:48am

I have a friend that always has anywhere from 6-11 poms. It’s her whole life. She grooms them and her house is immaculate. We went to visit and had 17 dogs between us with zero issues.

iris lilies

6-17-20, 12:41pm

I have a friend that always has anywhere from 6-11 poms. It’s her whole life. She grooms them and her house is immaculate. We went to visit and had 17 dogs between us with zero issues.
good lord, 17!

I should’ve had my friend with all of her wiener dogs come when we had the house full of Frenchies, but even then I’m not sure we would’ve beat your record of 17.

Teacher Terry

6-17-20, 12:52pm

She was babysitting 2 poms, we had 4 and she had 11. Noki was 80lbs and her smallest dog was 3lbs. That poor guy sat and laid down in slow motion and never squished anyone. The little dogs would run over him and he didn’t move. Noki was so smart and she was surprised how careful he was.

Geila

6-17-20, 1:35pm

Wow, I thought I was being bold by taking in 2 when I already have 3 of my own. I cannot imagine 17 together or even bringing in 6 new ones at once. That's a lot of poop to pick up!

Dropped off Miss Lucy at the vets for a full workup, teeth cleaning, and exam. She has pica (found her chewing/eating gravel and sticks), possibly diabetes (lots of drinking and peeing, plus she eats plenty of food but is very scrawny), probably cataracts (squinting, cloudy eyes), and a noted heart murmur from shelter (though they did not note grade), and has lots of chocking fits where she sounds like she can't breathe. Vet's going to do blood tests and full exam. Had to write everything down for him to make sure he didn't miss anything. Poor little thing.

On the plus side, she was a doll in the car on the way there and didn't seem scared at all to be there, even after the resident cat hissed at her. There seems to be some mutual natural animosity between cats and tiny dogs. The cat has never hissed at any of my other pets when I take them in. And my cat has let it be known that she's not very happy about her presence, though she mainly just keeps away and gives her the stink eye.

Geila

6-18-20, 1:05pm

Miss Lucy does not have diabetes, vet thinks the symptoms are from stress and the medical procedures she had done recently. And her blood work was good. That's the good news. However, her cataracts are quite advanced and he thinks she will lose her sight in the next year or two. She's not a good candidate for surgery due to her heart condition, she has a grade 3 murmur. He said she might not survive the surgery. And the surgery would be $5k per eye. So the best we can do is give her twice daily eye drops for pain, inflammation, and light sensitivity. The shelter had her age at 7 yrs., vet thinks she's at least 12. Lots of missing teeth.

Now I have to find her resting respiratory rate to see if she needs heart medication.

He said she's underweight so I need to fatten her up a bit. Luckily, she's been eating really well and I'm giving her good quality food. Hope to see improvements soon.

I had been thinking that she might be a foster fail for me because she is doing so well with us. She is so happy. This morning she was dancing around in her little hoodie after her morning walk and her breakfast and treat. And my dogs love her. But my boxer is a bit of a bull in a china shop kind of dog. No grace to speak of, often crashes into the patio door in her haste to get in and out, regularly jumps over both of the small dogs instead of going around them. I fear that she'll accidentally hurt Lucy if Lucy's blind.

I'm so sad for her. I wonder if we'll be able to find her a good home before she goes blind. Vet said it's best if she gets settled in and learns the house layout before she looses her sight.

Teacher Terry

6-18-20, 1:09pm

When dogs are in that bad of shape and that old my friends just keep them. Might be a good idea to do that.

Geila

6-18-20, 1:48pm

You don't think my boxer will hurt her? I'm wondering if she would be better off being an only pet, or with another small pet.

A few minutes ago she was doing a happy play bow to my maltipoo, tail wagging and butt shaking. It was adorable. And then she chased him a little for fun. I just want to do what's best for her.

Teacher Terry

6-18-20, 2:02pm

I think the chance of her finding a home are about zero. I don’t think the boxer will. I saw noki who was old jump over the little dogs to avoid stepping on them.

Geila

6-18-20, 8:02pm

I think the chance of her finding a home are about zero.

:(

Teacher Terry

6-18-20, 10:04pm

�� Sorry

Geila

6-19-20, 10:48am

Dh and I are coming around to the idea of keeping Lucy if we can't find her a good home. Realistically, we know that we would not get rid of her if we can't get her adopted. I've been reading articles about caring for blind dogs and one of the tips was to have the other pets and humans wear bells so she knows where we are. I like that and if Bella the boxer can be trusted around her I will feel better. I'm going to ask the vet how much eyesight she's lost so far to see what adjustments need to be made now.

The secondary concern is our moving. I really, really want to get out of the Bay Area. So whether we head out to Atlanta or the Central Valley, I'd like to be out within the next couple of years. It's very possible that when/if we move, she will already be blind.

I'm trying to make the adjustment from trying out fostering for the first time, to taking on a blind senior dog in less than a 2 week period. :confused: You guys said chihuahuas live forever, right? :|(

iris lilies

6-19-20, 11:27am

Beware of those tiny old dogs who live forever! :)

When we took in the six French bulldogs, DH and I kept the eldest two, a mother and daughter because how long could they live? Not that long, we thought.

Well I will tell you something. The eldest Frenchie in the group was 12 years old. Guess who died within the next four years? The five other Frenchies. Chablis, aka Granny Pants, outlived them all at age 16.

We knew their exact ages because they were from the kennel of our friends.

sweetana3

6-19-20, 11:48am

If you move and are worried about a bind dog adapting, they have these special devices now: https://www.amazon.com/Haploon-Harness-Collision-Confidence-Accessories/dp/B07VVLL4V5

Teacher Terry

6-19-20, 12:23pm

Most of my little dogs lived to 15. One was between 18-20. My favorite of course died at 12. A friend of mine adopted a old blind basset hound and it took him only a couple days to figure out the house, yard and doggie door.

Geila

6-19-20, 2:19pm

The hard part for me is making the decision to commit to her care long term. On the one hand, I really, really like her and she is so happy and adapting so well here. On the other, it's a big commitment. My other pets are super easy, now that my boxer is on her meds. And I feel like I would be starting over again. Kinda like having a new kid in middle age. I feel selfish about wanting to preserve my easy lifestyle.

I'm assuming she might live to 20, but if I take TT's average and look at it as a 3 year commitment, that feels a lot more doable.

Teacher Terry

6-19-20, 4:20pm

One of my rescues died at 9. So the average goes down more:))

Geila

6-19-20, 6:01pm

One of my rescues died at 9. So the average goes down more:))

Now I feel like I'm rooting for an early demise.>8) Which is not the case. :D. More good news, Lucy does not need heart medication at this time. I have a call scheduled tonight with the rescue org to talk about the medical issues and her adoption possibilities.

Tybee

6-19-20, 6:30pm

My youngest dog to die of natural causes was seven. Too soon, sweetie.

Teacher Terry

6-19-20, 9:34pm

My youngest died at 3 -5 weeks after getting her. Thank goodness we drove hours to Davis California and her brain tissue is part of a national study to help other Maltese. If it wasn’t for the breeder she would have died here and we never would have known why. Because of this all her relatives are no longer getting vaccinated. Also every dog in the line was sterilized.

iris lilies

6-20-20, 7:53am

Well friends, here’s a turn of events I did not anticipate: I am questioning if our new dog is really the right fit for us.

There. i ‘ve said it to the world. I talked to DH about her yesterday. I have not talked to our Head if Rescue yet about my doubts.

Keep in mind that our little dog has MANY choices for a home, there is no lack of people to take her.

i have some serious soul searching to do.

Geila

6-20-20, 9:32am

IL - what's causing your doubts?

iris lilies

6-20-20, 9:53am

IL - what's causing your doubts?

I’m not a puppy mom. I like adult dogs.

This one, Bitsy, is The Generic Puppy. I don’t know any way other than to say It this way: I don’t know who she is.

I wish I could catch a glimpse of her three years down the road To see what she looks like, to see who she’s developed into. Right now she’s a happy, confident puppy. Why would anybody want anything more than this?

That is my huge dilemma.

I do not intellectually expect her to be my heart dog. My heart dog died in January and I know another one will not come along for years. But I would like a companion dog to move in with us, and for us to know who they are. Any number of dogs over the years, and we’ve had many, I would like to have as a companion dog.

DH does not want to give her up.

Teacher Terry

6-20-20, 10:44am

3 months after my heart dog died I got a puppy as I was tired of old dogs. He ended up being my heart dog. You just never know.

Geila

6-20-20, 1:49pm

I’m not a puppy mom. I like adult dogs.

This one, Bitsy, is The Generic Puppy. I don’t know any way other than to say It this way: I don’t know who she is.

I wish I could catch a glimpse of her three years down the road To see what she looks like, to see who she’s developed into. Right now she’s a happy, confident puppy. Why would anybody want anything more than this?

That is my huge dilemma.

I do not intellectually expect her to be my heart dog. My heart dog died in January and I know another one will not come along for years. But I would like a companion dog to move in with us, and for us to know who they are. Any number of dogs over the years, and we’ve had many, I would like to have as a companion dog.

DH does not want to give her up.

How bout 2 dogs? Bitsy for DH and an older one for you?

iris lilies

6-20-20, 2:31pm

How bout 2 dogs? Bitsy for DH and an older one for you?

yeah, that’s what I told DH last night. I still may need a big,, grownup dog. Would have to be a boy since we in rec ue do not placing bitches together under the same roof.

Geila

6-20-20, 4:41pm

yeah, thatÂ’s what I told DH last night. I still may need a big,, grownup dog. Would have to be a boy since we in rec ue do not placing bitches together under the same roof.

There you have it. Problem solved. :)

Teacher Terry

6-20-20, 5:17pm

She’s a cutie:))

iris lilies

6-20-20, 5:19pm

Awwwww, such good news about Lucy!

Geila

6-20-20, 6:13pm

Ok, so last night we had some loud fireworks just after we went to bed. Lucy was in her crate next to my bed and they scared her. She barked a bit but then quieted and I heard her fussing with her blankets before she settled down. I didn't think anything of it because she likes to burrow and sometimes it takes her a while before she decides it's perfect. Then she slept all through the night.

This morning I found that she pooped in her bed and she covered the poop with her second blanket so that she could sleep on clean bedding. It was a lot of poop and liquid too, so I'm guessing the fright caused a bout of diarrhea because of her age. She hasn't had any loose bowels before, in fact she usually strains to go. And I took her out twice before bed. She hasn't had any accidents overnight before.

Since the fireworks are going to continue and get worse, and since she's only going to get older, I want to buy her diapers for sleeping. I've never needed diapers before though. What brands do you guys recommend?

iris lilies

6-20-20, 6:17pm

Have no experience with diapers, sorry.

Geila

6-20-20, 6:23pm

Thanks, IL. That's actually good news, means they're not needed all that often.

Just saw that diapers don't work that well on poop. They're really more for pee. Makes sense, with the tail being right there. I guess I'll just use washables in her crate. I'm also going to make some modifications to her crate to see if that helps. Worst case scenario, I can give her a tiny bit of anxiety med until the fireworks are over. Vet said that as her vision diminishes her sense of hearing and smell become amplified.

iris lilies

6-22-20, 1:04pm

Well, things got more complicated with Bitsy. We are not keeping her.

She came into rescue with GI tract problems, diagnosed with xrays as cat litter in her colon. She has had diarrhea off and of while in her foster home. The first 4 days she was here, her stools were soft but normal for her.

BUT—she eats EVERTHING while out in our yard: all plants. Fruits on the ground. Sticks. And at the moment we have apricots and apples, will have apples into the fall on the ground. Eating all of these things has caused her diarrhea to return.

I will not police her eating. I want a dog who I can leave out in our fenced yard, unsupervised. I will not take her out on a leash multiple times a day for years uNtil she grows out of this.

It is not the plants I mind being chewed on because that is just normal dog destruction and I am used to having some plants destroyed by dogs every year, just part of the dog ownership game. It is my own time and attention that will be required to potty her 5-6 times a day that I mind, and then, for her, if she manages to gulp down two apples That could could throw her system off whack again.

This whole thing is funny/ironic because this is the perfect (happy, confident, healthy, typey) puppy (what everyone wants) in the size we have specified we like (small.) And this is not our dog! Doh!

so, we are keeping her for the week to settle down her tummy. Will be leash pottying her for 2 days, and then we will go to
hermann where her potty yard is tiny and has nothing to chew on other than grass. I want to get her stomach settled before we hand her off to someone else.

Tybee

6-22-20, 1:22pm

iris lilies

6-22-20, 1:54pm

That's too bad, Iris. I had a dog like that that ate EVERYTHING. She even ate money that she found falling out of a pocket on the clothesline. We had to take the half money to the bank and they replaced it, luckily.
The maddening thing is with Bitsy she is good in the house! She does vacuum up,with her mouth, anything on the floor, but I keep our floors swept. She does not chew furniture or rugs or her bedding or etc.

She will make someone a perfect apartment dog. She doesn’t bark.

Geila

6-22-20, 4:06pm

Well, now Bitsy can go to the right home for her with the information you can provide. It's nice of you to keep her until her tummy issues are resolved. And someone will be very grateful to get her.

Now to find your wonderful older dog! The fun begins. :)

Over here, Lucy aka Cupcake is doing great. She did very well last night despite some loud fireworks and this morning she's a spunky playful little thing. Yesterday I didn't walk them, it was too hot by the time we were up and about, and I noticed she coughed and hacked more than usual. I'm going to see if exercise helps with her heart issues. I'm just amazed at what a sweet little thing she is and how well she's blended into our dog pack. They love to curl up together and sunbathe.

Have I thanked you guys for all your help and wisdom? :thankyou: