bartshan-83 Posted December 14, 2010 Posted December 14, 2010 So I just agreed to foster a rescue dog for the holidays (and maybe beyond). I'm excited but a little freaked out. I posted awhile back in some dog thread about how my wife and I had adopted our first rescue dog this past spring. He (Dewey) was a mess...completely frightened of people, noises, new places, everything. I'm very happy to say that he has made leaps and bounds over the past 6 months. He's still a jittery guy and he acts in ways that I think are very atypical of your normal dog. But he has become so much more comfortable and playful. It's like night and day from last June. The place we adopted him from still sends occasional emails regarding updates and sometimes about dogs and cats that need temporary fostering. My wife always forwards them to me with some sort of smiley-face. I've held strong and not given in, but this last one was just too much. Apparently the adoption center does their last pickup of the year this Saturday and he was the last dog left. And if no one could take him, he was going to have to go back to the shelter alone for the holidays in an outdoor kennel. We just have a townhouse, a jittery dog and a neurotic cat, so I hope this new guy doesn't expect the Plaza Hotel. But I'm pretty excited about this experience. Nothing like an extra family member for the holidays... Anyway, now that I've rambled on about how wonderful I am , does anyone have any experience with fostering pets? We're getting him (Melbourne is his name) in a few days so we're shooting from the hip. He sounds a lot like our current dog (shy and neglected) so I'm thinking aggression won't be a problem. Here is the link to his profile...cute little guy! Melbourne Any stories/advice would be great. And plenzmd1, my thoughts are still with you and your lost dog. I know it's gonna work out!
The Senator Posted December 14, 2010 Posted December 14, 2010 Is he housebroken? If not, Jerry Sullivan's column might finally be useful for something.
dgrid Posted December 14, 2010 Posted December 14, 2010 (edited) very cool Bartshan! watching him improve will be rewarding. Dogs dont give a crap about Plaza Hotel, long as they have a good pack to hang w/. The neurotic cat will tracked, hunted, and herded by that dog! Australian Shepherd / Beagle mix? as a beagle owner & knowledgable of Aussie's, I'll say ya got your hands full! DAILY exercise will be mandatory, not even an option. Until he's maybe 10 yrs old or so. Edited December 14, 2010 by dgrid
DrDawkinstein Posted December 14, 2010 Posted December 14, 2010 Awesome news Bart! Congrats and kudos for taking on the lil guy. Dont have much to offer as advice, you seem to know what you're getting into. Best of luck, and hang in there through Melbourne's adjustment period. Give him a great home, and dont get TOO attached, unless you're ready to keep him!
The Dean Posted December 15, 2010 Posted December 15, 2010 I'll say ya got your hands full! DAILY exercise will be mandatory, not even an option. Until he's maybe 10 yrs old or so. This. Prepare to be herded! You're doing a great thing, Bart and hopefully you will be rewarded.
plenzmd1 Posted December 15, 2010 Posted December 15, 2010 Bartshan--awesome and bully for you!! You all are doing a truly valuable service for these critters and for your community . As I am sure you know, size of the house means nothing as long as the they get their exercise. Thanks for the good thoughts
TheMadCap Posted December 15, 2010 Posted December 15, 2010 The wife and I thought about doing this once as well, after we settled in with our rescue dog. However, once she got pregnant with our son, these plans kind of fell apart. Good job, and good luck!
Alaska Darin Posted December 15, 2010 Posted December 15, 2010 Don't introduce the visiting dog to your dog inside your house. Let them get used to each other at a neutral site. Make sure you keep the new dog leashed to you (tethered) for a little while so he knows who the pack leader is. You may need to leash your current dog for awhile too, just to keep him from feeling he has to figure out that you're totally in charge.
bartshan-83 Posted December 21, 2010 Author Posted December 21, 2010 UPDATE We got Melbourne on Saturday night. Interesting process. The local adoption organization targets high-kill shelters in other states. They try to get foster families for as many dogs as possible and then do periodic runs where they have the dogs driven up in vans. So at 9pm on Saturday, we were told to meet in the parking lot of a local Bob Evans ( ) and sure enough, two minivans pulled up with crates stacked to the ceiling. They would call out the peoples names and we'd come get our dog and some instructions. Pretty cool! As advertised, he is very very people shy. But he's actually far better socialized than the dog we did adopt last spring so in a lot ways, this is easier. We were told he is an Australian Shepherd/Beagle mix but that ain't the case. Definitely Aussie, but I'm getting part Pit or maybe bull dog. He's got that Pit chest and he is STRONG for a little guy! But he is so sweet and calm and already seems to be getting used to our house. And our dog loves him, they play all morning while I get ready. I'm actually hoping we can get his permanent adoption rolling soon so he doesn't get too adjusted to us and vice versa. I'm already getting a bit more attached than I'd like... Anyway, here is new picture of him. We've been calling him Bernie (as in Melbourne) since he responds better. Melbourne aka Bernie
The Dean Posted December 22, 2010 Posted December 22, 2010 Anyway, here is new picture of him. We've been calling him Bernie (as in Melbourne) since he responds better. Melbourne aka Bernie Looks like a real sweetheart. Best of luck!
boyst Posted December 22, 2010 Posted December 22, 2010 ... Definitely Aussie... Growing up with Aussies I am jealous. They are brilliant dogs and can take care of themselves very well. He will definately give you a work out and I am sure he loves being outdoors. I will be curious to find out if he hates water like most Aussies I have encountered. How does he react around other dogs?
DrDawkinstein Posted December 22, 2010 Posted December 22, 2010 UPDATE Melbourne aka Bernie BAAAH, what an awesome little guy!! Sounds like things are going well from the start. Next is just getting to the point where you decide to keep him for good!
aussiew Posted December 22, 2010 Posted December 22, 2010 (edited) Aussies are always friendly and loveable. God bless you for fostering. Edited December 22, 2010 by aussiew
Nanker Posted December 23, 2010 Posted December 23, 2010 Great story Bartshan! Dogs = Love And that's a two-way street.
bartshan-83 Posted January 10, 2011 Author Posted January 10, 2011 **UPDATE - Bernie is LOST** For those who didn't see the original post, I began fostering a rescue dog about 3 weeks ago. I was thrilled when my wife's uncle (a truly consummate animal lover) decided to adopt him last week. We did the official "exchange" on Friday night. It was a fun and enriching process, if not a bit stressful. Plus it was bittersweet to see him go. But we were so excited that he was staying in the family so we could see him from time to time. Yesterday morning, Bernie pulled some crazy houdini act and broke off his tether and used a compost pile to scale the fence in his new yard. It all happened in a matter of seconds apparently. My wife's uncle (John) gave chase, but Bernie is already super timid so he ran away. His neighborhood backs up to some train tracks and Bernie squeezed through some brush and made it to the tracks. By the time John was able to find a way through the bramble, Bernie was nowhere to be found. I spent pretty much all day outside yesterday looking for him in the general area. If he followed the train-tracks, he could be dozens of miles away by now though. We've made fliers, contacted all the right organizations and I'm gonna head back out there after work. I'm just really broken up because even though he had already been adopted, he still feels like my dog. I hate that he is out there in the freezing winter weather and that because he was only at his new home for a day or two, that he might not know how to get back. Anyway, I was hoping to end this little series of LAMPs with a positive adoption story. Reading about plenzmd1 losing his dog a few weeks back really sucked and now I'm totally feeling it. I just wanted to vent a little and ask any animal lovers to say a little prayer that Bernie turns up safely. Apologies for a depressing Monday post. Thanks. ~Bart Bernie sleeping in the car
plenzmd1 Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 Man, this sucks, my heart goes out to ou and our uncle. If he has not done so, I would absolutely do this service. It is a bit pricey, but i really thnk it helps. http://www.findtoto.com/ Also, found out even if he had a collar and tags on, you need to go to the shelters to see if he might be there. Many people have called to shelters to see if heir dog is there. Not the shelters fault, but sometimes people up front are just not aware of all the dogs in the back. I hope for the best here.
KD in CA Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 (edited) I hadn't seen this thread until now; very sad update to a great story. I hope he turns up safe and soon Bart. Keep us posted. Bernie sleeping in the car p.s. he's a great looking dog. Edited January 10, 2011 by KD in CT
Beerball Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 I hadn't seen this thread until now; very sad update to a great story. I hope he turns up safe and soon Bart. Keep us posted. p.s. he's a great looking dog. Same here, I somehow missed the original. Hope you find him Bart!
bartshan-83 Posted January 11, 2011 Author Posted January 11, 2011 ***UPDATE - Bernie has been FOUND*** WOW! So after a day and a half of searching, calling, etc., some good samaritan came across the goofball crossing the road on his way to work. Craziness is two-fold: 1. Judging by where he got lost, which direction he initially headed and where he wound up, I estimate he walked at minimum 15-20 miles over 36 hours. 2. He was found on the road less than 1/4 mile from where I work! I literally could have gone outside to the road and seen it happen. Where he escaped is about 6 miles away. A small part of me would like to believe that he was trying to find his foster dad! Anyway, alls well that ends well. The crazy boy came back with a slight limp and looking a little leaner, but he seemed no worse for the wear. I was seriously fear for the worst with the weather and a snow storm coming tonight. What a great feeling. Thanks for all your well wishes! So to conclude this LAMP thread, fostering a dog was an incredibly rewarding experience. We're definitely going to take a break from it for awhile because it was quite a bit more emotionally taxing than we expected. But maybe sometime we'll do it again. Cheers to Bernie....pictured asleep in his new home after his big day out.
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