cowanbree Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Have you considered fostering for the guide dogs or similar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwioz Posted January 3, 2013 Author Share Posted January 3, 2013 I have done this and it does work. The vet issue, I just took her to the owners vet and they had an account with them, I didn't pay for anything and this included a snake bite. I received a payment in my bank account once a month to cover her expenses such as food ect. Even giving her back at the end, wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, because all the way along, I was giving her back, if that makes sense. I still fell for her, hook, line and sinker, but constantly knew she wasn't mine in the end. It's a bit like when you fall for your friends dog, you love seeing them and playing with them, but they're not yours. If the circumstances are right for you then go for it. Thanks it's nice to hear a positive experience and know that it can work if done right. I'm glad it was a success for you - and I do know what you mean about knowing all along they're not your dog. Cowanbree fostering is on my list, particularly greyhounds as I fostered for gap back in brissy. At the moment my fences aren't sufficient but we're trying to see how we could fix them up. For those that have recommended giving Finn time, and expressed concern about how he'd feel when I gave the dog back - wouldn't fostering be worse? Like I say I used to foster but Finn and cal always had each other at the end of the day. Is fostering disruptive for your dog when you only have the one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarperLee Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I only read your post and haven't read all the others - started but could see some were advising you to stay well clear of this. I personally think it is a brilliant idea, especially if after the long-term stay your dog and the homestayer can still catch up, meet up - be friends. Then neither will think that the other hasn't disappeared from their life. I am particularly passionate about this, hence why I didn't read on, because I was in a very similar situation myself - needing someone I could rely on to 'babysit' my two cats for up to two years. There was no way I was going to give them up, but as I was going to Vietnam, there was no way I would take them on my posting. I was so fortunate as the person I had in mind to babysit them, my first preference, is a friend who adores cats, didn't have any at the time and was going through kitty kat withdrawals. Anthony loved and cared for my kitties - even got approval for them through his Body Corporate. He treated them like his own, but knew when the time came he had to return them. They developed a very special bond with him. And, as soon as they were handed over he went and got one for himself! (a rescue of course). I can't begin to explain the relief for me, knowing that someone I trusted, cared for myself was prepared to take on my kitty kats and return them. I was advised by colleagues more experienced than I in overseas posting that it just wouldn't happen and you have to be prepared to give them up forever. Too tough for me. Finding someone to take on two cats is challenge (one is ok, but two - almost one too many perhaps), and I suspect finding someone to take on a dog is also tough. I say go for it! You will have a wonderful friend in both the owner and dog for life - because it means so much to them. Giving the doggy up, in my view, means they just don't care. And the reality is - it isn't easy or possible to take dogs on postings. Many of my friends only select postings where it is possible to take four-legged kids. And, I don't know if you know how tough this is - you just can't tell your Department 'I want to go here'. They decide when and where you will be posted. Staff really don't get a selection. I say go for it! It will be a wonderful journey for all! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDJ Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I completely understand where both parties are coming from, but something else to consider very carefully is what happens if your situation changes Whilst there could be no changes on the horizen for you at the moment, no one truly knows what their situation will be next week, let alone in 2 years time. What would happen if (heaven forbid the bad, lets hope for the good :-) ) - you win cross lotto and will be able to retire and do heaps of travelling - one dog is fine, two is not so easy - somthing happens to your current dog, and the temporary one becomes the only one there - there is a significant health issue/scare in your household - this can have major impacts to peoples time, money, energy etc - your family (or employment) situation changes, and you need to move states, have a relative come live with you or whatever - the neighbour from hell moves in next door and you suddenly need to be concerned for your dogs safety, or need to keep him/them confined differently - etc I understand that if these things happened it would impact you regardless of how many dogs you had. But decisions can be made more easily if you are dealing with dogs who are yours. Imagine something significant happening and you needed to re home your pet. If they are yours, you can make the choices, etc. etc. If however you are looking after someone elses dog, that is not possible. It sounds like this person is in a very difficult situation, and on the surface, could be a win/win. So I would not discount it if you think it could work. But definately look at all scenarios first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwioz Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 HarperLee thanks so much for sharing your experience, that's awesome it worked so well for you. Whether it ends up being with me or not, I really hope this girl manages to make it work as well as you did! I hadn't really thought about the aspect of staying in touch with/friends with the owner and dog, that is a lovely side to it and would be a great bonus if it all went well. BDJ considering my own situation changing is a very valid point, and something I'd have to consider myself as well as discuss with her. Though some of those things you've mentioned are easier in this situation than getting a 'permanent' new dog of my own. For example if something (god forbid) happened to Finn, I wouldn't be too worried about only having the temporary one as it would be for a set amount of time. But when thinking about getting a second dog, it has occurred to me that even if I try to time it right and get a dog about his age, something awful could happen to him and I end up still with a dog for the next 8-10 years! But ending up in the situation where I couldn't have dogs at all would have to be thought about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Obviously, there are certain issues to be thought about and arrangements made to cover such things as medical, but all in all, I think we over analyse. None of us knows what is down the track. Of course, we can plan, but plans can only be guidelines. I still say, go with your heart Kiwioz :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwioz Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 Fair point DD :) It is hard sometimes to strike a balance between sensible planning and overthinking. It's like how people say if they waited for the perfect time to have kids or buy a house they would never do it. I need to think carefully about this and decide if it is right for me, and make sure certain precautions are put in place, but sometimes it is good to take a (well-considered) plunge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Fostering for service dog programs is actually a lot of work. Often there are restrictions such as not leaving the dog for more than 3 hours without human company, attending regular training session, not playing with them in a certain way, certian sleeping arrangements etc. So you may not have much say in how the pup is raised. Fostering for a good rescue group may be more suitable. Then at least you have the option to keep the dog if you fall in love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwioz Posted January 5, 2013 Author Share Posted January 5, 2013 Sorry aussielover I think the service bit came from someone else's story - this is just a dog belonging to someone going overseas :) But you are still right that fostering means I have the option to keep the dog! Fostering options are a little more limited over here unfortunately but there are a couple of things to look into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tilly Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Personally I think it would be unfair for the "owner" to pay for the dog's expenses for up to 2years ... only to come back and have someone say "sorry but I want to keep the dog" if you went down that road. Give Finn time as he will adjust and may even enjoy the peace and extra attention. I know my boy did eventually but it did take him a couple of months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greytmate Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Personally I think it would be unfair for the "owner" to pay for the dog's expenses for up to 2years ... only to come back and have someone say "sorry but I want to keep the dog" if you went down that road. The plan is about the dog being looked after by Kiwioz and then going back to its owner after two years when she returns from overseas. Same as a boarding kennel, but in Kiwioz's home. The owner should cover the dog's expenses during this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tilly Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Personally I think it would be unfair for the "owner" to pay for the dog's expenses for up to 2years ... only to come back and have someone say "sorry but I want to keep the dog" if you went down that road. The plan is about the dog being looked after by Kiwioz and then going back to its owner after two years when she returns from overseas. Same as a boarding kennel, but in Kiwioz's home. The owner should cover the dog's expenses during this time. But with the option of adopting the dog if they become attached ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwioz Posted January 5, 2013 Author Share Posted January 5, 2013 That was just one suggestion Tilly - and people were meaning to include it in the contract somehow to cover all eventualities. If I entered this agreement I'd have no intention of breaking it if everything went according to plan. If she was covering expenses and at some point the situation changed and I was keeping the dog, I'm sure we'd work out some sort of 'adoption fee' or arrangement to make sure it was fair for everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 (edited) Every arrival and departure of a 'pack member' (be it human or dog) has an effect on our dog/s. I'd be inclined to not have a dog long term and then have it depart. If Finn is really missing another dog and is not coping well without, I'd be inclined to seek out the company of another person/dogs Finn can interact with more on a short term basis and where long-term pack structure is not altered. Doesn't even mean that dog stays over, but not to suggest it can't from time to time. In the meantime, perhaps looking at altering your pack structure with Finn. Not saying good structure is not there, but can it be improved upon? Working and training with Finn in a different way that lends itself towards pack being more focused on YOU without decreasing his sense of independance (and perhaps even increasing it). Edited January 6, 2013 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwioz Posted January 6, 2013 Author Share Posted January 6, 2013 That's interesting Erny that you notice the effect on your dogs. Good advice re. pack structure with Finn too. I should add that I'm investigating a few things with his behaviour. He basically seems to be more lethargic than usual and quite 'lacklustre' as it were. However firstly this will partly be the heat, especially as I missed out on the groomers in the christmas rush and he is not being clipped until next week. So that will help. Also he is on epilepsy medication that was upped a few months back and that can cause a sedative effect. His levels are ok at the moment so when he's at the vet on Tuesday for his teeth I'm going to chat to them about reducing his dose a bit again. So with no hair and reduced meds he may perk up, but with all these things happening at the same time it is hard to tell what is the cause is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 That's interesting Erny that you notice the effect on your dogs. Sorry - I worded that poorly. I was speaking generically when I said "our dogs" - not specifically referencing to my dogs. Given that I only have one here. What I meant was that it does impact on dogs (in general). How it impacts and to what degree/s is another matter entirely, but it is something that is generally noticed in some shape or form. Hope that clears that up a bit better :). I agree that the recent heat can affect and may contribute or be the cause of the lethargy you notice, as could perhaps be the meds he's on (and maybe a combination of all of that). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwioz Posted January 6, 2013 Author Share Posted January 6, 2013 Ah sorry I see what you mean now, I thought you mean you personally had a lot os fosters through and were commenting on that :) But yes, you're right, dogs coming and going will certainly have some effect. Yes it is quite possibly a combination of everything, will be a bit of a process of elimination. Luckily I don't think he is actually sick, because he is still full of energy for exciting things like walks :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwioz Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 Just thought I'd update this for anyone following at home :) First good news is Finn has perked up a lot since having all his hair chopped off :) Plus he looks super cute!! Vet thought the medication was unlikely to have anything to do with it (because of the timing etc) but agreed he was probably hot, and sure enough that has helped. He also had a broken tooth out so it was possible he was experiencing some pain before the removal. He is still fairly quiet and I worry about how much stimulation he's getting by himself, but before he was not engaging in ANYTHING whereas now he's back to following us around the house and being more interested in what's going on :) As for the foster dog, it is still something I'm looking into. I met with the girl today to chat to her and find out a bit more information, plus the dogs checked each other out. She's not going until March and she has a couple of other homes she's looking into, so just seeing how we go at the moment. I've taken everything in this thread on board and am approaching this with a lot of thought and a fair whack of caution, but I'm interested enough to pursue it, find out more and see what happens. The good discovery from today is that she's trying to get a couple of homes lined up so that there are back up plans. So that if he did end up coming to me but in a month's time Finn and he weren't getting along there is somewhere else for him to go. Or he could stay here for a year, then the other home for a year. Anyhow she is being very thorough, and is planning a good transition with whoever the dog goes to, starting with a short visit and seeing how he goes etc. So next she might come over for a visit at our house and see how the dogs go, then go from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 I wouldn't. After 2 years the dog as far as it knows is your pack. I have visted my previous fosters after 1-2 years and although happy to see me they didn't try and leave with me.....Im not their pack anymore. I think it's pretty unfair to the dog actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwioz Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 Thanks so much again guys for all the thoughts and advice :) Looks like the dog is going to another lovely long term foster home :) I'm thrilled for them that they have found a solution, I really hope it works out well for them. I was still sitting on the fence so while a little bit of me is disappointed, I wasn't convinced it was right for me either so its all good. I'm going to see how Finn goes for another couple of months - luckily until April my partner's work schedule means Finn will have a fair bit of company during the day now that I'm going back to work. Then I might look into other fostering options, particularly seeing if I can fix my fences up well enough to foster more greys :) Thanks again, I really appreciated all the comments in this thread both for and against, and they all played a big part in my thoughts on this whole process Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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