How To Rehome?

[koalathebear]

I am investigating making a video, but I don't really have the experience in making videos, nor much interest, nor much patience for the job. And I'd have to get a lot more photos/videos. Basically, it's a time intensive process.

I just use Windows Movie Maker and drag and drop photos and video taken with my phone and my little point and shoot camera over. It's not time consuming at all. Sometimes foster carers only give me a tiny bit of video to work with but you slow it down and make it last. It does require a little bit of time, but so does foster caring so I see my role of a foster carer as being to do as much as I can to maximise my fosters dogs' chances of getting the perfect home.

[~Anne~]

Sorry if this has already been said but can you clarify if you are receiving enquires about him at all? Is it that he is not getting enquires or are people enquiring, meeting him or hearing the details about him and then not adopting?

[Leema]

Anne, Bandit has had a handful of enquiries (mostly from GumTree) in his time in care, but none of them have eventuated in meets.

Two of these enquiries were inappropriate (I wouldn't of permitted an adoption so just steered the party to other dogs).

There's been about two or so that I was happy to arrange a meet, but the other party never committed to a meet.

One said they'd 'call the next day' but didn't.

The other I drove 400km to a meet, for the other party not to show up. So then drove 400km back home again.

[~Anne~]

Wow, I hope you let them know how their rudeness inconvenienced you!

So it seems it is the marketing, for want of a better word, that isn't quite right.

There are three levels to promoting a rescue dog. The intro to the marketplace "here is Deefa and he is a happy little crossbreed", the verbal descriptors during conversations, email and telephone responses, and the final product in the flesh.

Im not sure of the exact stats but I'd think that it would possibly normally take around 12-15 enquires per dog to develop into 1-2 potential homes which develops into a single appropriate match.

You have to get enquires up. But how? There's been some suggestions here already and it seems you're on track. The pics are particularly important. I have Ruthless photography in my FB and her pics make me want to adopt every dog even the big breeds and I normally like smaller breeds! A pic tells a thousand words as they say.

Make sure your wording for his description is positive and inclusive "Deefa will enjoy sitting at your feet as you both watch the sun go down" instead of "Deefa will sit beside his new owner" or "Deefa will carry a ball in his mouth as you take long walks together" instead of "Deefa enjoys going for long walks".

You also have to think about how you are talking about him. You must make it clear what his character is like but again, through the use of positive inclusive language.

Edited November 8, 2013 by ~Anne~

[Guest Ams]

I have had a play around with your profile. I hope I haven't overstepped the mark and would love others to comment. I have tried to keep it all as positive as I can. You can discuss the "isues" once you have determined if the person is a possible suitable adoptee.

I am well behaved, house trained and like sleeping on the couch if you will let me. Please let me be with you when you are home as I thrive on human company and a home where I can be part of the family is my ultimate dream. The life of an 'outside dog' is not for me! I spend my time playing fetch with my toys or if there is no one to play with, just laying around and chewing on them.

I love children but my size and enthusiasm can mean I accidentally knock them over so a family with older children would suit me better.

In my foster home I am hanging out with smaller dogs and I play with them beautifully. My doggy manners when meeting new dogs are improving all the time, however sometimes means I need to be reminded of my manners. I am smart and am trying really really hard but geez I get sooooo excited.

I really enjoy going for walks and seeing new things. All my enthusiasm can mean I might forget my lead manners and at 30kg I sometimes forget myself, so a strong person will need to be on the other end.

Cats, poultry and pocket pets are not my thing. Blech who wants to share a life with those pesky things anyway.

If you are looking for a largish furry family member who will always greet you with a happy dance and song when you arrive home then please consider me. I'm not a bad door bell either as I will give the odd woof to let you know you have visitors.

Edited November 8, 2013 by Ams

[Leema]

Thanks Ams. :) Will look at rewriting his profile with some of those phrases/expressions.

[Guest Ams]

Thanks Ams. :) Will look at rewriting his profile with some of those phrases/expressions.

Glad I could help. Remember when using the word "but" in a sentence it is basically negating everything you have said before it.

So in this sentence: "I have learnt a lot about how to walk politely on lead, but I often forget." Would essentially be giving the view that he doesn't walk well on lead at all.

I would also try to avoid the use of words such as "often" or "frequently" when referring to behaviours that may not be positive. Those words tend to indicate the behaviours occur a LOT whereas if he is improving your definition of a lot and a potential adopter's view may be very different.

[Leema]

Reminds me of Dr Phil. :) He says, "When you say 'but' you're basically saying 'forget everything I just said'." :laugh:

[Staffyluv]

The profile said that Bandit was 'obnoxious with other dogs'. Someone on Facebook said that that the word 'obnoxious' was off putting, so I changed it to 'boisterous'. Now on here people are saying 'you said boisterous too much'.

On here, someone suggested, 'why don't you list him as a breed as crossbreed is off putting?', then in the next post, 'the term kelpie x is offputting'.

I know everyone is just putting in their 2 cents, but I feel like I just can't win. I'm always doing something wrong by someone, and I must be constantly making the wrong choices because he is still in care.

I actually find it very rude that you are suggesting that I 'do some training with him', as though he's been left to sit and rot in my backyard. I have done a lot of training with him, and he is 100 times better than when he came into care. I don't know if you watched the video, but you can clearly see that I've done 'some training'.

When this dog arrived, he drooled and paced in the car the whole ride home. When I first met him, he jumped at me with such force that he left huge bleeding welts down both of my arms. I couldn't walk him within 100m of a dog without him losing his shit.

He has come a long way. He goes to sleep in the car after about 10 minutes of window-watching. I can't remember the last time he left a mark on me jumping up - nor the last time he jumped up at me. I can now run him with my own dogs, and his critical distance is now only a few metres.

Yes, but obviously, I need to 'do some training'.

Leema you know him and you have had him for 6 months - we don't, all we can do is go on what you tell us and what has been written about him in his profile.

You have done a great job, getting him out there and his forever home is just around the corner.. Keep this in mind - no matter what is said.

Instead of obnoxious or boisterous, how about enthusiastic at meeting others..

It is all in the wording and to be honest (and to get more enquiries), I limit what I tell in written word (because people read it differently).

You can always elaborate on things once people meet him.

I didn't mean to come across as rude, suggesting obedience and I don't think it was meant as a rude comment about more training but more a another way to get him adopted - I took my last girl along to obedience classes (because my club offer it free to enrolled people for their rescues)... I am not suggesting you take him to obedience if you don't have the time to do so but it definitely made a difference to how quickly she was adopted (compared to previous fosters who didn't have a certificate passing them at beginners)...

[Alkhe]

I just have to put my 2c in here - I have been watching Leema's work with Bandit on facebook for the entire 6 months, and trust me, it's not like she hasn't done all the right things 10 times over, evaluated what she's been doing, asked for people's opinions on photos/ads/tactics and taken advice on board..

Sometimes it just takes time for the right home - I had my last foster for nearly 5 months with no bites, and he was perfect, and a SWF. Sometimes despite ticking all the boxes, the right home just doesn't quite find them yet. There's no rhyme or reason :/

I'm not very good at making videos either, but I am more than happy to make one for you tonight if you want to send me some pics and videos? I just use some crap program that I downloaded for free and scroll pics and videos in front of an upbeat happy song (no Sarah McLachlan type crap here!) and put snippets of info in there. It didn't work for Harro (he stayed for months afterwards) but one video I made for another carer's dog ended up getting her adopted, they told us that it was the video that made them enquire about her. This was a beautiful little dog who was in care for 8 months and just had no enquiries for god knows what reason. She was bloody hard to take good photos of, but a lovely dog, no vices or medical issues at all!

[Cosmolo]

Is he available for interstate adoption?

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I certainly wasn't being rude nor intended to be.

I've rehomed many dogs over the years and was just trying to help.

I've just rehomed a dog that was advertised by a rescue group for 18 months - not 1 enquiry.

I've rewritten the profile, changed the name slightly - admittedly I have also housetrained the dog as I had him here for 3 weeks - and changed the photo.

I've been getting enquiries at the rate of about 3-5 a week for the last 6 weeks. Not an easy dog to rehome so until this week, hadn't had the right enquiry - I had been honest in the profile but people hadn't read it all ...

Of course you would have put heaps of training in to the dog over the 6 months, I certainly wasn't denigrating your considerable efforts but what I did see in the profile - that he is difficult to manage on the lead, at 30 kilos it would be putting many people off. I had just thought that it might be an idea to train him on the lead so it wasn't an issue.

I have rehomed a dog of 30+ kilos that was difficult on the lead (for the owners) - with full disclosure - didn't have the dog here and it was a challenging situation - she was living on the end of a rope at the owner's place. After the first week the new owners were ready to return her because she'd pulled the husband over at the sight of a small dog. Luckily we got a behaviouralist involved and it worked out.

Edited November 8, 2013 by dogmad

[Leema]

Cosmolo, yes to the right home... He is not an 'easy' dog and I'd have to be a special home that I'd be willing to send him interstate sight unseen.

While I don't like any of the local obedience dog clubs and won't be becoming a member anytime soon, he has regularly come with me to tracking training to socialise with other dogs. Unfortunately, it's only a winter sport, so he hasn't been out for a few weeks to the tracking club, but just walks around the neighbourhood. He is much improved, but he is always going to be the type of dog that approaches life (especially other dogs) with enthusiasm.

He walks nicely on lead but has 'relapses' where he has to lunge (particularly at flying birds) - which is why there's the disclaimer about needing a strong handler. I weigh about 60kg, and I can easily walk him, on a harness, so he's certainly not as bad as he could be - but that doesn't mean he doesn't need a strong handler for 'relapses'.

Here's a video of his nice walking.

Alkhe, thanks for your offer of video editing. I am going to get more pictures of him tomorrow, so I'm going to hold off making a video until I get some more pics. I got some cute video of him playing with an 8 week old puppy today, though, so that'll have to feature. :)

[Staffyluv]

The fact that he goes with you to the tracking club to socialise and meet other dogs is a big plus..

I would put that he is excited to meet other dogs but walks nicely on lead - it is the truth and you can elaborate that he can pull towards other dogs or gets excited by birds when they meet him.

[Leema]

Got some new photos and added to his profile.

http://www.petrescue.com.au/listings/233368

[Malakita]

Bandit is a handsome looking boy! Nice coloring too.

[Staffyluv]

Great new intro and love the new smiley pic of him - he is gorgeous.

Good luck Leema, some just take a bit longer than others :)

[tdierikx]

He's beautiful! and I love the bio... well done!

Some dogs take a little while to find their perfect forever home, but it WILL happen...

T.

[mumof4girls]

Beautiful pic :-)

[Loving my Oldies]

LOL. Beautiful. His bum wiggle leaves Marilyn Monroe's for dead.