littleduck Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I've been reading along each day, and am so happy at the gains Bonnie has made She is a beautiful dog, and secretly.... I am hoping you keep her! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted December 13, 2013 Author Share Posted December 13, 2013 What beautiful pooches :) Fostering is hard, I do it and have realised that if I don't let one go, I cannot help another. Sometimes if there is room you keep one or two :) There is just this gut feeling, I have three ex-rescue and one I choose as a puppy. I think you need to think like this when you get a foster. You need to treat the dog like you would a boarder. When they first come in, you show them where they sleep, eat, go to the toilet and the communal rooms (kitchen, dining). You don't give them access to your whole house or leave $100 (read shoes or fun things to chew) on the dining room table when you go out. As you gain their trust and they yours, you start expanding the boundaries. You also need to keep in mind that their forever home may not want them on the bed or couch so don't give them this luxury, let the new owners give them this if they choose. I think giving them what they need, the basics and expanding slightly as time goes by gives them the best chance when they are placed in their forever home. Just my opinion. :) Yay you for being a Foster Carer :thumbsup: Thanks for your input. From the get go I have treated Bonnie the same as I would Georgia. And I've made a concious decision if I give one attention, the other gets it too. I don't want Georgia getting jealous and she was a little in the beginning, but she's passed that now. We don't have any dogs on beds or couches here, mainly because Georgia can't jump due to a bad knee. So Bonnie hasn't been exposed to that, so hasn't even thought of it. As Bonnie's confidence has grown and she's letting her hair down a bit, she's showing her cheekier side. Like jumping up against the coffee table to see if there's anything good up there, so I've had to say No or ah-ah just like I would to Georgia. She needs to know whats acceptable and whats not, regardless of her background. Dogs need to be taught manners, lets face it she will need them, wherever she lives in the future. Last night I had a long think about what it would be like to say goodbye to Bonnie and it didn't feel good at all. I think I will stop thinking about it for now, and at the end of next week I will sit down with the family and discuss her future with us. To be honest I already know what they will say, they're a bigger bunch of suckers than me. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tikira Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 What a difficult decision you and your family need to make, I wish you luck with it. Your choices obviously are to give Georgia and your family a gorgeous christmas gift called Bonnie, and Bonnie a fabulous family, and postpone future foster dogs for the time being, or to give someone else an awesome new family member, and then give other special dogs a chance to blossom in your care. Either way the dogs are the winners here, and I send my thanks to you on their behalf. For now enjoy your christmas and new year, no onme ever know what next christmas may bring, and this may be Bonnies first of many christmas's with you. Di Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted December 13, 2013 Author Share Posted December 13, 2013 Ummmm don't know whats going on with the princess, but me thinks she's feeling rather comfortable here. This morning she attempted to raid the bin, stuck her head in the dishwasher, licked some dishes and stood in the litter tray in search of kitty crunchies.. OMG, that was all before 8am.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 OMG The princess is turning feral :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koalathebear Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I have a friend who also fosters dogs and she has a little five year old sister who loves playing with the puppies. I ask how she explains the dogs coming and going to her sister and how she manages to minmise the sister feeling distressed when the dogs leave. She told me that before she started fostering, she explained to her sister: "These are not our dogs, we are looking after them for their real owners and one day they need to go to their real families." I thought it was an excellent explanation, not just for her sister but as a reminder for me when I grow too attached to a foster :p That being said, I DO have one foster fail ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tikira Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 ......"This morning she attempted to raid the bin, stuck her head in the dishwasher, licked some dishes and stood in the litter tray in search of kitty crunchies.... She is just helping with the daily chores Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted December 14, 2013 Author Share Posted December 14, 2013 I have a friend who also fosters dogs and she has a little five year old sister who loves playing with the puppies. I ask how she explains the dogs coming and going to her sister and how she manages to minmise the sister feeling distressed when the dogs leave. She told me that before she started fostering, she explained to her sister: "These are not our dogs, we are looking after them for their real owners and one day they need to go to their real families." I thought it was an excellent explanation, not just for her sister but as a reminder for me when I grow too attached to a foster :p That being said, I DO have one foster fail ;) Thats a lovely way of explaining it... I wonder if it would work on a 42yo husband though... LOL A local pet store was doing santa photos today, so I took my son and the dogs down. Bonnie was really scared, so scared that she barked and barked. Her bark is only half as loud as Georgia's, but the tables did turn for a little bit. I think she's a dog who will bark if she gets overwhelmed, but doesn't bark at every noise like Georgia does. The photographer was amazing with the dogs, she got a fantastic shot. As soon as I receive it, I'll show you guys a copy. Bonnie is now relaxed again in the backyard, her smile is back. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted December 14, 2013 Author Share Posted December 14, 2013 OMG The princess is turning feral :p The vet put it nicely, she's having the puppyhood she never got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 OMG The princess is turning feral :p The vet put it nicely, she's having the puppyhood she never got. Now that is a vet to cherish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 OMG The princess is turning feral :p The vet put it nicely, she's having the puppyhood she never got. Now that is a vet to cherish YES!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trifecta Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 What a difficult decision you and your family need to make, I wish you luck with it. ....... and postpone future foster dogs for the time being, You could always foster a male, which would be a good fit for your girls :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 It all depends on the individual circumstances. I adopted Danny who would've been my first foster. Later I could foster a tibbie because that tended to be short-term. But you've got to tick off pro's & con's for your situation. So good to hear Princess Bonnie did a bit of 'exploring' around the dishwasher. :) She must be feeling very relaxed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted December 15, 2013 Author Share Posted December 15, 2013 We had our first real pack walk today. My son and I took the dogs for a short walk around the block. She is so much better at walking out the door already, this time I didn't have to pull her out, she just walked through. Overall she did well, she got spooked a couple of times though. One place we walked past a huge dog barked as us, and other house had doof doof music blaring. But we just kept walking, I told my son he wasn't to react just keep moving and it worked. We even stopped off at the park on the way back. I won't say she was relaxed but she did calm down after a while at the park. Tomorrow we'll do it again and just walk a little further each day. I hope the world starts getting a little less scary for her. I need to remember its only been a week and a half. My friend who is fostering another one of these dogs still can't get a lead on hers, she was much more traumatised than Bonnie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Awwww.... this such a lovely story - can't wait for the next chapter :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ams Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Don't worry about making a decision re keeping her or not this early in the piece. If she is ex puppy farm then it is going to take time to teach her the things she needs to know in order to function in the real world. To me that would mean months not weeks in care before seeking to rehome. As you've seen, in just 10 days her behaviours have changed so much, so it would be impossible to make an assessment on what type of home would suit her at this stage as she has yet to show her true personality. Last weekend I took a dog to a repeat rescue client for a trial (ie she already has one of my rescue dogs as a permanent family member). The feedback I received regarding her behaviours in that home in only a few days was quite shocking, especially as she had been in a foster arrangement for some time with cats and young children. I have brought her back to me for further assessment as some of the behaviours described made me wary of putting her back in a home with small children, however none of the behaviours described by the trial family have shown here after a week. She is reacting similar to what her foster home had indicated in her initial stages with them. I guess what I am trying to say is most rescues I know give a family two weeks to trial the dog before confirming an adoption. Bonnie's rehab is going to take a lot longer than that so don't rush to make a decision to keep her just yet, let things pan out a bit and see what happens. Good luck though, she looks like a sweetie and I have a soft spot for the emotionally vulnerable ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted December 15, 2013 Author Share Posted December 15, 2013 Don't worry about making a decision re keeping her or not this early in the piece. If she is ex puppy farm then it is going to take time to teach her the things she needs to know in order to function in the real world. To me that would mean months not weeks in care before seeking to rehome. As you've seen, in just 10 days her behaviours have changed so much, so it would be impossible to make an assessment on what type of home would suit her at this stage as she has yet to show her true personality. Last weekend I took a dog to a repeat rescue client for a trial (ie she already has one of my rescue dogs as a permanent family member). The feedback I received regarding her behaviours in that home in only a few days was quite shocking, especially as she had been in a foster arrangement for some time with cats and young children. I have brought her back to me for further assessment as some of the behaviours described made me wary of putting her back in a home with small children, however none of the behaviours described by the trial family have shown here after a week. She is reacting similar to what her foster home had indicated in her initial stages with them. I guess what I am trying to say is most rescues I know give a family two weeks to trial the dog before confirming an adoption. Bonnie's rehab is going to take a lot longer than that so don't rush to make a decision to keep her just yet, let things pan out a bit and see what happens. Good luck though, she looks like a sweetie and I have a soft spot for the emotionally vulnerable ones. Thank you so much Ams, you put it in perspective for me. I need to take the pressure off myself, there is no rush, for now she's safe and getting a little happier with each day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 The pic with your son is adorable. And her park picture is exquisite... took my breath away, given I think shelties are the most beautiful of dogs. Bonnie's not only turning into a poster girl for rescue from harsh circumstances.... but also for the the Sheltie breed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Beautiful photos And, as always, sage and caring advice from Ams. I always check in to see what is happening in the Bonnie/Georgia world :laugh: :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelby Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Glad Bonnie is settling in and coming out of her shell each day. Michelleva - you are doing a great job. Whether she becomes a foster failure or goes on to give her love to a new family, you have saved her from a bad life whichever way you look at it. Please give her a cuddle from me - she is a beautiful girl. Oh, and a cuddle for Georgia too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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