RuralPug Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 You have every right to be proud! Enjoy polishing Bonnie's manners over the next two weeks, and put some thought unto your preferences for your next foster dog. Some rescues will just try to foist the next in line onto you, make sure she/he is the right size/age/activity level for your household. And Georgia gets a say too - if she has major problems with any foster and the problems haven't settled in a week, don't persist if you can avoid it, but try to swap with another carer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Just a suggestion. Before Bonnie goes, get an old towel & rub your hands & feet over it, to transfer your scent. Rub it over Georgia, too, to transfer her scent. Those scents might give Bonnie a sense of continuity in her new home ... a bit like taking 'photos' of loved 'familiars' with her. Won't be long, tho', before her new people are 'her' people & she's their sheltie princess. She's started that already, as soon as she met them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Alternately, if you can get an old used T-shirt or the like from the new family and pop it in her crate for her to get used to the new scents, that would be cool too... T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 Just a suggestion. Before Bonnie goes, get an old towel & rub your hands & feet over it, to transfer your scent. Rub it over Georgia, too, to transfer her scent. Those scents might give Bonnie a sense of continuity in her new home ... a bit like taking 'photos' of loved 'familiars' with her. Won't be long, tho', before her new people are 'her' people & she's their sheltie princess. She's started that already, as soon as she met them. She's had a polar fleece blanket in her favourite sleeping spot since she got here, I was going to send that to her new home with her. But I will touch it myself more and rub it all over Georgia too. I don't think it will take long, she attached herself to me in the first day too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Alternately, if you can get an old used T-shirt or the like from the new family and pop it in her crate for her to get used to the new scents, that would be cool too... T. Yes to this, too. Also would help the continuity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted January 9, 2014 Author Share Posted January 9, 2014 Guess whose starting to become a bossy little princess? :laugh: All of a sudden she's started to tell me when she's been outside long enough and should be bought inside. I really don't want her to go down the seperation anxiety path, as least not while I've got her. So I make her spend time on her own, inside, outside, plus time with us and Georgia. She's gone from the dog too scared to open her mouth, to one that feels she needs to try and boss me around in about a month. Not bad huh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 We've only got Bonnie for another five days, she's continuing to steadily improve. Last night she started playing with Georgia for the first time. I wonder if they'll miss each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 My goodness, the Princess now has the dignity and confidence of a Queen. Honestly, you wouldn't know it was the same sheltie who first came to you. Maybe her new owners can arrange some play dates with other shelties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 My goodness, the Princess now has the dignity and confidence of a Queen. Honestly, you wouldn't know it was the same sheltie who first came to you. Maybe her new owners can arrange some play dates with other shelties. I'd love it if we could have some catch ups down the track with Bonnie and Georgia. The couple who are adopting her only live 30 - 40 mins away, so you never know. This is the first photo I took of Bonnie Mita, here she was totally shut down and trying to block out the whole world. It makes me so sad when I see it, but it also reminds me of how far she's come in only 6 weeks, she certainly is a remarkable little dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Bonnie's sure gone from wanting to shut out a painful world, to being totally at ease with all around her. She's now confident she's loved... & that she's beautiful. What a difference! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 Bonnie's sure gone from wanting to shut out a painful world, to being totally at ease with all around her. She's now confident she's loved... & that she's beautiful. What a difference! She's improved so much Mita, but I still wouldn't say she's completely at ease with the world, but she's taking steps toward that every day. I just hope she doesn't fret too much when she has to say goodbye to me. I have the hope that she is able to bond with her new Mum as quickly as she bonded with me. Thats my greatest fear really. Her new Mum is very understanding of her needs and plans to continue my work, so deep down I think she's going to be ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Your story about Bonnie makes me think of the Starfish analogy. No matter what happens from now on, whether you foster again or not, you have made a difference to a beautiful life. I'm sure we will have more updates when Bonnie moves on :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 Bonnie is continuing to impress me with her fabulous attitude to life. She is now trying to get one of the cats to play with her, she's picked her favourite but he's being a bit stand offish at the moment. I wonder if she will win him over in the next 3 days. I have to tell you what happened today. Bonnie has mastered sit, so I thought we should teach her to drop. My son and I got a bag of her favourite liver treats out and got her and Georgia to sit a few times for treats. Georgia did a few drops then I started teaching Bonnie to do it. She did it a couple of times, so just needs more repetition to master it. However, everytime I gave the command of "drop" to Bonnie, Georgia was about a metre away and going, sit, drop, roll, sit up again, goofy grin... and REPEAT.. she was working hard for a treat. She did it at least 4 or 5 times. My son and I were in hysterics. As much as she's a high maintenance dog, she's such a clown and I'm so impressed with how she's taken Bonnie under her wing and shown her the ropes. I'm super proud of my little yappa. I have no doubt we're all going to miss Miss Bon Bon in a few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 Your story about Bonnie makes me think of the Starfish analogy. No matter what happens from now on, whether you foster again or not, you have made a difference to a beautiful life. I'm sure we will have more updates when Bonnie moves on :D :D Everytime I think of saying goodbye to her, I feel the tears start to well up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LouiseBrooks Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 [i'm sure we will have more updates when Bonnie moves on :D :D Everytime I think of saying goodbye to her, I feel the tears start to well up. Ah this reminds me of one foster I had "Winston" he was a little Westie X Malt so tiny about 3 kilos. There was not much interest in him till a Doler gave him a Westie Trim. He was such a sweetie and it was hard for me to give him away to a perfect home I may add. When he left he was looking out of the back window with his little paw pressed against the glass and I lost it :cry: :cry: for days I was crying. Two weeks later he came back for a visit I was so sure he would rush into my arms. What did the little bligher do came in had a drink of water hopped onto his owners lap sat there. I went to pat him his tail wagged but no way was he leaving her lap and off he trotted happily went it was time to leave. Ungrateful little pup. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted January 21, 2014 Author Share Posted January 21, 2014 Ah this reminds me of one foster I had "Winston" he was a little Westie X Malt so tiny about 3 kilos. There was not much interest in him till a Doler gave him a Westie Trim. He was such a sweetie and it was hard for me to give him away to a perfect home I may add. When he left he was looking out of the back window with his little paw pressed against the glass and I lost it :cry: :cry: for days I was crying. Two weeks later he came back for a visit I was so sure he would rush into my arms. What did the little bligher do came in had a drink of water hopped onto his owners lap sat there. I went to pat him his tail wagged but no way was he leaving her lap and off he trotted happily went it was time to leave. Ungrateful little pup. :laugh: Love it!! And thats why we do it right? I'll see how my heart recovers before doing it again. I got the best video this morning of Bonnie trying to get Georgia and the cat to play with her, she was so enthusiastic. I'm trying to work out how to share it here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 Bonnie was collected by her new family today, I feel a bit sad but I'm just more worried that she's going to freak out without me. I was her safe person for the last 6 or so weeks. Her lovely owners have promised to stay in touch. Poor Georgia is pretty sad today too, she's currently lying in the bed that Bonnie used the whole time she was here and looking rather forlorn. My poor girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I feel sorry for the dogs like Georgia. We can rationalise and understand - dogs are just suddenly bereft and have no understanding of what has happened. From what you have told us about Bonnie's new people, I feel sure that she will feel safe with them in a very short time. Be brave. It can be very hard saying goodbye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 I'm surprisingly ok, but I nearly lost it when they started walking out the door with her. My son on the other hand has been playing up this afternoon and I know why, so I'm going easy on him. He couldn't even bring himself to say goodbye to her when she left. Georgia still looks sad. We will spend lots of quality time with her and I'm sure she'll be ok. She opened her heart to a new friend and now her friend is gone, so I have a lot of sympathy for her too. This fostering thing is hard on everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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