The dog musing/vent thread

This. It's not something that can be done at the snap of your fingers.

^This. Fostering is hard. It's hard to basically be starting a dog from scratch all the time. It's hard to be adjusting a dog into your life all the time. It's just.. difficult. It's hard to let them go. I think after Seal is adopted, we are going to take a break. I'm not sure how long it will be yet. It's starting to make me sad, seeing all these dogs I really love finding new homes.

Gambit might have been shafted by nature, but he's VERY very lucky to have landed in the hands of someone who loves him unconditionally and won't give up on him.

Mia had some runs this morning and it is raining hard outside so she came in with poopy butt and all wet... so I bathed her. She is PISSED. :lol-sign:

I can't believe my little red dog is going to be three in a week. I can't figure out where the times gone and how we're at three already. I couldn't have asked for a better best bad dog. <3

Collies have always been the breed that I personally wanted. Even as a kid I used to beg for one. I honestly love everything about them. As a kid I was never allowed to have one, and as an adult it's never been the right time to get one. So I donate to a Collie rescue, and usually its all good. I feel good about donating and I know that those dogs will get a good home. And I know they get a little extra something special with my donation.

But I fell in love. It's not even a Collie. It's a Sheltie. And its a male, not a female. I have such major dog want right now and I hate it. He's at the Collie rescue because they also took a Collie in with him. I need to stay off their website for a while because I can't stand to see his sweet face. It's not the right time and its not the breed we were looking at. Nothing is set in stone with that, but, regardless. Not the right time.

Ugh. Being a responsible adult sucks right now.

I'm just so happy with Onyx. I have started taking her out with the horses recently, and she is such a good riding companion! She just trots along just the right distance behind.

While foster homes are hard to find, I know how Airn feels. I have been in the position a few times where a foster just wasn't working out and it's the most aggravating thing to ask a coordinator to look for anther foster home and not have any effort made to actually do so. This happens a lot. If they would just do their part and actually ASK other fosters/the group, it would be effort. But many don't it seems.

Oh, so you spoke to her foster coordinator and asked, and they told you they haven't made any effort?

Just because there does not seem to be anything being done or efforts put forth to people on the outside, does not mean things aren't being done behind the scenes, on the executive half.

I am so happy I have these dogs. 'nough said. I honestly don't know what I'd do without them right now. Abrams, especially.

I understand where you (and the others) are coming from. I realize it's not an easy task and I don't expect Bena to leave within the week. I even explained to the leader that it's not an 'OMG SHE'S GONNA EAT MY DOG' situation, it's just not an ideal one.

But from what I know of this person... I'm not impressed. She took a few days to even reply to me when I know she's on Facebook all the time. I've tried to be nice to her several times and help out and she flipped out and told me she's not losing her ****. She hasn't really talked to me since, so I won't be working with her anymore. She has not re-done Bena's bio since the decision was made to adopt her out by herself and NOT with her brother. She hasn't posted on her personal page or the rescue's page (which is where she posts EVERYTHING. I mean, this is a #hashtageveryhour person.) It would just make me feel better if she would post something on her page, the rescue's page or give me a quick message about what's going on. The communication is awful, in my opinion. Maybe I like to talk to her too much. Maybe my expectations are too high. If so, I won't be doing this anymore. We've already decided to stop and I'm not sure if I could handle it in the future, if this is how rescues are. (She's not even listed on PetFinder, when most of the other foster dogs are...) I'm just not impressed with how this experience has gone.

I'm trying to be understanding of her situation and life and the time it takes but it's hard when I don't SEE any effort being made and when I've had bad experiences with her in the past.

Took the pups to the store today, hopped them up on the scale to see where we're at. Happy weighed in at about 37 pounds - she was 44.5 pounds when I adopted her just shy of 9 months ago I'm pretty pleased! I think this is what I'll try to maintain her at. I really did not think I'd be successful in getting her to lose weight so that makes me happy!

Juno on the other hand, weighed in at 52.5 pounds, which is the most she's ever weighed... needless to say, we stopped at the park on the way home so she could run :rofl1: Okay, she's not fat lol I'm just not sure where that extra 1-2 pounds is coming from!

We have a blog!
http://carabearpiddlepants.wordpress.com/2013/09/29/three-years/

Shampooed the carpets today. Cleaned everything. Rented a Rug Doctor. Left the dogs in the crate on a section of carpet that was dry. Come home. There is Poop.

Poop. All Over. the Carpet! This dog chooses today of all days to have explosive diarrhea. We were not even gone for more than an hour!

So after cleaning and shampooing the entire house, we come home to bath the dogs and clean the carpets all over again. Of course we also returned the rug doctor right after we finished the first time so had to go back and re-rent it.

I know it's not really his fault, but man it was hard to look at him without being mad. ARGH.

Oh, I'm pretty sure you know by now how I feel about this lady. LOL

I dunno, it touches a soft spot with me. I know it from both sides. 99% of the ttimeI am trying to find another foster home for somebody else's ferret, the public isn't seeing anything. I'm sure it seems to people like we aren't trying. But I also get that it's frustrating to have a foster that you want to not-be-fostering (granted, my fosters that have left have been for safety issues).

You know what is nice? Being able to wake up and then immediately go wander an entire acreage without having to worry about getting dressed or getting dog leashes.

Sigh.... one day I WILL have the money for a nice acreage.

On the bright side, the squirrel tree broke the forward momentum and it was an easy fix.

Riff is SO happy having a dog of similar age/energy around to play with that it makes me happy and sad at the same time. Happy because it is so nice to see him so happy, and sad because it's just not feasible for me to get a 3rd dog right now. I'll be moving as soon as I can afford it and it's going to be hard enough finding a place with 2 dogs. I can't afford a 3rd dog right now. Riff is still such an exuberant puppy that I couldn't handle 3, not until he matures more. And there is so much I want to accomplish with my two before adding another. I want to get Rowan trialing and Riff past some of his fears/issues, and maybe into some classes as well.

I plan on having 3 eventually. I just can't do it now and I feel bad that Riff doesn't have anyone to play with, knowing now how happy it makes him.

On a related note I have to brag on Rowan. He's only 7, but he's increasingly become a grumpy old man with other dogs. He's very tolerant and gives appropriate warnings which I've always appreciated, but he still takes a long time to actually warm up to a dog. He has been so good with Milo! He's not playing with him, of course, but he has been super accepting of having (another!) crazy young dog in his home. No grumbling, no nasty looks across the room, nothing. He's even been run into numerous times by the other boys playing and just ignores it. This is the dog that snapped at Riff every time he got close to him for months.

AND his relationship with Riff has improved so, so much. Last night he actually got jealous that Riff was playing with Milo and forced his way into the game to get Riff's attention. I'm just proud of him. He can be a jerkbag sometimes but he will forever be my best boy.

It's a nice day so I am doing my housework with the doors open and the screen doors latched to get a nice fresh cross-breeze going. One dog is peacefully chewing on a bone and the other is pacing incessantly back and forth from door to door, obsessed with the squirrels that may or may not be even visible and barking.

Anyone care to guess who is who?

Have to gush about Onyx just a bit more here...

Yesterday we went to a local Harvest Festival, lots of people and a band playing, food everywhere, etc. I picked up a stick and we started playing/training right next to all this commotion, and it's like distractions don't even exist for her when she's working. I have her complete and utter focus. I just love it! And she'll do anything for that stick, any stick or toy will do.

I <3 my Malinois.

(and, she's totally passed out on the couch next to me right now, and we haven't even gone out yet today, just done some training and some playing...I also love this off switch)