The one that got away?

amberdyan

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#1
I'm not sure how to phrase this, but I feel like I've heard it from a lot of dog people so I don't think it's rare.

Is there a dog out there that you almost, fostered and almost kept or maybe wanted but it wasn't the right time? Sort of a "what if" dog that you wonder about sometimes?

My answer:
I worked on a surface level with a TON of dogs in a shelter in high school/college. There was a GORGEOUS red and white aussie that came in ultra pregnant and went into labor late at night on the day she was picked up. She had 7 puppies and recovered quickly. I totally fell in love with her. I would take her out for a break from the puppies and she had crazy toy drive, was insanely cuddly and just wanted to be around me. I was in charge of her care for the 10 weeks she was there raising the pups, getting spayed and then she was adopted almost immediately by a nice athletic couple who took her on tons of adventures (they sent updates). Great home for her but I often wonder what it would have been like if I could have kept her.
 
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#2
Yes. My second foster. I had him for 3 months I think? But the timing just wasn't right and I was super gung ho that I could not own a 'substantially similar' dog in Ontario.

He was adopted by a coworker at the time. He could not have a better home, and I hear from her and get pictures. But still. He came to me when I was in a tough place and I needed him and he was so perfect.

He actually has recently been diagnosed with a rare degenerative disease of the nervous system and we don't know how long he has left. :(

 
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#3
I have two. Long stories, but special dogs.

Before I adopted Fable, I had a foster dog for 6 months. Kaya was an incredibly insane, dog reactive/sometimes aggressive, hard-headed, hilarious, and high energy cattle dog mix. She had been adopted once, but returned after about 2 hours because she was so much to deal with and had absolutely no training. I spent 6 months training her around other dogs and to be at least slightly normal in the house. By the end of her stay with me, she actually started enjoying other dogs when introduced properly and was just generally better behaved. The entire time I had her I hoped that my mom would give in and let me adopt her. But she just didn't want a reactive animal in the house. My neighbor actually ended up adopting her, and while he is the perfect home and I still see her weekly, I still cried for a week when she left. Kaya was my girl, and it was so hard to have to give her up. Although I think after she was adopted, my mom missed having a dog in the house, because we fostered Fable and then adopted her 2 weeks after Kaya went to her new home.
IMG_1897 by fablethecattledog, on Flickr


The second one is Toby. I never fostered him, but he spent 4 years in and out of the dog rescue. Chasing cats, digging, barking, and nipping a kid when cornered were all reasons that he was returned. Despite all that, I knew him as a sweet dog that just needed the right home. About 6 months after being returned for the last time, he started to develop serious behavioral issues and was biting volunteers completely unprovoked. I will say I always had a really hard time believing that because I never once saw him be aggressive to a person. But the fact was that he was progressively getting worse. One Saturday I came into the rescue and immediately went to his crate just like usual (he was my favorite and he knew it). Except he wasn't there because he had been put to sleep. It was decided that he was just going to keep biting and would end up spending the rest of his life in rescue, which is no way for a dog to live. I still feel like I could have done something more to help him, and I have so many "what ifs" about him. Although recently I've realized that he probably had a mental problem and that putting him to sleep was best for him. Nevertheless he was still my Toby. I still think about him every now and then and cry for him occasionally. He is definitely a dog I will never forget.
toby by fablethecattledog, on Flickr

Toby and Kaya:
IMG_1669 by fablethecattledog, on Flickr
 

Paviche

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#4
I've talked about her here before, but I don't think I've ever shared a picture.

The daycare I used to work at occasionally fostered for local rescues. They'd pay for food and vet care and we'd provide the dog a place to stay if they were low on foster homes. We had a pair of Saint Bernards come stay with us and I fell in love with the younger one. Her name was Molly. Anyone who has seen me post around here or on Facebook knows that Saints aren't exactly my usual type, but there was something really special about this girl. She was a little nervous with people but she bonded with me right away. She was a dog who was impeccably well behaved in a crate, but when she saw me enter the room she'd stand up and her whole body would wag so hard she banged into the sides of the crate while she pawed at the door. I was living in a townhouse rotating two dogs (Rowan and my mom's Pyr mix) because my mom's dog was dog aggressive. There was no room for Molly, despite her being fairly small for a Saint, and even if the place had physically been bigger, I couldn't have brought her into a dog situation that was already complicated. When she got adopted, I took her out of the play group into a separate room to say goodbye and I cried my eyes out. I still miss her and frequently wonder how she's doing.



 

Locke

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#5
My first foster dog MeToo. 9 year old toy poodle with so much spunk. She was incredibly affectionate, LOVED people, loved running around like a maniac, could climb like a monkey, and had a thing for perching on shoulders, knees, crates, everything.

I think the only reason I didn't keep her was because I didn't want to adopt my first foster dog. I also had in my head that I wanted a young, large dog, but really, I think she was perfect for me. We bonded instantly.
She was adopted out to an older couple, where the wife had a little dog, and the husband wanted one for himself. Never had any updates. I still wonder how she's doing. I really really really regret not adopting her. She was amazing, and still is I hope.

 
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#6
There are a ton. Working with dogs, there are always people who have said that they were looking to rehome, I just wasn't in the right place to take a dog.

One was a hound mix who was very loyal, very sweet, very social. Owner just traveled a lot.

Another very toy motivated and a long-term client who I fell in love with. Owner traveled a lot for work and didn't have time to expel energy when he was around.

Countless others. There are also those that went up for "re-homing" that I wouldn't have taken no matter the circumstance!
 

amberdyan

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#7
Yes. My second foster. I had him for 3 months I think? But the timing just wasn't right and I was super gung ho that I could not own a 'substantially similar' dog in Ontario.

He was adopted by a coworker at the time. He could not have a better home, and I hear from her and get pictures. But still. He came to me when I was in a tough place and I needed him and he was so perfect.

He actually has recently been diagnosed with a rare degenerative disease of the nervous system and we don't know how long he has left. :(

I'm sorry about the diagnoses : ( That face is CRAZY cute : )
 

Equinox

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#8
Siege was almost that dog for me. I was so so sure I wasn't going to take her or chicken out or something. Thinking back, I think it was actually my sister saying "eh, I think you should" that made me start seeing it as a real possibility? I'm so glad she's cuddling with me right now and not just a "what if?" dog I post about on the forums :)
 

amberdyan

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#9
Siege was almost that dog for me. I was so so sure I wasn't going to take her or chicken out or something. Thinking back, I think it was actually my sister saying "eh, I think you should" that made me start seeing it as a real possibility? I'm so glad she's cuddling with me right now and not just a "what if?" dog I post about on the forums :)
Aww! I'm so glad you got her. She seems like such a special girl.
 

GoingNowhere

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#10
There are two that stand out to me. The first is a dog that I had only just met. I used to walk dogs at the animal shelter and she was one of the dogs that was there that day. I hope that I can find a dog as sweet as her when I have the means to get a dog of my own. She was submissive, but not terrified, sweet as can be, and just a generally gentle, good dog. I think the shelter was calling her Tess.



My SO slipped in the snow and she ended up like this:





The second was an old foster dog of mine. Lindy was a great dog and had she not gotten adopted so quickly, my family may very well have ended up adopting her. She was friendly, polite, and loved tummy rubs.

 

Toller_08

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#11
Mine would be Fennec, the Toller puppy I had earlier this year. She was a little unfocused and 'dopey' in comparison to Dance and what I normally like in a dog. Very stereotypical retriever. But she was so fun, and so sweet, and wonderful in so many ways. She fit into my home seamlessly, and I really miss her. I think about her literally every day, picture her in all of her usual places around the house, and often wish I'd just kept her. I just did not feel up to co-owning is what it ultimately came down to, and the expectations of myself that I felt I wouldn't meet for her breeder. We severely clash, IMO, as far as owning a dog together.



And oddly, a little Chihuahua that someone gave to my dad that he ended up rehoming because he didn't want a dog. I am not really a small dog person. For one, I have this irrational fear that they're easy to lose haha. But he was such a fun little dog; super happy, friendly, eager to learn. I wanted him so badly. The reason I didn't take him was because I thought that 2 year Ripley at the time would accidentally hurt him in play due to the vast size difference. Emilio wasn't a sit on the couch Chihuahua who would have stayed out of the way. He was an in on the action Chihuahua who wanted to be involved.

 

Laurelin

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#12
Siege was almost that dog for me. I was so so sure I wasn't going to take her or chicken out or something. Thinking back, I think it was actually my sister saying "eh, I think you should" that made me start seeing it as a real possibility? I'm so glad she's cuddling with me right now and not just a "what if?" dog I post about on the forums :)
You're a horrible influence.
 

Equinox

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#13
Aww! I'm so glad you got her. She seems like such a special girl.
Me too - she absolutely is <3 She's perfect in so many ways and she's the best dog I'll ever have.

You're a horrible influence.
You're welcome :D This is why everyone should get all the dogs, and sometimes just saying "oh what the hell" can be the best decision ever.

This is also the story of how my sister and I are terrible enablers for each other.
 

joce

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#14
I fostered a havaneese, mr fluffy pants, we should have kept. He was so sweet. Loved my husband(they all do, jerks lol). But he was so easy to place I couldn't justify it.


There was a orange- so vibrantly colored no other way to describe it I swear! What I think was a border collie Aussie shepherd mix at the pound when we picked up another dog to foster. It was a planned foster through the rescue we were with at the time so couldn't switch to her and I was so torn on taking two. I should have. Sweetest face. She just called to me. I still regret not taking her like six years later.
 

MericoX

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#15
There are two. Pirate, a little terrier mix. I would've kept him besides the fact that he'd bite anyone but me and had an even stronger taste for children. We transferred him to a JRT rescue and he was adopted by one of the workers at the daycare center they'd bring foster dogs to.

The other was Wallaroo, though I dubbed him Pup Pup Face. I didn't know I wanted him until I had to drop him off at an adoption event through work. Sat in the car crying for 1/2 an hour with him, I still cry about him often. They have sent the shelter an update here and there and he's a super puff ball. I hope to see him at our work's yearly reunion next year.
 
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#16
I don't have a pic of him unfortunately, but there was a Shar Pei X Golden Retriever (yes, he looked as ridiculous as you're imagining) at a nearby rescue that I was super interested in. He is the only male dog I can think of that Astro has ever really liked - they were best buds from the first time they laid eyes on each other. He was like the best of both breeds, a little more mellow and independent than a pure Golden but softer and friendlier and more forgiving than a pure Pei. Got along with kids and other dogs of both sexes, could be taken to busy street events and restaurants and meet a hundred people happily, had WONDERFUL dog social skills and could play for ages without escalating or ticking anyone off (did not realize at the time how relatively rare this is!)...was just a darn solid dog.

He needed very expensive surgery to correct some sort of hip problem, I can't remember whether it it was severe HD or something else. I loved him so much I considered adopting him and immediately spending several grand on him, but in the end it was just too much and I couldn't justify it to myself. I think of him all the time.
 

StillandSilent

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#17
I still miss my Iddy Quiddy. I know that he is in the right home, and I certainly had all the opportunities in the world to keep him, but he was such a precious mush. I look at his pictures and videos all the time, and if his current home could not keep him, I would not hesitate to adopt him and be that crazy dog lady with four dogs in a tiny apartment.



Then there's Fawn. I nursed her from an emaciated little pup to a healthy and vibrant little dog. She had puppy cateracts due to severe malnutrition. I placed her because I was afraid that he beginning would cause huge issues down the road that I was not financially prepared to meet. The woman I placed her with is lovely, and adores her, but she does find her a bit overwhelming. Several years later Fawn has no health problems and is exactly what I wanted in a dog. Darn it.

[Ihttp://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww30/StillandSilent/IMG_0634.jpgMG][/IMG]
 

meepitsmeagan

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#18
Lucy.

She was a foster through One Heeler at a Time that I acquired shortly after we moved back to MI. Thought to be an ACD/BC, but she acted more like an ACD. I loved her so much, but she had some confidence issues and was slightly SSA and would fight with Harlow occasionally. She was extremely close in age to both Harlow and Rider. I was already struggling with Rider and his confidence issues and wanted a sport dog. I opted to place her for all of the above reasons to get a puppy.

She ended up in a fabulous home that updates me every few months. They absolutely adore her and I couldn't have asked for a better outcome. She camps, hikes, snowshoes, plays frisbee, ect ect. I do have the "what ifs", but if she had stayed there wouldn't have been a Tulsa in my life so I have no regrets. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to have her for the 6 months she was here. I learned a ton from working with her and she is the reason I got into bikejoring.

Lucy9 by Meagan Blanchard, on Flickr
 

Southpaw

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#19
Pretty much so far if I want it... I get it :eek:

There were a couple times that I thought I should back out with Sawyer. Obviously glad I didn't!! After I contacted the breeder asking about the litter, they were born like the next day so I just sent my deposit in right away because I didn't feel like I had time to think about it lol. But I wasn't expecting them to be born so soon, what I REALLY wanted to do was contact her and have time to think on it before they were born.

Then even when I was like a week away from getting him I thought maybe I shouldn't... I was in the process of moving and wasn't anywhere close to having my house finished the way I wanted it to be before actually moving in. Ultimately I said screw it, I'm getting this puppy... and so my house remains not exactly how I wanted it but I have a dog? lol.
 

busannie

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#20
About 8 months ago, a man brought a puppy (pit mix?) he'd found into my work to be scanned for a microchip. She was super scared but sweet, thin, and looked like she might have had demodex. Avoided eye contact with pretty much every person who interacted with her. I was giving the man a list of places to call to try to send her to if no owner turned up (legally, strays have to go to animal control, but he was thinking about redeeming her afterwards even though he couldn't keep her), and she came over to me and sat on my foot, then looked straight up at me. Gulp. I scooted her off my foot and gave her a pat. She scooted back onto my foot and fixed me with a long, steady look. That about did it for me, but I couldn't. I should have asked the guy to call and let us know what happened with her, but at the time I felt like I'd rather not know. I'll probably wonder about that little dog for the next 10 years :(
 

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