Dog Community

I'm gonna foster a dog!!!!

Posted : 7/16/2006 4:10:13 PM

I'm so excited!!! I've been talking with my local animal shelter about being a foster home and today they did the home visit and I've been given the ok to foster, yayyyy!!!!! I've already picked out the dog I want to foster, it's acutally a long story as to why I picked him. He was actually the puppy of the guy who lives behind the house I just moved into and he initially asked me if I wanted the dog, at the time I was still a good month away from getting the house so I told him if he still had him when I moved into my house then I would take him. The next day this guy brought the dog to the animal shelter and I was devestated because I was sure they would put him to sleep because he's a pitt mix. But, thank the Lord they decided he was a good prospect for fostering and then adoption so they've kept him this whole time waiting for someone to want to either foster or adopt him. So, now that I'm in my new house I've asked to be able to foster him and they've aggreed that this puppy would fit nicely into my lifestyle. I told them I would pick him up next saturday because I want the whole weekend to help him adjust to living with me, figure out if he's housebroken, work out a schedule that will work for both of us, and all that other adjusting type stuff that you go through when getting a new dog. I do have a question for all of you though, I work during the day so I'm going to crate him until I'm sure he's completely housebroken and not destructive. But I think that the temperature for the next couple weeks is supposed to be up around 90 degrees, and I dont have air conditioning. I'm going to leave the windows open because my house always gets a good breeze coming through, but I'm wondering what else I could do to make sure he stays comfortable. I have a basement that stays really cool during the day but I would feel guilty leaving him down there while I'm at work because it's dark (bad lighting, I'm trying to fix that) and it would probably seem like a dungeoun to him. So I would appreciate any suggestions that anyone might have, I want to make this guys life as good as I can because he's really been deprived of the love and good life that he deserves.

Here are some pics of him, I'll post more when I bring him home

whatsh0uldmyl0ginbe?

Posted : 7/16/2006 4:15:36 PM

yay! thats great! i wanna foster[

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Posted : 7/16/2006 4:21:13 PM

Oh WOW congrats! Gish i wish I had the time to foster,I'll just have to do it vicariously through you, haha! I have a pit so hopefully I can offer some advice! Bully breeds are VERY stubborn yet very smart, they catch on quickly and are eager to please. Force will NEVER work with them (I'm not inplying you'd use force) and I dont care what other's say, they DO hold gridges, well trhey'll at least pout, haha!
Anywho your best deffense aganst boredom for your foster is exerisce! These dogs have a endless amount of energy and if left without exersice they WILL get into trouble. A long walk or strenuios play is pretty much necessary if your gonna leave him for a while in the house. Your second defense is chew toys, not those happy lil squeaky toys but hearty tough toys, cow hoofs, nyla bones, tire toys, SUPER strong, cause if he dosnt have them he WILl chew your things and it wont be his fault. I'm sure there will be a ton of other advice on here from bully owners who can give you some insight into the minds of these rascals.
I think if I ever had the time to foster I'd have to get a whole ranch cause I'd never give my foster's up, haha! But its a great thing your doing, giving this babe a great start, I wish you nothing but the best of luck!

olinda

Posted : 7/16/2006 5:54:23 PM

He is such a handsome boy. Good luck to the both of you.

gradyupmybutt

Posted : 7/16/2006 7:38:03 PM

Oh! He's such a handsome boy!! He looks like he's got a ton of personality. Give him some lovin' from me. Welcome to the world of fostering. It's a great feeling.

smilee1079

Posted : 7/16/2006 8:41:05 PM

Do you have a fan you can use by the crate? Also, maybe if you spend some time in the basement with the dog... playing, etc. and maybe pretty it up a bit, he won't mind being down there. To add light, get one of those cheap deals at Walmart that is the tall pole with 3 lights. They are like $10 and add a lot of light. Also, you can put ice cubes in a bowl for him so he has cool water as they melt.

Congrats! It looks like your first foster may be yours for good

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Elizabeth

Posted : 7/16/2006 8:42:02 PM

Thanks for the replies everyone!! I've spent some time with him and I can already tell he's one of the smartest, most willing dogs I've ever worked with. I'm trying to think of a good name for him, I dont like the name he has now (Louie) but I can't seem to think of him as anything else. I would love suggestions if you guys can think of anything!!!!

Elizabeth

Posted : 7/16/2006 8:55:39 PM

smilee1079, thanks for the suggestions. I do have a fan that I can put by his crate although I was wondering if he would get annoyed with it blowing on him for an extended period of time, maybe if I set it farther away from the crate so that it circulated the air but didn't blow directly on him that would work. I'm also hoping to put in ceiling fans so that would help also. I may break down and keep him in the basement during the hot spells (which we dont really have a whole lot of in Michigan, at least not too bad) and then keep him upstairs when it's cooler. I guess once he's comfortable in his crate, as long as I keep him in there with his toys he shouldn't mind where he is.

ORIGINAL: smilee1079Congrats! It looks like your first foster may be yours for good .

shhhhhhh, I'm trying to not admit to that yet[sm=wink.gif], it's kind of pathetic to be admitting that I'll probaby fail a foster before he's even home yet!!!!!

glenmar

Posted : 7/17/2006 8:41:44 AM

Where the heck ARE you in MI that it isn't HOT?? I'm in NW Michigan, not all that far from Lake Michigan and the Bay, and gosh darn, Saturday at 7PM it was STILL 98 degrees here.

Elizabeth

Posted : 7/17/2006 8:53:46 AM

hahaha, actually I'm probably pretty close to you. I dont typically mind the heat, but this 90 degree weather is a bit much. I'm fine with heat in the 80's as long as it's not muggy and sticky. Of course, the job I have now i work in air conditioning and by the time I get out it's typically cooled off, so I'm just now starting to notice the heat because it's still hot at night.

Karen

Posted : 7/17/2006 6:50:01 PM

Barngirl,
Congradulations on your new addition. Please visit us at pitbullforum.com. He looks full bred to me but since he has pit bull in him the first rule of responsible pit bull ownership is "never, ever trust a pit bull not to fight"
I'm not lecturing in any way. In fact, I'm thrilled you have him. I just remember that when I got my first pittie it ended in a horrible way for me because I didn't realize that owning a pit bull was way different than any other dog
I have ever had and requires alot more vigilance.
Let me warn you though.....Once you go bully you never go back![

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They are definitely the clowns of the dog world.

Karen

Posted : 7/17/2006 6:51:38 PM

Sorry I forgot to reply......that is one handsome bully![

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