calliecritturs
Posted : 9/2/2011 9:12:19 AM
willowchow
From the IMHA standpoint, OMG, another cocker! 
yeah ... conversation at supper:
David: "I understand why you want to do this, and yes we can surely help her ... but are you sure you want to do another cocker?"
"No, I don't want to do another cocker. But it was this one that got shoved in my face, that I tried to think, "NO NO NO" to, but that I know beyond a shadow of doubt that I/we are supposed to do THIS dog, so God's gotta have a reason. But bottom line -- she's not a buffy-coat & she's an *American* cocker so it's do-able"
"o .... K !!!"
willowchow
LOL, no intent to "keep" her. . .we will see about that one!
We haven't fostered in a few years for several reasons -- Foxy got too old to deal, and then Billy was too immune-suppressed. We historically did a LOT of fostering - most of it longer term (to deal with some specific physical or behavioral issue). The former teacher in me is actually good at this. You fall in love with ALL of your students every year, but you push them and mold them into what they *can* be before they leave you and then at the end of the semester you **promote** them to the rest of their life. That's exactly how I foster.
Now (and David and I have already talked about it) if a foster's health issues are SO bad that they can't reliably be placed - they'll stay. We accept that going in. That was why Kee Shu stayed -- the seizures were too pervasive and constant. *WE* dealt with it and were willing to spend the money but others wouldn't. But most of all -- she turned out to be one of the *best* therapy dogs we've ever had and in the most **unlikely** form --a PEKE?? Good with **children**?? Holy Cow.
But she was -- so we kept her easily. But some of the best placements we've ever done were badly emotionally scarred dogs and weird behavior issues. The last foster we did was about 8 years ago -- he was totally and completely unresponsive to human verbal commands -- his ears were *fine* but he filtered out every single thing someone SAID to him. I found out he had been a circus dog (small traveling show) -- and he'd suddenly start doing "tricks" all over the place!
He'd been trained from puppyhood to ONLY respond to applause!! He'd actually been *trained* not to take ANY instruction from a human by his first master. But one time by accident I clapped my hands in delight when he did something I asked of him and he about died of happiness. That unlocked it and we learned his chosen "reward" was applause! He went to a family with a little girl and was her faithful companion forever more.
*grin* We're just good at weird stuff and then finding the *right* home for this dog. I'm never good at your typical "stay here for 3 nights til you go to another home" ... but I do like unraveling a complex problem or health issue to promote a dog to a great situation.
And btw -- Tracy -- you're right. I've done blind dogs before and that **IS** exactly what I do -- not so much to lead them thru the house (because they learn that "map" pretty quick). But we'll teach scent triggers like for stairs or the 'edge' of a deck, finding doorways, etc. And a unique scent for "her" stuff like so you can toss a ball and she can 'find' it based on scent.