This site is not only to share our current foster dogs but also to help provide education for other foster homes. As a dog behavior consultant I have been called by many rescues to assist with foster dogs and support many foster families. Having fostered so many dogs over the years I have learned quite a bit and have also seen where folks tend to go wrong. Here are some of my "foster rules" for success.
1. Provide structure! Dogs relax when expectations are clear and definite.
2. Follow the dog's lead. Study body language and DO NOT push them. Take into consideration the environment they came from and observe them contstantly for how they handle new situations. Offer breaks and quiet time.
3. Don't rush encounters with other dogs or cats. Windsor has only sniffed one of our dogs, Duke. This is on leash only and a calm fast sniff followed by a good boy and redirection. Duke is very neutral and is excellent with other dogs, unlike my female gsd mix and siberian who will take more time. As for my cats. All have sniffed Windsor through the crate and Windsor has shown nothing but polite behavior. Like all dogs that come through, he is not given an opportunity to test this. He is always on leashe or crated. That is how we work with all of our foster dogs. Windsor is more polite to them than many of our other fosters have been. Again, supervision is a must and always a controlled situation. I do not take chances that would put my cats or Windsor at risk.
4. Always supervise. Every dog that enters our home is tethered to me (around my waist) or on a leash in my hand or crated. I trust noone until I have observed them for lengthy periods of time. It is rare for any of our foster dogs to have free roam of our home due to 3 kids, 5 cats and 2 of our own dogs, one of which is a quirky female.
5. Expect changes to happen once they become comfortable, healthy and situated. The honeymoon is always misleading! Time reveals the true dog. This is the hardest lesson of all and sadly not all dogs are able to recover from their past experiences. I sure hope this boy can!
This has led to our success and lack of squabbles etc. I hope this helps other fosters!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Windsor update
We went shopping for a comfy bed for our boy. A generous donation was made that specified our buying a comfy bed for his sore body. He is learning to relax on the new bed. He prefers the leather couch with us on it however! Windsor had a gentle oatmeal bath yesterday. He was terrific. Windsor also met the vet yesterday and handled that like a trooper too. Honestly this boy has no reason to trust people but he does. He warms up quickly and takes comfort if I am there to "approve" the situation. He continues to be spectacular. Windsor is on leash and is able to manage the same rooms and quarters as our foster boy Duke. We are not allowing them to go nose to nose, but rather just become familiar with each other. Our 2 other dogs are always away during these times. We never push itneraction with our foster dogs. It takes time and trust. This is where many people run into trouble. It is best to go slow and follow their lead.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Windsor Thanks everyone for their well wishes and donations! He feels much more relaxed and hopeful!http://www.marleyscattales.org/RP_WebDoc.asp?ttid=82
Friday, February 22, 2008
Dinner time activities
As with all of our fosters dinnertime is a time of bonding and learning. Windsor is sore in his rear so we can not work on "sit" yet, so the kids came up with "spin." He is being hand fed for part of his meal and learning clicker as well! I am still amazed by this boy and how wonderful he is!
Windsor updates
This boy is truly special. I feel so lucky to have him here. For a dog in the condition he is I am amazed at how eager he is for attention and how adaptable he is to our home environment. Windsor has several spots in our home for him to relax and adjust in. He has a quiet warm bathroom with a travel crate that has quite to soft bed in it. He loves this! He willingly goes into his crate and I close the door and within a short time hear him snoring away. What a comforting noise this is as I know he is comfortable and peaceful. The other spot is in a large open wire crate in our kitchn. This is where the video was taken. Here is where there is more action and the other animals walk by and they all are becoming familiar. I have done no face to face intros other then through the crate. He has shown absolutely no aggression towards the cats or other dogs. He sniffs, turns away and today yawned several times. He even eats with everyone around. All of this is great and indicates his comfort level increasing in our home. I am so pleased. Today he ate a good breakfast and that was great to see. Time in the kitchen is short and limited so as not to overdue things for him as he adjusts. He did take the opportunity to hop up onto my leather chair last night as I watched tv. Smart boy! He has his eye on our couch every time we walk by it. All in good time my boy! Anyway, he continues to thrive and has had no accidents which is always a plus! Video and photo updates coming later today! Stay tuned!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Windsor the Winner!
Our first meeting on the road to freedom and recovery! Thank you http://www.marleyscattales.org/ for making this happen! Windsor is an official foster dog with http://www.marleyscattales.org/ We appreciate the interest to sponsor him. This boy will need a great deal of care on his road to recovery. Right now he is enjoying a nap (snoring away) in a comfy spot. He is a high positive for heartworm and has a long road ahead of him. He is taking it alll in stride and is truly a WINNER!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
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