How do you know when...

This is where to talk about Pit Bulls!

Postby pitsnok » June 3rd, 2011, 10:31 am

a foster has failed? :|

Okay so the thing is, we have had Boss since September...that's 9 months. It's really hard to believe that Ollie has been gone for most of that time now. I honestly want to be able to find him a place where he doesn't have to compete for attention with other dogs...but at the same time, we haven't really been trying all that hard to find him a home. One of my closest friends has pretty much said that if he is still here when he moves out of his apartment (in December...ugh.) that he wants him. He adores dogs, especially pit bulls, and especially Boss. But man, December is a long way away! If his apartment complex didn't have a weight restriction I would let him take him now, because lets face it... Boss has the energy level of a middle-aged giant-tortoise, and apartment life would be no big deal for him. The only reason I worry about waiting until December is that I really adore Boss. Gah he is freaking WONDERFUL... And I feel like I am just going to keep getting more and more attached to him!
The reason I still have such a hard time saying that he's staying for good is that crating and rotating is really wearing us out. And Boss still doesn't do well when he's crated, so I just feel bad for the guy. Don't get me wrong, he has improved tremendously, and still continues to do so, just very s s s s l l l o o o w w l l y y y ... And Because he is so calm and collected 100% of the time that he is uncrated, I just know it would be best for him not to have to be rotated.

Then I think, well...maybe we should just try letting he and Degan get to know each other... I feel really horrible for admitting this, but we really have never even tried (outside of the first few attempts not long after Boss and Ollie showed up). Boss has mellowed out so much though, as far as his uneasiness goes, and Degan's listening skills are better than they ever have been... so I keep thinking "maybe we should just try it." But I just don't think we have ever worked up the cajones to actually do so.

I REALLLLLYY wish that my friend's mom would have taken Boss instead of Ollie!! Granted, that was at the time that I wasn't comfortable with Boss's behavior but god that would have made things so much easier!!


So ... Can anyone lend any advice? haha? I'm not even sure what I'm trying to ask... I think I just need someone else's stand on the whole thing.
~Brittany, Degan and Harlow's mom


"It is true that Pit Bulls grab and hold on. But what they most often grab and refuse to let go of is your heart, not your arm."
User avatar
pitsnok
Hyper Adolescent Bully
 
Posts: 365
Location: Edmond, OK

Postby TheRedQueen » June 3rd, 2011, 11:04 am

Well, I'll tell you when *I* know that a foster has failed...which will probably differ from the pit bull folks on here, because I have different needs/wants.

The dogs that stay here? They fit seamlessly (almost) into my life...I have a good time with them, I have plans for them (flyball, service work, etc)...the rest of the pack accepts them with minimal fuss. They don't cause me headaches, and even when they do something "bad", I just shrug it off and move on with my life. The big thing for me is that everyone in the house is accepting of the new dog...because when you live in a pack in my house, you have to get along well with others. I also know when a dog is here to stay when it helps me with other dogs that I'm training, socializing, etc...either by being playful or nonchalant in the face of a reactive/aggressive dog. Score, Fig, Puzzle...they're all a sort of foster failure of mine...and they all fit into the household and pack. They all have a place and a job to do...and I have great fun with them.
"I don't have any idea if my dogs respect me or not, but they're greedy and I have their stuff." -- Patty Ruzzo

"Dogs don't want to control people. They want to control their own lives." --John Bradshaw
User avatar
TheRedQueen
I thought I lost my Wiener... but then I found him.
 
Posts: 7184
Location: Maryland

Postby copperlegend » June 3rd, 2011, 11:30 am

My thoughts are very similar to TheRedQueen's. Right now, I'm going through the same thing. I think in the back of my mind Kia is here to stay. She gets along great with Nadia (they're nearly inseparable at times), she accepts any and every new person that visits us, we know what her faults are (leash reactive, selective about other dogs), and we know how to manage it. She's great with our cat (despite what her failed adopters thought/said), and our neighbors like her. Her personality fits in our little family well.

Of course, if the perfect adopter wants her, they can have her. I'm really crossing my fingers that friends of ours will find a house soon. They adore her and have seen her 'issues' firsthand, but are completely capable of dealing with it. Other than them, I'd have a very hard time adopting her out to just anyone.
Joanna
Proud 'failed foster'
Nadia -APBT mix
CarreraKitty - feline extraordinaire
copperlegend
Snot Nose Bully Pup
 
Posts: 163

Postby mnp13 » June 3rd, 2011, 1:52 pm

Riggs is horrible when he's crated. We've worked on it for five years, and it has not gotten any better. He is what he is, and I just ignore it. If you can't deal with c-n-r then I don't think he belongs with you honestly. He might do well with Degan for a while, and maybe forever, but he might not and then you're right back where you started. And, of course, he'll always need to be separated when you're not home (but i'm sure you know that already.)
Michelle

Inside me is a thin woman trying to get out. I usually shut the bitch up with a martini.
User avatar
mnp13
Evil Overlord
 
Posts: 17234
Location: Rochester, NY

Postby furever_pit » June 3rd, 2011, 9:07 pm

I agree with Michelle...if the crate and rotate is already wearing you down then it is probably not "meant" to be. My personal experience with crate and rotate is that it became an easy part of my schedule rather quickly, I would not continue doing it if it were a burden or it wore me out. JM2C.
User avatar
furever_pit
Supremely Bully
 
Posts: 1138
Location: NC

Postby plebayo » June 3rd, 2011, 10:04 pm

Totally what Erin and Michelle said.

And-

I know for me I'm not a crate & rotate person. I would not own a dog that didn't get along with the two I have now. Mind you, I'm not against crating when the dogs can't be watched but for MY lifestyle I wouldn't want to have to crate my dogs when we're all out doing things. Plus for me I don't have enough time in my day to exercise three dogs individually for the amount of time I would consider fair. For other people this works out well and they have the time to exercise each dog individually and give them ample attention. I know you say Boss is a couch potato but I'm sure he'd have energy to burn if given the opportunity. Both of my dogs are pretty mellow but they are even mellower after some good exercise and I don't really feel there's any dog out there who doesn't need exercise except for maybe something older and they still need it, just not as much. Do you feel like he's getting enough one on one? What things has he learned at your house? How do you juggle spending time with each dog?

You need to make up your mind on what you think is best for the dog. If your house is best then you have to get over having to crate & rotate and just do it. If it's better to find him a home then get off your butt and actually start trying to find him a home. He's either a burden or he isn't. Your post makes him sound more like a burden and something that you can put up with if you have to, but it would be easier not to. :|

It's a tough call, but if you are going to find him a home you need to jump on it and put yourself 100% into it, it's hard to place a bully breed these days. I don't know if you saw the video Liz posted but the other speaker said that it's hard to place really nice pit bulls but she sees nasty chihuahuas finding new homes all the time. Rehoming a dog isn't easy, but it's especially harder to find a good home for a bully breed.
Suzanne
Seth, CGC & LiLo
♥♥Sofie - Always in my heart. ♥♥
User avatar
plebayo
Mrs. Dr. Kildare
 
Posts: 943
Location: Oregon

Postby amazincc » June 4th, 2011, 8:17 am

plebayo wrote:
I know for me I'm not a crate & rotate person. I would not own a dog that didn't get along with the two I have now.


Hmmm... I used to think the same way in the past. :wink:
However - once I had to resort to crate&rotate to keep everyone safe and happy I really found it to be not as difficult as I had imagined it to be. Also, I think, I had always been prepared fo the possibility of having to crate&rotate once I committed to keeping Faust (even though I was hoping I wouldn't have to), but here it is... and we are all dealing w/it okay.
It does involve some juggling and adjustments, and lots of 'revolving doors', and it has been suggested to me several times to rehome the offending dog asap (Faust :rolleyes2: )... but it's not in my DNA to take the easy way out, especially when I'm committed to making it work despite of being "inconvenienced".
I'm very grateful that the boys got along as well as they did for as long as they did (just about two years), and I'm a little sad that the honeymoon is over, but in reality I'm taking it much harder than they do... lol

Let me just say this though... IF there is the slightest possibility that Boss and Degan may get into a fight I wouldn't chance letting them get to that point. A full-blown fight is MUCH harder on everyone than a daily crate/rotate routine and an ounce of prevention... take it from me.
My situation is a little different from yours, since I've raised the boys from puppyhood, and since they are both MY dogs... but as as far as crating/rotating goes I don't believe that it's detrimental to their overall health and well-being as long as they each get to spend quality time w/me when not crated. :)
User avatar
amazincc
Jessica & Mick
 
Posts: 9814
Location: Holding them both in my heart.

Postby pitbullmamaliz » June 4th, 2011, 8:43 am

Are Faust and Seppel on full-time c&r? Are they both still ok with Daisy?
"Remember - every time your dog gets somewhere on a tight leash *a fairy dies and it's all your fault.* Think of the fairies." http://www.positivepetzine.com"

http://www.pitbullzen.com
http://inaradog.wordpress.com
User avatar
pitbullmamaliz
Working out in the buff causes chafing
 
Posts: 15438
Location: Cleveland, OH

Postby plebayo » June 4th, 2011, 10:25 am

My situation is a little different from yours, since I've raised the boys from puppyhood, and since they are both MY dogs... but as as far as crating/rotating goes I don't believe that it's detrimental to their overall health and well-being as long as they each get to spend quality time w/me when not crated. :)


I don't think c&r is detrimental to a dogs health but I think it can be depending on your situation. If you work 8-11hr days depending on the schedule it would be hard to exercise three young dogs individually. I only have two and they can be out together and even still sometimes I know I have barely tapped their energy level. I'm just saying if you're going to c&r you're going to have to manage your time and be sure your dogs get enough energy let out and attention.

If I had dogs who got along and then needed to be c&r'd I would do as needed because, like you, I don't feel that dogs are something you can just get rid of. However, if I took a dog into my home knowing that MY personal dogs would not like that dog, or that the new dog would not like mine I wouldn't keep it.
Suzanne
Seth, CGC & LiLo
♥♥Sofie - Always in my heart. ♥♥
User avatar
plebayo
Mrs. Dr. Kildare
 
Posts: 943
Location: Oregon

Postby TheRedQueen » June 4th, 2011, 9:03 pm

plebayo wrote:If I had dogs who got along and then needed to be c&r'd I would do as needed because, like you, I don't feel that dogs are something you can just get rid of. However, if I took a dog into my home knowing that MY personal dogs would not like that dog, or that the new dog would not like mine I wouldn't keep it.


Yup, fully agree. As I said, my dogs have to get along with the rest of the pack...but if they grew up from puppies and didn't get along after a while, that'd be different than adopting a grown dog that doesn't get along with the rest, imo.

I had Daisy here as a foster...and she had to be crated away from ALL of my dogs. Not once did I think of adopting her...that was a non-starter in my book
"I don't have any idea if my dogs respect me or not, but they're greedy and I have their stuff." -- Patty Ruzzo

"Dogs don't want to control people. They want to control their own lives." --John Bradshaw
User avatar
TheRedQueen
I thought I lost my Wiener... but then I found him.
 
Posts: 7184
Location: Maryland


Return to Pit Bull Talk

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users

cron