Member

Posts: 361
From:Vancouver, BC
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 03-31-2003 07:07 PM         

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Well, I decided to become a foster parent for the SPCA. I wanted to foster a Feamle Pit Bulls so I could help get them homes, which I would check up on in a couple weeks and see how the dog likes the new home. I picked up a Female APBT who had spent a lot of time the SPCA, being transfered all over because nobody will give her a home, but she is such a sweet heart and sooooo smart. I brought her home yesterday after taking her to the park to see her behavior with the other dogs...which was okay for being bairley socialized, but Duke did not like her. He tried fighting with her right away.....I couldn't keep her as I prayed I would be able to, now she's back at the pound... I cried when I handed to leash to the man...I am so mad at my spoiled little shit of a dog. I want to help these animals and he's to darn stuck up...man I can;t believe how long in socializing with him and he does a 180 flip...what a looser dog I have...I'm so sad...anyone know how I can find her a home quick..poor gal...she's a real charmer. I'm afraid they will euthanize her now because so many people have tried taking her in, but they can't handle the amount of energy she has, which honestly isn't that much considering she's been penned up for so long.
I feel like crap today...I couldn't help her or any of the other Pit Bulls there....so sad to even think about

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Posts: 552
From:
Registered: Mar 2003

posted 03-31-2003 08:30 PM         

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How long were you planningon fostering her? If only for a few weeks, could you maybe keep them seperate?I know it sounds like a huge hassle, but many people who own/foster multiple pit bulls do this, and it does seem to work ok for them. We've had to do it with our dogs and Haley, because she's too bossy, and would quickly push one of them over the edge, resulting in a big fight. She has been introduced a few times to Goo, and we hope that they'll eventually be able to be loose in the house together without conflict (doing pretty well so far, and only when supervised, of course), then if that goes well, we'll start introducing the others. We switch back and forth between our dogs and her, rotating every few hours. It might not be the ideal situation, but better than being stuck in the shelter, right? If you have a spare room, that would be great for the "holding pen" for one while the other is loose, or if either is destructive, you could set up a crate in there (I wouldn't leave a dog aggressive dog with another dog in the same room crated, doesn't matter which is in the crate, teeth could be broken or worse if they got into it). Or on nice days, one could be out in the yard while the other is in the house. If you don't have a room one can go in, even a babygate across a doorway/hallway (two "stacked" if either is a jumper) can keep them seperated while you're around, then one could be shut in the bathroom when you're not home. As for getting him to tolerate another dog being there, maybe your trainer could watch an introduction and tell you what she thinks/how it could be "fixed"? These are just a couple ideas, if you're really set on fostering, but don't know how to go about doing it now. If none of that is feasible for you, you could always just go visit her in the shelter, take her out for exercise (you said she's super high energy, so that might increase her chances of being adopted), or even take her through an obedience class if you have the extra time/money. One more question... are they both fixed? I know that different dogs react differently to different dogs, altered, non-altered, male, female.

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Posts: 480
From:Harrisburg,PA USA
Registered: Feb 2003

posted 03-31-2003 10:44 PM         

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Thats similar to what I do with my fosters. Though they are not pitbulls. My rotty showed possesiveness aggression towards the fosters any toys or food if they got near it they got growled and snapped at and since I did have 5 3 month old puppies that I was fostering plus my two dogs. I had to separate them. There was no way i could keep my eye on all 7. So the puppies were put in a spare bedroom. I only had all 5 for one night till they went to another foster home the next morning. Then I would keep them in a spare room while my other two were loose. Then I would put my 2 outside while the pups had run of the house. then I would swap them all. When I am not home the pups are put in there crates in the spare bedroom till I get home. Let alone they arent house trained and they are pups plus I dont trust my rotty around them alone. It has worked pretty well. These are my first fosters and though it isnt the most ideal situation it works and by the end of the night all dogs are tuckered out and ready for bed. So they definitely still burn off energy. I dont think my rotty has ever passed out like she does now. The only time she really plays with the pups is outside. But if you cant have the dogs together they can still get one on one with you. I agree with goob. Talk to your trainer see if she has any suggestions.I dont know what I would do without mine sometimes. Dont give up you will come to some conclusion. Even if it comes down to not being able to foster there are still so many other things to do. Look back on all the suggestions everyone gave me when it came to me feeling helpless about all the pitbulls that are at my shelter. I ended up calling all the rescues in my area that take pitbulls. And between the 3 that responded they ended up taking 7 pbts that would otherwise prolly been euthanized. Plus I put flyers up at some local petstores and made up some flyers for them and stuck them in mailboxes around my neighborhood. To me at first it really didnt seem like I was doing much but then when I talked to the shelter and found out that people were coming in with flyers in hand and asking specifically about PBTs I realized I had made a difference. I am just starting to realize all that one person really can do to save animals. It really doesnt take that much time either. And I have done it all without adding any animals to my home except for my original fosters. I have also connected a lady who was trying to find a home for her rotty because it was aggressive towards her kids the name of a behaviorist in her area. She thought the closest one was 3 hours away from her house. So she is giving that a try. So if the whole fostering thing doesnt work out there really is so much you can do that doesnt involve taking in animals. So dont get discouraged and dont give up you will find a way to help the furkids in need in your own way.

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posted 03-31-2003 11:05 PM         

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I'm glad you've been able to help so much RottyMommy One more thing you might want to try too in your area (and I think I may have already mentioned this) is that if the shelters don't alter the dogs before adopting them out, try to talk them into doing it. Even if they don't have the funds for it, they can collect the adoption fee as a deposit, drop the dog off at the vets to be altered, then the adopter can pick them up, paying the bill as they go. At that point, they would get back their money fro mthe shelter. Or the adoption fee could be raised a little, and part of that money could go to pay for the dog to be altered, but that way they might have more people "forgetting" to get the dog from the vets... I just don't like the idea of the dogs being adopted out while still intact.
Schmoopie, another thing I forgot to mention is that at first it was kinda hard to do the switching thing, the dogs were like "what the $%#&!?" when we put them away and let Haley out, but now they know the routine and as soon as I say "get in your boxes", they all go flying in. It's a little hard to get into the habit of closing whatever needs to be closed to keep them seperate, but it's starting to become a habit now (several times I forgot to close my door before letting Haley out, I'm so glad that when I tell Goo to "go to your room", she stays there until called out ). It also helps that my mo spends most of her time in the room that Haley is kept in, so she's not all alone back there for too long usually. I have been taking the other dogs out for exercise more often, but that's partially because they got a little "heavy" over the winter

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Posts: 361
From:Vancouver, BC
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 04-01-2003 11:49 AM         

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Thanks you for the words of encouragement

Rottymommy, I am blown away that you have been able to help save so many dogs. I was thinking along the same lines of putting up info at local pet stores, handing out flyers, posting them around neigbourhoods etc. I'm going to work on that today!

Goob, I was considering keeping her in my spare room, but just couldn't justify keeping her locked up in a little room when everyone at the SPCA Loves her and she has people that go and walk her everyday...I wish they could keep her, but I think they live in an apartment. I will be going on Wekednds to take out the dogs, walk them etc....hopefully my flyers and info I post in Pet Stores will get more Pit Bull lovers into the SPCA to rescue these guys and gals...there were so many....broke my heart...they were all very calm and came to the front of the cages to say "Hi" to everyone looking. I don't understand how anyone can give up their dog like that...I find it so depressing

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Posts: 480
From:Harrisburg,PA USA
Registered: Feb 2003

posted 04-01-2003 01:42 PM         

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thats a good idea goob i never thought of them getting them altered on a one by one deal that is a great idea and i will definitel bring that up to them it really bothers me that they dont alter the animals before they go to their new homes who know how many animals they adopted out that weren't fixed.They give a discount on spay and neuter through certain vets but it isnt much. So I will definitely bring those ideas up to them. Thank you and schmoopie keep on truckin if there is a will there is a way and like i said you cant imagine how much you can do as one person to help animals until you try. Fostering isnt something I can do on a regular basis since my fiance isnt to keen on the whole deal so I only take in exceptional cases here and there so I had to find other means of helping and that is where all the ideas really came in and I got most of my ideas just from talking to all of you and expanding on them. Let alone I dont have all the funds to foster on my own which is pretty much what I am doing now since I am not affiliated with any rescues as of yet. The cost of getting my last bunch of fosters mom and 5 pups fixed and utd on shots was not cheap but luckily my vet of many years helped me out alot and made it affordable but i only had to apay for mom and 2 pups since a rscue took 3 pups. But anyways schmoopie dont give up there are so many things you can do. Good luck and keep on speaking out for those who cannot speak

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Posts: 414
From:LOUISIANA,USA
Registered: Dec 2002

posted 04-01-2003 01:51 PM         

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First let me start off by saying,Thank you to Rottymommy ans Shmoopie.I think you guys are wonderful for what you are doing.It is great to get to talk to people that care about APBT's and other animals as much as I do.Keep up the good work,because ever little bit helps.Truth be told,when you think you are not getting very far,you've really gone the extra mile.Thank you from myself,my dogs,and all the other REAL APBT breeders.

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