Well, Sugar ended up going to another rescue. She was a very very sweet girl, but she just didn't have a lab personality. She was a herding dog, she loved to herd Gus and Holly. You might remember she had kennel cough when I got her, well, Gus didn't get it, but I did, or at least I got something. I ended up in the hospital not being able to breathe well. Not fun. I ended up getting out earlier than they wanted to release me because I didn't have anybody to take care of them. Well, I'm on the mend now, and Sugar has gone to another rescue, so of course I got another email, with this pic attached.



I'm kind of torn, he is soooooo cute, and he needs a foster. But I am still recovering. I also need to make sure that he doesn't have kennel cough, even though I keep being told humans don't get it, I have been sick too many times when I have a dog with kennel cough to take a chance. So what do you guys think?

Here is the description I got of him:

Pistol - 8 month old yellow neutered male, 41 lbs.
He is full of himself, is constantly thinking of new ways to have fun. Loves
to play with any toy thought he doesn't destroy them

I think you should just concentrate on getting better. You are not 100% yet. You cant risk it... A little work is so exhausting on you, as it it already. No matter how cute Pistol is.

:doh:

I agree. What would happen if you got sick again - a relapse would be worse. Get yourself back up to par before taking on more responsibility. Pistol is a cutie, but if you get sick again, how many more pups will you not be able to help? I hope that makes sense...It must be about my bedtime.

well........ he sure is cute, but if he fits his name you might not get completly well and have a relapse. if it were me I would wait.

glad your getting better tho..

Debbie & mason

ok this is the 3rd time Ive written this now as my stooopid computer keeps turning itself OFF!!!

anyway, he is SOOOO sweet mel, he looks adorable but I know how nasty your recent illness was (even if you havent made it sound as bad as it was on here!) but you need to be 100% before you take on a foster pup...kennel cough risk aside just the extra work is something you don't need...I would definitely wait a little...so back to bed, ok! :rolleyes:

I found out a little more about the boy today. He is a golden/lab mix (they think) and when he came into the shelter, his collar was embedded in his skin because it was too tight. The collar wound is healing nicely. He had kennel cough at one point, and a 105 fever, but they have neutered him now which means he may be better. I feel really sorry for him, and would like to foster him, but I need to make sure that he is all better.

I appreciate everybody's concern. I kind of feel like Sally Fields, "You like me, you really, really like me". I will see how this plays out, but I am leaning against taking him now. I would love to help him, I just don't know. I still have to find out more about him.

Well, this pic isn't quite as cute



He stopped coughing a week ago and has gotten his shots and neuter since then.

If you feel better, then do it. That is what you do the best.

He looks like a real sweetheart.

I thought I saw Golden in the first pictures. Hope you feel better. :hugsmiley :hugsmiley

I though he had Golden in him from that first pic, which makes it harder to say no. But as the others said, he will be hard work & only you know if you are up to it. And Mel humans CAN get a form of kennel cough, I read about it when I was looking it up when Alfie had it. Hope you are feeling better soon. :hugsmiley

Oh my what a cutie pie he is. I wish I lived closer to you so I could help you out with the fostering. I am without a foster right now. I have only had one come in with kennel cough and all mine got it from Joise but it did not last very long....about a week for each. It sounds so awful doesn't it. I do hope that you are feeling lots better. He does look like he has some golden in him in that first picture.

Thanks Barbara,
I have been fostering for about 4 years now, and I have had several come through with kennel cough. Sugar just started coughing the day I got her. Gus doesn't usually get it, I do for some reason. If I get him, he will be delivered tomorrow, I'm just waiting to see if they can arrange transport. The rescue I volunteer for has about 200 volunteers, so we are pretty big.

I take it the foster that stayed was one that you just couldn't give up, that's how I got Gus, and that is how I will get any dogs that I get in the future. I love fostering, and some are harder to give up than others. But I like being able to get to know them first. :thumbsupsmiley

I'm glad to know that I won't be the only one posting in this forum, can't wait to see your fosters!

:jumpingsmiley1

Oh wow you all are a big rescue. Ours is quite small though there are 4 golden retriever rescues in SC. We are right in the middle of the state and there are 2 on the coast and one in the upper part of the state. There are only 3 of us and that includes the founder. She has had the rescue though for a very long time.

I have been foster for about a year now and love it also. I decided I wanted to start fostering after I lost my girl Tess in March of last year. She gave me so much and I wanted to give something back. Oliver was my first foster and only 14 weeks old when I got him. After training him I just could not give him up. Oh and I have wanted to keep them all.....LOL Three is my limit for me to own though...so I say.... :rolleyes:

Oh I am sure I get a foster soon. We have only 2 right now and one is with the other foster Mom and the other with our founder so I am without. I just love a house full of goldens.

Well I will check tomorrow and see if you get that cute boy...have a great Friday!

Well, the transport didn't work for today, so they are trying to set it up for tomorrow. We'll see, I am going to my niece's 1st birthday party tomorrow.

Barbara, if you are interested, here is the website of the rescue I volunteer for. As you can see by the number of dogs we have in the system, we are a pretty large group.

Oh thanks so much for the link. Yes you all are quite large. Oh they all are just beautiful. Well I do hope that the transport works out tomorrow for you. It is so nice that you have so many people to help. I hope you have a great time at your nieces 1st Birthday party. I bet it will be so cute and fun.....cake all over the face....LOL :birthdaysmiley to her! Our rescue website is midlandsgoldenrescue.org I will check back to see if you get that cutie pie.... :love663:

You all are a small rescue, but a successful rescue it seems. My cousin and my niece both have the flu unfortunately, so her birthday party was cancelled. Mom was just not up to it. I have to say that even if it was going on, as sick as I have been, I probably wouldn't have attended, I just can't take the chance right now. I have to go back to work next week, I've been out for 2 weeks already.

Our rescue covers Maryland, Virginia, part of West Virginia, Southern Pennsylvania, and Delaware. We have people come from New Jersey and Massachusetts to adopt dogs from us. As I said, a huge territory. We usually have 1-2 adoption day events a month, and adopt out of the home as well. We usually adopt out about between 500-700 dogs a year. We also have law enforcement agencies that come to us for working dogs. If fact, 2 of my fosters have gone into law enforcement. One of them is working on accelerant detection, and he made his first bust a few months ago. I was soooo proud on him. The other one is a bomb sniffer for a federal government agency. They changed his name from Manny to Boomer. :unsure: Not sure if that is a good sign or a bad sign for a bomb sniffer. :laughingsmile

So Gus should have his new foster brother tomorrow, and we have an adoption day on Sunday. So it may be a short stay.

Well, the boy is currently on the way. :clap The word is that he is very fuzzy and very sweet. Hope I get a chance to post some pics of him. I'll let you know how Gus likes him.

Well, I have Pistol. What a sweetheart he is! He is very fluffy and soft, he definitely has some golden in him. Gus seems to like him, so that is a good thing. He is a little mouthy, which is not unusual for the pups, and he has been in a kennel for a few weeks, so he has some energy to get out. He just got a little rambunctious with Gus, and Gus told him who is boss. Gus is pretty good about that, he tells them that he is boss, and they listen, but he is only as strict as required. Once they have figured each other out, they are Gus's best buddy.

Let Gus be in charge so you take it easy. I know you're still on the mend. I'd love to see more pictures of this cute guy.

I always let Gus be in charge. They have to learn their manners, and Gus can teach them better than I can. I only step in before it goes to far, but Gus never gets in trouble for putting them in their place. He is a very funny boy, he will toss toys to himself and chase them. :laughingsmile

Oh he sounds great, lots of pics please!! :takepics:

Well, off to the adoption day. If he gets adopted, I won't have a chance go take pics.

Well, Pistol got adopted, he was one of the first to go. I didn't even get a chance to sit down before I was surrounded by people. I like the family that adopted him, they just lost an older lab in April. I don't know the final numbers, but I think we had a decent day. Oh well, he was fun while I had him.

Oh thats wonderful Mel!! :clap They will have themselves a great dog there!!

Wow Mel that was quick but I am so glad for Pistol. The puppies sure do got fast huh? It is the older ones that have the longest stays I have found. I do hope that you are feeling better since you have to go back to work tomorrow.

My gosh that is a lot of territory that you all cover. We do get pups sometimes from other states when closer rescues can't take them. Our founder has had the rescue for about 25 years. She is also a breeder and trainer. I have learned a lot from her. We also do have people from time to time come for NC to look at the rescues. They come to the foster Mom's home to see them then Mary makes the decision after reviewing their application and a home visit. We do not do the adoption days though we also do not have the numbers like you all do.

Oh Oliver my foster failue went in his for first yearly visit and got microchiped. He weighs 72 lbs and is doing just great I am happy to say. He was all over the place he was so excited. I am looking for a trainer for him as he needs more besides the basic stuff.

So is Gus your only pup? I know you said that he was your foster failure. He sure is a pretty boy. I just love his shake! Well I can't wait to see what comes your way next. Do have a great Monday!

Barbara

I didn't even have him for 24 hours. :laughingsmile I have actually had pups last a few weeks, this one was quicker than usual. I really didn't even get a chance to know him.

I don't consider Gus a foster failure, I consider him a great success. The best dogs never make it out of foster care, they get adopted by their fosters. They told me when I started that some of my fosters, I would not be able to wait until they got out the door, and some I would cry when they left. I've found that to be true. There have been several that I had a very hard time letting go of, but so far I have resisted getting another dog. The rescue told me to consider myself just a stop on the pups way to a new forever home, and that always helped me. But some of them are harder than others.

I'll see what they have for me, I probably won't get one until closer to next weekend, I think this is going to be a tough week for me.

LOL I hear you on that! Yes they get into your heart so fast. I really want to keep them all and would if I could. I have yet to have one that I did not want to keep. Some are harder than others to let go of. I find the longer I keep them the harder it is to let them go. It does make me happy to hear though that they are happy in their new homes and to get pics of them.

Oh I did not mean anything on Gus being a failure. It is just the term we use as both of us foster Mom's have adopted one of our fosters. I do think you are right that they are a great success and I am so thankful that I get to provide a good home for Oliver as he just gives me so much...I am so thankful for him. They really are wonderful teachers about life I feel.

Oh that is what I try to keep in mind too when I get a new foster. I am just helping to get them ready for their forever home. It does help me though my heart screams at me no keep him/her.....LOL

Well I do hope that you have a good day at work and again I am so happy that your adoption day went so well!