Tag: foster dogs

Dogs with Issues, Fanny, former foster dogs, training

Living With a Shy Dog

Cara Sue Achterberg

It’s been a week.

Having no foster dog feels awfully strange, and I wondered if I would even post this week. This blog, though, has become habit. Plus, there is an extra dog here beyond Fanny and Gracie.

Beau is here until July 12; he’s a former-foster we’re babysitting. Since he arrived last week, we’ve said on more than one occasion—why didn’t we adopt him? He and Fanny are the perfect playmates. He’s proving what I’ve suspected for some time: Fanny could use an emotional support dog.

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Fanny is a shy dog. Anyone who has ever adopted a shy dog knows Continue reading “Living With a Shy Dog” →

dog rescue, fosterdogs, fostering

Sheep Fostering

Cara Sue Achterberg

I have now fostered 177 dogs, 7 cats, and 1 sheep.

No, really.

Last night, as I was putting the final touches on a pizza and the grill was heating up on the deck, my oldest son yelled, “Hey, there’s a sheep or goat or something outside.” Continue reading “Sheep Fostering” →

dog rescue, fosterdogs, fostering, hookworms, puppies, returned dogs

Hookworms Round Two

Cara Sue Achterberg

The trip to the vet with puppies was a quite different experience this time around.

The last time I drove there with a small airline crate full of nearly lifeless puppies who didn’t make a sound. I stopped once just because I was worried that Pippin was being smothered (there was no evidence to indicate it was even a possibility but the overtired, distraught mind conjures up all kinds of scenarios on a long drive alone in silence with sick puppies).

Once at the vet’s office, we had to wait in the parking lot like everyone else – only everyone else had Continue reading “Hookworms Round Two” →

Diary, dog rescue, former foster dogs, fosterdogs, fostering, litters, oph, puppies, rescue flight, Updates

Combatting Quarantine Stress with Foster Dogs

Cara Sue Achterberg

I’ve realized that there is a correlation between how many dogs are in our house and the amount of stress in my life.

I’m pretty sure the stress brings the dogs, not the other way around. I tend to pile on the animals when I’m feeling stressed or uncertain. Their needs, their affection, the immediacy of their presence is calming for me.

Yes, the world feels upside down right now, but Continue reading “Combatting Quarantine Stress with Foster Dogs” →

Boarding Buddies, Breeds, dog rescue, foster dogs, fostering

Fostering Our Way Through This Crazy Time

Cara Sue Achterberg

If it were for nearly any other reason, I’d probably be enjoying the ‘social distancing’ as it’s giving me plenty of time to write, read, and hang out with the dogs.

As it is, the whole situation is heartbreaking as I watch my son’s senior year disappear.

His swim relay made states and was ranked number one, only to arrive for their day of competition just as the tournament was canceled. Now his track and field season, soccer season, and musical are all at least postponed and possibly canceled. Let’s not even think about prom or graduation. UGH.

To brighten his spirits, I Continue reading “Fostering Our Way Through This Crazy Time” →

adopters, Boarding Buddies, dog rescue, foster dogs, puppies, returned dogs

Ain’t Nothin’ But a Hound Dog (and a Nice One at That)

Cara Sue Achterberg

Even with two of the tiny puppies still here, the house seemed much too quiet, so on Sunday Nick and I went to visit Rockee, a hound dog in a boarding facility nearby.

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Rockee (formerly known as Witch Doctor) is an OPH dog who, through no fault of his own, landed in boarding because of foster’s schedules and an unexpected return. He’s had a few faithful boarding buddies who have taken him for hikes and gotten him out to adoption events, but living in a boarding facility isn’t great for any dog’s mental state, plus it costs the rescue money that could be better spent saving dogs.

Rockee was adopted and then returned (after one day) for Continue reading “Ain’t Nothin’ But a Hound Dog (and a Nice One at That)” →

Barkalona, dog rescue, Edith Wharton, Flannery Oconnor, fosterdogs, fostering, Frankie, Volunteering

Fostering Can Be Fun and Easy

Cara Sue Achterberg

One of my semi-permanent foster kitties, Luna, seems to enjoy smacking our new foster dog, Bo (he is Bowflex on the OPH website and was Tick at the shelter).

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Bo is like one of those overly eager to please, see-only-the-sunny-side dogs who pokes his nose into everything, including Luna’s face. He chases the reflections from the prism that hangs in my window as they waver and wander over the walls, and he quickly changes course, no hard-feelings, when Continue reading “Fostering Can Be Fun and Easy” →

adopters, dog rescue, foster dogs, fostering, litters, puppies

Last Day of Puppies!

Cara Sue Achterberg

The countdown has begun. Puppies will begin leaving tomorrow!

Normally, we have ‘adoption day’ on a Saturday and all the puppies leave the same day. This keeps it simple for me and less disruptive for the family. I like them all to go on the same day so that I’m not left with one crying puppy.

This will be the first time the puppies leave their siblings and it will be their first experience ‘all alone.’ There tends to be a great deal of Continue reading “Last Day of Puppies!” →

dog rescue, foster dogs, fostering, litters, puppies, Runt

One Hundred Percent Chance of Mutt

Cara Sue Achterberg

So…..puppies! Now that Houdini is safely launched and Flannery is thriving in her new home, we can talk about puppies!

Everyone keeps asking me what breed they are and the only answer I have is 100% mutt. If you can think of a breed, I can probably find some evidence for it amongst these ten puppies. They are all so different!

Some have short hair, some long hair, and some fuzzy hair. They arrived in a rainbow of colors – black, chocolate, brown, mocha, tan, white, and gray. Some of the puppies have a thick density to them and others are light-boned. The two black puppies might look similar in photos, but one is fuzzy and stocky, and the other is short-haired and leggy. I keep color collars on them, but it’s easy to distinguish one from the other. There is something for everyone in this crowd.

Nancy was here for a photo shoot over the weekend and Continue reading “One Hundred Percent Chance of Mutt” →

Breeds, dog books, dog rescue, fosterdogs, fostering, Pit bull, training

Member of the Pack

Cara Sue Achterberg

Normally when I bring home a new foster dog there is an extended shut-down period – a time when the new foster is kept away from the other dogs, spends a lot of time in her crate, is kept on a leash all the time even when out of the crate (and confined to the kitchen). This generally lasts one to two weeks.

We started down that path with Fanny Wiggles, but Continue reading “Member of the Pack” →