<p>Our dog who went to live with D2 this summer had one of the best times of his life. Contrary to our house, D2 has many friends coming and going to her house. Her home has become the place where people come over to grill burgers and watch sports games or movies. The pooch had so much attention and stimulation, he was in heaven. She took him to the dog park a few blocks away almost every day. I would visit and he would go crazy when he saw me, but it was clear he was having a ball.</p>
<p>When she looked more closely at her fall schedule, D2 saw that on Tues/Thurs she would have obligations from 8:00 to 6:30 pm. She sadly asked us to take him back, so we did. A month later, she is missing him madly (she lives alone). We visited her this weekend with dog in tow , and she asked if she could have him back, at least for a couple of weeks. Her bf has offered to come get him midday on those long days and keep him at his house. Dog loves the bf, so we said okay. It’s all about the dog and making sure his needs are met. He seems to do really well with the back and forth. Of course, his entire life, he has gone from our house to our lake house, so I guess he is used to a somewhat nomadic life. Also, this isn’t a “stranger” family, it’s his “second Mom.” </p>
<p>I think dogs are far more adaptable than people give them credit for. As long as they are getting food, shelter, and plenty of love, attention, and stimulation, I think they do really well. As far as the OP goes, the decision has been made after MUCH thought and agonizing. WHY it was necessary to get one more dig in on her is really beyond me.</p>
<p>As I type, my “new” rescue golden, Maggie, is lying by my right foot. I can assure you that she is as happy as a clam, and much better off with me than with whoever left her in a shelter in Arkansas.</p>
<p>Similarly, the dog in my avatar, who I was fostering for 6 weeks this summer, was MUCH happier with me than with his family of origin. With me, he got 2 hours of hard exercise a day, almost constant companionship, training, high quality food instead of supermarket kibble, and he slept in the bed with me, the devil. Unfortunately, his family of origin insisted on taking him back, and now he seems to have reverted to his former bad habits, since he gets decent exercise only once a week and is subject to the whims of a 5 yr old who tends to hit. At least they FINALLY got a Gentle Leader, so it will be possible for people to walk him. (Not that that is enough for him…)</p>
<p>If THEY had made the same decision laplatinum has, the dog would be a lot better off. And that, in the end, is what matters.</p>
<p>BTW, I’m glad you had what sounds like a good, air-clearing talk with your D in London</p>
<p>Sorry to hear about that foster dog, @Consolation! A tire dog = a happy family for so many breeds. Any time any of our dogs are driving us crazy, the immediate answer is activity & exercise. They really need their hours of daily exercise & it’s sure good for me, too
It’s too bad the original family does not grasp the benefit they all would experience if they gave him a great deal of exercise each day.</p>
<p>As mentioned upthread, I shared a dog with a friend when in my 20s. He went from one place to another, and was happy as log as he got walks and companionship. Finally he retired to Arizona with my mom and was happy there as well. </p>
<p>Minimizing resentment is the key to many relationships, and I am very glad the OP found a way to take care of family needs, dog needs and her own needs. </p>
<p>Consolation, you sound just the right person for fostering! </p>
For those of you who were tracking my dilemma with re-homing Stan, our Corgi, last summer and fall, I wanted to give you an update. Last June I presented my circumstance as a single mother of modest means who has to travel a great deal for work. With my two last children in college at the same time, those added expenses and the loss of child support but not the accompanying loss of financial responsibilities, I became very concerned about not only the cost of keeping Stan, but the amount of time my poor dog would be left alone. As an abandoned dog, (left at a Walmart in Oklahoma in poor health), Stan finally had people (my children and me) who cared about him and paid all of his medical bills (still not fully paid off on the credit card) to restore him to full health, but my new circumstance with no one any longer at home left me very alarmed. In the fall when I had to travel extensively, I had learned of a family who was in love with Stan from all the pictures a mutual friend had posted on FB of Stan when she cared for him. (Corgis have their own rabid following by humans!) Lisa and Rick agreed to take Stan for three weeks to see how the fit worked for them and for Stan. At the end of the time, we would reassess and decide if we would have an “open adoption”–Stan could come visit us for a few days every few months when my children were home from college. As I expected, Stan fell in love with them and they with him, and adjusted well. He did not, however, forget about the family that rescued him from the brink of death, and clearly still loved us, too. So, Stan now lives full time with Lisa, Rick, Buster the Cat, and Howdy the Chihuahua, along with their children. He visits with us for several days during holidays and university breaks every couple of months. Unquestionably, he is in love with all of us and thriving, happy, and healthy. All in all, it has been the perfect solution for the dog who deserved an abundance of love.
Awesome solution! Being an animal lover, I think you found the perfect solution, he is loved by his new family and his ‘extended family’, and you get the piece of mind:)
I am so glad to see your comment, @sabaray. I took a lot of abuse from some forum participants who were horrified that I would even consider a new home for Stan, but his welfare was always uppermost in my mind. I have raised six children and with the last one off to college in fall 2014, the thought of leaving a poor dog alone for hours every day just made me ill. This beautiful and loving dog had never deserved abandonment and a subsequent lengthy stint in an 800-dog shelter in Texas (all documented through our adoption process). The fact that he was even alive by the time we got him was a miracle: he nearly died from kidney stones shortly after we adopted him–and he was only 2 years old at the time. He required the expertise of an unbelievable surgeon at a top-flight animal hospital in Los Angeles who brought him back from the brink when the stones (which I still have) blocked his urinary tract completely. Now, Stan has a larger family to love him and he’s happy to be with all of us.
Everything worked out so much better than I ever thought it would. I know what a tough decision that would be for me and I am truly happy it all worked out as well as it did. I know you always had Stan’s best interests at heart - that was clear from the beginning. Terrific resolution.
@laplatinum, So glad to hear Stan is a happy camper! Thank you very much for the update.
Our golden doodle spends time living here with us as well as 2-3 week visits to D2 in her little cottage at school. He seems to do just fine with splitting time between his two “moms.”
Yea, to OP for persisting and closing the loop to show us how with ingenuity, openness and love, so much can be done that is a win/win/win! Glad that things are working so very well for ALL concerned!
Wonderful news. Dogs are very adaptable if they are loved and cared for. I’m so glad this worked out for your family as well as for your pup. Congratulations.
Unfortunately, his family of origin insisted on taking him back, and now he seems to have reverted to his former bad habits, since he gets decent exercise only once a week and is subject to the whims of a 5 yr old who tends to hit. At least they FINALLY got a Gentle Leader, so it will be possible for people to walk him. (Not that that is enough for him…)</p>