nit
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Post by nit on Nov 22, 2014 14:35:24 GMT -5
Hello!
My family seem to be going round in circles over the issue of whether to adopt a hound or not. We have spent time with some, both in RGT kennels and with people in their own homes. We met a beautiful dog today at the RSPCA , an ex-racer removed by officers as a cruelty case, but that is all we know about her. The final decision seems so daunting for fear of making the wrong one, and I don't want to take on a dog just because we feel sorry for it, only to realise that it was not in the best interest of either us or the dog. My husband would like to foster a dog so that we could get some real experience before committing totally.
Is fostering a possibility when we have no previous experience? I appreciate that part of fostering is to help assess the dog's needs and personality for adopters, as well as to get them used to living in a home, and so I'm assuming that lack of experience would be a problem. However, if not, then we would really be interested in looking into this as an option.
I also realise that perhaps our lack of decisiveness means that we should reconsider all this - but it still keeps coming back!!
Any advice would be really gratefully received.
Nit
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Post by ragsysmum on Nov 23, 2014 5:38:35 GMT -5
I don't see lack of experience as a problem really.....we all had to start somewhere and mostly with a dog we bought or adopted straight out. I would think if you have a chat with your local RGT they should be able to help with advice, warnings of main pitfalls which lead to failures and also might have an easy dog which has lived in a home and would be an easy first hound. Of course, if there is a suitable GAP dog for you, then you couldn't do better than chat with Lisa.
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Post by gvgeam on Nov 23, 2014 6:20:48 GMT -5
I agree that we all start somewhere. We're not all blessed by having been brought up with dogs! Whether you go ahead and adopt or foster you're still starting from the same point and a good rescue should offer you all the support you need.
Obviously I can only speak personally, but our decision, 18 years ago, to get a dog was initially mainly driven by me. My OH was scared of dogs for a long time and would cross the road to avoid them. Getting a dog was not to 'cure' him, by the way - he was starting to get confident with them as we had friends with dogs! I thought a dog would be a welcome addition to our family, our children were still quite young (the youngest was 3 at the time), my OH worked shifts and I had just gone back to work part time. If both of us worked full time we wouldn't have adopted a dog at all. I had also always said that any dog coming into our home would be rescue. For us it was a good decision and now we're involved with Greyhound Gap having adopted a dog and are fostering too.
One of the first things I did though was start going to a training class. It was for my benefit as much as the dog!
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Post by dash4misty on Nov 23, 2014 7:02:05 GMT -5
We all start somewhere , as others have said chatting to a good rescue is very helpful Gap is brilliant for afterwards as well , they don't just give you the dog and let you get on with it ther is good backup , saying that my first dog was a stubborn beagle ( talk about being thrown in at the deep end ) he chewed his way round my house for the first two years but he stayed for sixteen years good luck with whatever you decide
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nit
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Post by nit on Nov 23, 2014 13:57:44 GMT -5
Thank you for your replies.
Our house is just too empty since the passing of our cat after fifteen years with him and I am at home alone most of the time. My husband would like a dog but he works long hours, although I know he would do his share of the work when he's home. My children don't know what they want as they have only ever lived with cats. I think the real decision comes down to me as I will undoubtedly be the main carer.
I think my own sticking point is the fact that a number of dog owners have likened it to having a five-year-old again (except that they don't grow up), as opposed to a cat which is more like having a teenager! Now that my children are less dependent on me (aged 12 and 14 years) and I have more personal freedom I feel reluctant to take on an animal that may need so much more attention than a cat - although I have to say that the 'hounds I have met so far were pretty much unconscious when they weren't out for a walk!
I would be more than happy to take on an older dog, but I have not seen any suitable yet. We have some time to mull this over as we are waiting to get the garden secured and it will be a couple of months before that can be done.
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Post by samburns on Nov 23, 2014 17:40:39 GMT -5
I often think of greyhounds as being quite feline in nature and very different to other breeds of dogs.... They mostly spend a HUGE amount of time sleeping and in the home tend to be very undemanding....they might occasionally seek a bit of a fuss but they generally don't spend their time demanding your attention... Outdoors, their behaviour can be a little bit more challenging....depending how socialised they are already and how prey driven they are, but the vast majority of greys are very manageable out and about for novice owners and one of the joys of owning a greyhound is the support of other greyhound owners....there are lots of organised walks for greyhounds up and down the country that you can join in with. One of the saddest things we see generally is greyhounds that have known the comforts of a home getting returned to rescue, sometimes a little bit older and mostly through no fault of their own, so fostering a grey that has already lived in a home is a great option but many younger greys that have only recently finished racing (or maybe never even raced) also settle very quickly into home life......just go through a good rescue that assess the hounds, as we do here at Gap
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Post by vickyb on Nov 23, 2014 18:11:01 GMT -5
No, I really don't think it's like having a 5 yr old child at all and we've got 4 hounds. I'd rather have a greyhound than a 5 yr old ANY day of the week! Admittedly you might feel tied initially and anxious about leaving them, I know I have but they soon settle and for us any constraints they put on our lives are far outweighed by the benefits they bring and our pack, through no fault of their own aren't the easiest physically not least because we've got Gracie who has 3 legs which restricts our walks somewhat.
Obviously a greyhound will need more attention than a cat because of needing regular walks but you should be able to build up to leaving them for 4 hrs. As ours get older they get lazier, when they were younger they were quite high energy for greyhounds but now we want to walk them more than they want to be walked! Dogs are far better company than cats in my opinion and I find I want to spend more time with them and not go out so much.
I agree with Sam, it breaks my heart to think of greyhounds who have finally found a home and enjoyed all the comfort it has to offer being returned to kennels, perhaps that's the sort of hound you could foster initially. They are a tie, they do need regular walks, food and love but the rewards are immense and I would never want to not have at least one sprawled out on my sofa! Good luck whatever you decide but I too would recommend you approach a good rescue like Gap if you do decide to adopt or foster.
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Post by vickyb on Nov 24, 2014 4:24:40 GMT -5
BTW I think your lack of decisiveness is good - it shows that you do understand that it is a lifetime commitment to the dog and I think it's far better to go into it with your attitude of wanting it to work and not put a dog through the upheaval of returning it if it doesn't work out. I am certain that the right greyhound is out there for you to foster and I think it would be the way to go.
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nit
I'm New Here
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Post by nit on Nov 24, 2014 7:09:32 GMT -5
Thank you, vickyb,
I'm very good at over-analysing things and talking myself out of things rather than committing to them, and I really should be more decisive and just go for it much more, but when it affects the life of another creature I want to make sure it's right.
One benefit of talking about it so much is that we have found friends who used to have a dog who would be happy to take one occasionally so we can go away. They are very understanding as they had a German Shepherd who became very unhappy in their home due to changes in their family circumstances and they had to rehome him.
I think we shall take a little time out for a month or so (we seem to have been thinking about nothing else but dogs!), get Christmas out of the way and the garden fence repaired and then decide what to do. Whichever way we go, some kind of animal will find a new home with us, whether it is a dog or another cat(s).
Thanks again.
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Post by Lisa on Nov 25, 2014 11:11:46 GMT -5
I do see it as like having a young child again, maybe I am coming at it from a different angle. Having a dog is a life changing decision, maybe living on my own with mine and not having people to rely on I can see it more clearly and you have ties. If say as a family you wanted a day out and were going to be away for 10 hours then you would need to make provisions for the dog. You could not just leave it 10 hours and hope for the best, well you could but you would have to be prepared to deal with urine and faeces when you got home. Cats are like having teenagers on that score as you can provide a litter box or allow them out on their own so they are more independant. If you both work and have been out all day and the dog has been on its own the evening trips out have to be more limited because its not fair then regularly to be leaving the dog alone etc again having been on its own all day. Not so bad if you have more than one but quite a lonely existance for a solitary dog. Everything you do literally as with younger children has to be planned around the dogs needs. Shopping trip in the morning and cinema in the afternoon, you have to head back at somepoint in between to sort the dog and toilet them. If you are enjoying new found freedom now the children are a bit older I would suggest to think long and hard as to whether now was the right time to be adding a dog to your home as you will go back to being more restricted again for sure! ALSO dont bank on teenagers to take any responsibility beyond an initial two week flurry of excitement especially not with a greyhound who is not overly interactive and wont want to entertain them retrieving balls left right and center and learning a pile of new tricks x With fostering that commitment would still need to be there. How long a dog is fostered is like saying how long is a piece of string, some dogs you expect to take a long time to home home quickly. Some you expect to home quickly can stay for a month a year maybe and you need to be willing to stick with it for that given length of time or the only other option is to send the dog back to kennels when its done nothing wrong other than you yourselves have changed your mind
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nit
I'm New Here
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Post by nit on Nov 25, 2014 13:00:38 GMT -5
Thanks Lisa,
You've pretty much mentioned all the sorts of issues that have been in my head. The family are happy to assume that all these things will not be a problem, but they won't be the ones with the main responsibility, and they would be the first to moan when I say we can't do this or that because of the dog. We are currently making the most of a bit of commitment-free time since our cat died, as he was very anxious and was very unhappy if left on his own for very long and could never have coped with a cattery, hence we didn't go away very much.
There's no rush for us and I feel that, at some time, the right dog and the right circumstances will turn up. If they don't then we won't do it. There may be a number of old moggies fostered/adopted in the meantime!
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Post by greybeard on Nov 25, 2014 13:06:23 GMT -5
Lisa - this so struck a chord.I was so pressuried at work to do 12 hour shifts,or why won't you come out for a drink after work?NO -it doesn't work.Usually Chris and I managed to balance it - but it could be awkward cos Chris was virtually on site and they always rang him first.Sometimes it didn't work - Chris with double shifts and I had an emergency,and felt so guilty.In the end I resorted to taxies - not much more than public transport but so much quicker.I never understood why I could finish a late shift at 19.30 and still be home later than him when he finished at 21.00.Cath
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Post by kamkay on Nov 25, 2014 13:11:52 GMT -5
Having just this weekend lost Jet-who you met earlier this year-I can honestly say that we will definitely be diving right back in to hound ownership once we've had time to grieve properly. The other thing about fostering is being prepared to let a dog, which may have spent some time with you and with whom you may have developed a strong bond, go when an adoptive family is found. Some people manage to do this more easily than others.
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nit
I'm New Here
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Post by nit on Nov 25, 2014 16:06:24 GMT -5
Oh kamkay, I'm so sorry to hear about Jet. The house must seem so terribly empty without him.
I was bereft after losing our cat after 15 years, and the bond you have with a dog is so much stronger than that. Jet was a beautiful boy and I thoroughly enjoyed our walk together. You obviously loved him very much. I learnt a huge amount from you, and I had been thinking about you both recently - I spent a morning in the same park with another lady and her hound (black and white girl, Lily), and she said that she had met you on her walks. Also, on Saturday we went to see a hound at an RSPCA centre, slightly smaller than your Jet, but a female dog with the same colouring and also called Jet.
I take your point about bonding with a foster dog, and I suspect that I would be at high risk of that and asking to keep it! I suppose my thinking about fostering, or adopting an old dog means that the commitment would be limited to perhaps 3-4years rather than 10years. The older ones are also often overlooked. The only problem would be the higher cost of insurance.
This is an awful time for you right now, but I hope it won't be too long before you feel able to look forward and find another dog who deserves your wonderful care.
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alfiemoon
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Post by alfiemoon on Nov 25, 2014 16:23:18 GMT -5
I don't have children, but would say having a dog is very much like having one. Getting Alfie two years ago, we knew that he would be a tie (as in holidays/going out with friends) which didn't concern us overly as we don't really like getting on planes and jetting anywhere - camping is our way to relax. Nights out with our friends happens once ever couple of months and thankfully, they are early risers so don't like late nights themselves. We always manage to get back within 4 hours on those nights, as we have a little drink at home together before going to the restaurant. TBH, I much prefer staying in with my woofers than getting dolled up to go out. We now have Greta, and although they get on well, they don't 'need' each other for company. But...what I find most irritating is the attitude of wider family members when we decline things such a weddings/Christmas gatherings/leave 'early' because of the dogs. We've had eyes rolled at us...'leaving already?' Being told 'you can't live your lives dictated to by the dogs'. Well sorry, but yes we can. We took on the responsibility after much thought/planning (some 12 months worth) in the knowledge that we would have to sometimes make compromises, which we were/are happy to do. The other thing is the amount of trappings that you need...coats for all weather, leads, collars, harnesses, toys, beds, not to mention the cupboards full of food and treats!!! And baking....I only bake for the dogs (pilchard cake/flapjack). When we go out walking, there's poo bags, first aid kit, treats, whistles, waterproofs, muzzles, ball and throw toys.....we often take a shoulder bag with us! I hasten to add it might not be so bad with a Grey as they are a bit more 'grown up' than most lurchers. So...like having a 5 year old....YEP!!
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