Talk to me about puppies.
Discussion
I have a lovely friend who does this. Both she and her husband are retired so have time to dedicate. She started about ten years ago fostering assistance dogs through canine partners but more recently she’s taken a few for the Police.
She loves it, though will freely admit it breaks her heart when they go off to their next stage of training. One of her earlier dogs, a beautiful lab who was destined to become an assistance dog, failed at his second stage and she took him back without hesitation. He’s a gorgeous thing, though his training is ingrained because when you go round for a coffee if you happen to leave your phone/handbag/keys out he will carefully bring them over to you then look on expectantly for a treat
I’d summarise by saying it’s an extremely rewarding job but very difficult to say goodbye. If you feel you could do that then please go for it, there are never enough foster homes for these dogs and the good they do is amazing.
She loves it, though will freely admit it breaks her heart when they go off to their next stage of training. One of her earlier dogs, a beautiful lab who was destined to become an assistance dog, failed at his second stage and she took him back without hesitation. He’s a gorgeous thing, though his training is ingrained because when you go round for a coffee if you happen to leave your phone/handbag/keys out he will carefully bring them over to you then look on expectantly for a treat
I’d summarise by saying it’s an extremely rewarding job but very difficult to say goodbye. If you feel you could do that then please go for it, there are never enough foster homes for these dogs and the good they do is amazing.
SistersofPercy said:
I have a lovely friend who does this. Both she and her husband are retired so have time to dedicate. She started about ten years ago fostering assistance dogs through canine partners but more recently she’s taken a few for the Police.
She loves it, though will freely admit it breaks her heart when they go off to their next stage of training. One of her earlier dogs, a beautiful lab who was destined to become an assistance dog, failed at his second stage and she took him back without hesitation. He’s a gorgeous thing, though his training is ingrained because when you go round for a coffee if you happen to leave your phone/handbag/keys out he will carefully bring them over to you then look on expectantly for a treat
I’d summarise by saying it’s an extremely rewarding job but very difficult to say goodbye. If you feel you could do that then please go for it, there are never enough foster homes for these dogs and the good they do is amazing.
Thank you - that's really helpful. I do think I'd be heartbroken when the pup moved on - I was gutted to say goodbye to my last foster after just 6 months.She loves it, though will freely admit it breaks her heart when they go off to their next stage of training. One of her earlier dogs, a beautiful lab who was destined to become an assistance dog, failed at his second stage and she took him back without hesitation. He’s a gorgeous thing, though his training is ingrained because when you go round for a coffee if you happen to leave your phone/handbag/keys out he will carefully bring them over to you then look on expectantly for a treat
I’d summarise by saying it’s an extremely rewarding job but very difficult to say goodbye. If you feel you could do that then please go for it, there are never enough foster homes for these dogs and the good they do is amazing.
I'm wondering if looking after a puppy is like having a baby in the house - you've got to be 'on i't 24/7......
Slowboathome said:
Thank you - that's really helpful. I do think I'd be heartbroken when the pup moved on - I was gutted to say goodbye to my last foster after just 6 months.
I'm wondering if looking after a puppy is like having a baby in the house - you've got to be 'on i't 24/7......
It’s exactly like a baby yes. I'm wondering if looking after a puppy is like having a baby in the house - you've got to be 'on i't 24/7......
I have a ten week old pup at the moment (mine, not going anywhere) and life is chaotic. I think it’s the sleepless nights you forget. A puppy bladder is quite small and they can’t really sleep through the night for some time, so to toilet train you are up several times a night every night.
You’d need to crate train so you could leave the dog, but even then I wouldn’t leave them longer than a four hour window as they will need to pee.
They also need to be fed four times a day so you’d need to be able to feed at schedules. This drops to three at 16 weeks but still quite a commitment.
It’s a lot of work for the first few months to commit to.
SistersofPercy said:
It’s exactly like a baby yes.
I have a ten week old pup at the moment (mine, not going anywhere) and life is chaotic. I think it’s the sleepless nights you forget. A puppy bladder is quite small and they can’t really sleep through the night for some time, so to toilet train you are up several times a night every night.
You’d need to crate train so you could leave the dog, but even then I wouldn’t leave them longer than a four hour window as they will need to pee.
They also need to be fed four times a day so you’d need to be able to feed at schedules. This drops to three at 16 weeks but still quite a commitment.
It’s a lot of work for the first few months to commit to.
Thank you again - that's just the kind of insights I needed. I have a ten week old pup at the moment (mine, not going anywhere) and life is chaotic. I think it’s the sleepless nights you forget. A puppy bladder is quite small and they can’t really sleep through the night for some time, so to toilet train you are up several times a night every night.
You’d need to crate train so you could leave the dog, but even then I wouldn’t leave them longer than a four hour window as they will need to pee.
They also need to be fed four times a day so you’d need to be able to feed at schedules. This drops to three at 16 weeks but still quite a commitment.
It’s a lot of work for the first few months to commit to.
We foster for guide dogs in Ireland and have for our local animal welfare organisation.
We already have three dogs and two cats but I recognise that by fostering we are just a step on the path for that dog to live out a normal life.
I suggest asking Guide dogs if you can talk to other puppy raisers in your area. If you go ahead they will likely be part of your support network.
Good luck
We already have three dogs and two cats but I recognise that by fostering we are just a step on the path for that dog to live out a normal life.
I suggest asking Guide dogs if you can talk to other puppy raisers in your area. If you go ahead they will likely be part of your support network.
Good luck
garythesign said:
We foster for guide dogs in Ireland and have for our local animal welfare organisation.
We already have three dogs and two cats but I recognise that by fostering we are just a step on the path for that dog to live out a normal life.
I suggest asking Guide dogs if you can talk to other puppy raisers in your area. If you go ahead they will likely be part of your support network.
Good luck
Thank you!We already have three dogs and two cats but I recognise that by fostering we are just a step on the path for that dog to live out a normal life.
I suggest asking Guide dogs if you can talk to other puppy raisers in your area. If you go ahead they will likely be part of your support network.
Good luck
Our little whippet has just turned 15 weeks. The first week was very testing. I took the week off work which turned out to be a good idea as not much sleep was had! You just need to be mindful that they will need a pee every 30/60 mins and any type of play will prompt a pee, usually.
I think it’s a bit of pot luck about crate training and sleeping through the night. I would say we were lucky, he liked his crate from day 1 and although I slept next to the crate for a few nights, he was generally settled and slept well.
We just had to keep reminding each other that if he done something wrong or had an accident indoors it was our fault and we needed to try and read his body language better.
Edit - I would have struggled to cope on my own. It would have been doable but I was proper exhausted at points. Puppy’s can recharge with a 30 min nap, I cannot!
I think it’s a bit of pot luck about crate training and sleeping through the night. I would say we were lucky, he liked his crate from day 1 and although I slept next to the crate for a few nights, he was generally settled and slept well.
We just had to keep reminding each other that if he done something wrong or had an accident indoors it was our fault and we needed to try and read his body language better.
Edit - I would have struggled to cope on my own. It would have been doable but I was proper exhausted at points. Puppy’s can recharge with a 30 min nap, I cannot!
Edited by Petevxl on Tuesday 30th January 21:47
We have a 3 month old Goldendoodle puppy at the moment - and he really isn't too bad.
Sometimes he decides he isn't sleeping - but generally midnight-ish until 6.30 he sleeps - the first night was tough - but good after that. We've had a puppy mat and zero accidents - he tells us mostly when he wants to go outside now.
A lot of his good behaviour is down to the work the breeder did with the litter in the first ten or so weeks - he knew sit, and where to pee before we got him.
His recall is still rubbish (he goes deaf when he's outside - so he's on the training lead in the garden unless I feel like a chase, and he ruined one of my partners dresses when she got in from work today - with a bit of over exuberant puppy mouthing.......those little teeth are sharp.
Sometimes he decides he isn't sleeping - but generally midnight-ish until 6.30 he sleeps - the first night was tough - but good after that. We've had a puppy mat and zero accidents - he tells us mostly when he wants to go outside now.
A lot of his good behaviour is down to the work the breeder did with the litter in the first ten or so weeks - he knew sit, and where to pee before we got him.
His recall is still rubbish (he goes deaf when he's outside - so he's on the training lead in the garden unless I feel like a chase, and he ruined one of my partners dresses when she got in from work today - with a bit of over exuberant puppy mouthing.......those little teeth are sharp.
Petevxl said:
Our little whippet has just turned 15 weeks. The first week was very testing. I took the week off work which turned out to be a good idea as not much sleep was had! You just need to be mindful that they will need a pee every 30/60 mins and any type of play will prompt a pee, usually.
I think it’s a bit of pot luck about crate training and sleeping through the night. I would say we were lucky, he liked his crate from day 1 and although I slept next to the crate for a few nights, he was generally settled and slept well.
We just had to keep reminding each other that if he done something wrong or had an accident indoors it was our fault and we needed to try and read his body language better.
Edit - I would have struggled to cope on my own. It would have been doable but I was proper exhausted at points. Puppy’s can recharge with a 30 min nap, I cannot!
Thank you for the reality check! It's the coping on my own that I'm wondering about - will have to rely on home delivery for the first few weeks I guessI think it’s a bit of pot luck about crate training and sleeping through the night. I would say we were lucky, he liked his crate from day 1 and although I slept next to the crate for a few nights, he was generally settled and slept well.
We just had to keep reminding each other that if he done something wrong or had an accident indoors it was our fault and we needed to try and read his body language better.
Edit - I would have struggled to cope on my own. It would have been doable but I was proper exhausted at points. Puppy’s can recharge with a 30 min nap, I cannot!
Edited by Petevxl on Tuesday 30th January 21:47
esuuv said:
We have a 3 month old Goldendoodle puppy at the moment - and he really isn't too bad.
Sometimes he decides he isn't sleeping - but generally midnight-ish until 6.30 he sleeps - the first night was tough - but good after that. We've had a puppy mat and zero accidents - he tells us mostly when he wants to go outside now.
A lot of his good behaviour is down to the work the breeder did with the litter in the first ten or so weeks - he knew sit, and where to pee before we got him.
His recall is still rubbish (he goes deaf when he's outside - so he's on the training lead in the garden unless I feel like a chase, and he ruined one of my partners dresses when she got in from work today - with a bit of over exuberant puppy mouthing.......those little teeth are sharp.
Cheers. That sounds encouraging. Sounds like the breeder did their job well.Sometimes he decides he isn't sleeping - but generally midnight-ish until 6.30 he sleeps - the first night was tough - but good after that. We've had a puppy mat and zero accidents - he tells us mostly when he wants to go outside now.
A lot of his good behaviour is down to the work the breeder did with the litter in the first ten or so weeks - he knew sit, and where to pee before we got him.
His recall is still rubbish (he goes deaf when he's outside - so he's on the training lead in the garden unless I feel like a chase, and he ruined one of my partners dresses when she got in from work today - with a bit of over exuberant puppy mouthing.......those little teeth are sharp.
We got our pup about september/october 22, she didn't like the cage and settled quite quickly on the comfy sofa in the room she is kept in. I took her out for a walk every night about midnight then set an alarm for 4 a.m. to get up and let her out the back to go to the toilet, every week I pushed it back 15 minutes. Sometimes it was too much so had to revert back. She quickly learnt that if she went out promptly she got a treat and that if it's dark outside it wasn't playtime. It can be a slow process but better that than cleaning up first thing in the morning. We tried puppy mats but they just got treated as play things and i'm not convinced that providing somewhere indoors to allow them to do their business is a great idea.
Lucky our sofa is comfy so I was able to sleep there so the rest of the house didn't get woken up.
I work from home, which was the main decider in getting a pup but it has the downside of being able to let her out during the daytime pretty much as soon as she needs to go so, although she's been very good, leaving her for more than a 3 or 4 hours means we are not surprised if she's had an accident.
Lucky our sofa is comfy so I was able to sleep there so the rest of the house didn't get woken up.
I work from home, which was the main decider in getting a pup but it has the downside of being able to let her out during the daytime pretty much as soon as she needs to go so, although she's been very good, leaving her for more than a 3 or 4 hours means we are not surprised if she's had an accident.
ooo000ooo said:
We got our pup about september/october 22, she didn't like the cage and settled quite quickly on the comfy sofa in the room she is kept in. I took her out for a walk every night about midnight then set an alarm for 4 a.m. to get up and let her out the back to go to the toilet, every week I pushed it back 15 minutes. Sometimes it was too much so had to revert back. She quickly learnt that if she went out promptly she got a treat and that if it's dark outside it wasn't playtime. It can be a slow process but better that than cleaning up first thing in the morning. We tried puppy mats but they just got treated as play things and i'm not convinced that providing somewhere indoors to allow them to do their business is a great idea.
Lucky our sofa is comfy so I was able to sleep there so the rest of the house didn't get woken up.
I work from home, which was the main decider in getting a pup but it has the downside of being able to let her out during the daytime pretty much as soon as she needs to go so, although she's been very good, leaving her for more than a 3 or 4 hours means we are not surprised if she's had an accident.
Thanks for sharing your experience. It's really helpful hearing a variety of takes on this.Lucky our sofa is comfy so I was able to sleep there so the rest of the house didn't get woken up.
I work from home, which was the main decider in getting a pup but it has the downside of being able to let her out during the daytime pretty much as soon as she needs to go so, although she's been very good, leaving her for more than a 3 or 4 hours means we are not surprised if she's had an accident.
Our prevous dog was a 13 week old pup when we got him, but we already had a slow old dog of a similar breed, so he had a built in playmate from day 1. And we had 8 acres of garden, which helps with a border collie. I don't remember any great problems, just him shredding old Ben's lovely fluffy tail - it was just too tempting. 
He died aged 13 last May, and after a few weeks we set about finding another dog. This time however we felt we didn;t need the puppy stage and could do more good by rehoming a 2 year old dog, so that's what we did. That neatly avoided the puppy stage. Yes, we have adopted both his good training and his quirks, but it has on the whole been a better solution for us.
I'm not saying don't do the puppy thing, just make really sure you want to.
And I have to ask, why do you want to short term foster? Why not get a friend for the length of his natural life? Apologies if you have already said why - I only got 3 hours sleep last night and wasn't paying full attention
He died aged 13 last May, and after a few weeks we set about finding another dog. This time however we felt we didn;t need the puppy stage and could do more good by rehoming a 2 year old dog, so that's what we did. That neatly avoided the puppy stage. Yes, we have adopted both his good training and his quirks, but it has on the whole been a better solution for us.
I'm not saying don't do the puppy thing, just make really sure you want to.
And I have to ask, why do you want to short term foster? Why not get a friend for the length of his natural life? Apologies if you have already said why - I only got 3 hours sleep last night and wasn't paying full attention
I got Belladonna exactly two years ago today, she was 8 weeks old. She is a black Lab, one of 8 and she chose me as her 'pet parent; at 5 weeks old, she grabbed my right arm and clung on, fighting off each of her siblings as they came close!
When I brought her home, she sat on my lap the whole way (naughty me, I was driving!) and she has never had an accident in the house, not one! She learned to play ball the next day and gave it back instinctively, she is still ball-obsessed (when she's at the park) and I have never trained her at all.
She is, probably the one in a million that we spend our lives searching for; she just learns by osmosis. At two years old, I don't even know where her lead is, she walks perfectly to heel without and is absolutely perfect in every way. Perhaps I am biased
She chases her ball, brings it back and drops it at your feet, if it's too far away, tap the ground with the launcher and she picks it up and drops it closer to you! She is unbelievably friendly, she loves everyone and has been having a love affair with the Bin-men every Wednesday since she came to live here. She waits at the door until she sees/hears the bin lorry and then she's dancing to go out and say 'Watcha chaps!'
It seems some dogs are just perfect out of the box!
However, I also have a Basset. He's now nearly 13 and getting to be an old man (to be fair, he was old at 9 weeks old) and in those 13 years, he has improved not a jot, he is still the most obstinate, determined, disobedient mutt I have ever known!
Naturally, I adore the fat stupid old sod, but if you get a Basset and expect them to be well-behaved dogs, you are choosing badly! Labradors it seems, are the perfect mutt!
When I brought her home, she sat on my lap the whole way (naughty me, I was driving!) and she has never had an accident in the house, not one! She learned to play ball the next day and gave it back instinctively, she is still ball-obsessed (when she's at the park) and I have never trained her at all.
She is, probably the one in a million that we spend our lives searching for; she just learns by osmosis. At two years old, I don't even know where her lead is, she walks perfectly to heel without and is absolutely perfect in every way. Perhaps I am biased
She chases her ball, brings it back and drops it at your feet, if it's too far away, tap the ground with the launcher and she picks it up and drops it closer to you! She is unbelievably friendly, she loves everyone and has been having a love affair with the Bin-men every Wednesday since she came to live here. She waits at the door until she sees/hears the bin lorry and then she's dancing to go out and say 'Watcha chaps!'
It seems some dogs are just perfect out of the box!
However, I also have a Basset. He's now nearly 13 and getting to be an old man (to be fair, he was old at 9 weeks old) and in those 13 years, he has improved not a jot, he is still the most obstinate, determined, disobedient mutt I have ever known!
Naturally, I adore the fat stupid old sod, but if you get a Basset and expect them to be well-behaved dogs, you are choosing badly! Labradors it seems, are the perfect mutt!
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