Little Gifts

My elderly parents have the spawn of Satan and his bride living next to them. They hate any bird, fish or animal besides crows. Serious. Satan actually abused my mother one day because feathers from her bantam hens blew through the rotten wire fence into his yard. He traps neighbours cats and dumps them so the neighbours are unable to retrieve them. I have seen him call a neighbours dog through the fence and then hand it over to the pound saying it was in his yard. He poisoned 2 of my parents fruiting olive trees in the belief the roots would crack his driveway. He put poison in their fish pond. He is constantly cutting their garden back so it doesn't go over the fence line. It goes on and on (lots of complaints to council about stupid things) and she is always the one behind the closed screen door screaming at him to do what he does. We have spoken repeatedly to the police, council and the RSPCA and nothing changes. Mum and dad have been going through the proper processes to get a colourbond 6 foot fence erected to hopefully reduce the problems but the neighbours immediately told them they wouldn't pay for half so dad has got his back up over it and is refusing to pay for it all even those he has the money. I just want them to sell up. In retaliation for the fence issue they trapped mum's cat (they had it in a trap in the boot of their car for disposal) but abused me when I went next door and asked for it back. When I said I would have to call the police for their assistance (we could hear the cat screaming) all of a sudden the cat magically appeared in his garage. I think he thought it would just run home but it was so traumatised we had to go in there and get it. I really had to stop myself from taking a hammer to him. They are truly evil people (the house is full of pictures of Jesus so there are some serious issues going on!). Mrs Satan's daughter actually owns the house and she is just as ugly inside as her mother. I tell mum and dad to keep a note of the dates and times of every incident. I don't doubt Satan could get violent so I have advised them to not talk to them directly about any issues but to take it straight to relevant authorities and the actual owner and do it by the book. My sister and I also intervene when my parents are uncomfortable doing anything. We always do everything calmly aiming to seek a solution and I think that actually confuses Mr and Mrs Satan as they only seem to know how to bully and threaten. But we haven't forgotten one single thing they have done over the years and if push comes to shove they might be a shocked just how far we will shove back. The stupid thing is Mr and Mrs Satan are quite ill people physically and guess who they run to in a medical emergency? They just don't seem to get it, but my lovely mother is better than them and has always assisted until an ambulance arrives. Why can't all these special neighbours just go and live in the same suburb and harass each other????

Paint is what I normally use but it doesn't seem to exist on this old laptop. I was lucky to find Powerpoint! This laptop belongs to my sister (purchased last century) and the programs she has on it are all rather odd/useless, which is why it is only used out of desperation!

Using Powerpoint lets see how we go! (Thank you Dogmad!)

Domino came to stay with us on 26/6. He is full of beans and a tad cocky! He took on poor Stussy after he found a ball and she thought he wanted to play, so we've had to change things a little round here to make him realise that us humans are the bosses and that he will need to learn some manners! I think he has been let do whatever he wants in his previous home but he is a smart cookie and is already learning what he can and can't do around here. Shar pei do amaze me though with their disinterest in the outside world and preference to just hang out with their peeps. Dom escaped from the house this arvo as we were bringing things in the front door and all he did was run around the car looking for an open door and when he didn't find one he run back up into the house! I have found one way to slow him down though - thigh massages - he turns into a statue! I do have photos to add but don't have a program to shrink them on my sister's old laptop at present. Our good computer is in the shop again. As soon as I can I will add some but he is of very moderate wrinklage compared to our previous foster boy!

I know it hasn't been long since he left us but I know Oscar will always have a special place in all our hearts. He went from a boy who looked like he'd given up on life to the most gorgeous smooshy boy and even after two months he was still changing and showing us new sides to himself. To keep him would've meant no more fostering and he has gone to a fantastic home but I know there will never be another quite like him.

Yep, I second AWDRI and how fantastic of you to offer to give a working dog a second chance! As for your other questions it really depends on the rescue group. AWDRI are based in Cairns but operate nationally so they will have different arrangements regarding the care and feeding of foster dogs. I think they advertise on their website and probably on Pet Rescue. Most individual rescuers and groups use pet rescue (www.petrescue.com.au). For example with my rescue group (for shar pei) I am given good quality food for free which I supplement with yoghurt and chicken necks, chicken carcasses, sardines, and treats. All vet work is covered by the rescue group, as is medication. If I need food bowls, crates, bedding, collars, leashes or harnesses I only have to ask for them as well. The dogs are advertised on Pet Rescue and my first dog found a new family in 6 weeks and the second took two and a half months. I am now on my third foster dog. Please be aware that not all rescue groups can afford to cover all the expenses my rescue group does. Because I think I'm getting off very lightly I try and do as many other things as I can to help out - cleaning days, making new beds, coats and adoption bandanas, and repairing things. I see my job as a foster carer to get these dogs ready for a forever home. They may need their confidence boosted, lead training, to gain weight or confidence, identify their personality in a home environment and to be tested with other animals, kids, etc. This info can then be put on their Pet Rescue advert so a potential family knows whether the dog would suit their household before expressing an interest. It is incredibly rewarding and there are so many amazing dogs out there who need new homes through no fault of their own.

This already happened to me. My heart girl came to live with me and my old SBT in Jan 2008 as a pup and in Feb 2008 I fell over her on concrete, landed hard on my butt and ended up with an abscess on the base of my spine. I was heavily drugged and bedridden for about 3 months and had lots of emergency visits and two lots of surgery. My youngest sister, who I had almost no relationship with moved in with her dog to care for me and mine. She never moved out and we now have a very close relationship. Unless she meets someone with their own house I suspect she and whatever dog she has will live with me forever. The good thing is that living here has been very positive for her dog as well. Previously aloof and prone to not eating when unhappy my sister can now leave town and her dog doesn't seem to miss her one bit! Mine are the same with her. Aside from that our parents, extended family and friends know that our dogs are extremely important to us and considered part of our family (my sister and I don't have or want kids) so if we both became incapacitated our dogs would have other familiar people and homes to move in with.

The Kid has you wrapped around his paw and it's only day 1!

It's not just what suits the dog - if the owner doesn't understand the training tool or technique then the dog has no hope long term. When I was a kid you rubbed your dogs nose into its piddle and you hit it with a rolled newspaper if it did something wrong (the newspaper was more for the noise than to hurt them). As a kid though I also remember being told that if the family dog hurt me and made me cry I should do the same back and I did once bite our dogs ear (I was a toddler) after he stole my vegemite toast breakfast. Apparently we were both wailing. It's the same technique we were all taught to get back if our siblings hurt us as well. Dog eat dog! And Puppy School didn't exist. Since becoming an adult I've taken numerous dogs to formal training classes with different trainers over the years (including Puppy School!). Some were with clicker and others not. I will admit to being unco with the clicker so while I understand the concept and think it is great I seem physically incapable of being good at it myself so did not continue using it. I basically click too slow and have not improved (despite my own training!). Not the trainer or the dog's fault but mine. We also had a behaviourist in here who did amichien bonding with us and while some others have poo-pooed it that training concept has made so much sense to us AND to our dogs that we continue to use it and from time to time read back up on it to see if we can do better or refine our approach. For our dogs it seemed like we had started speaking their language. It made a huge difference and it was just so easy to implement. What I like about it the most is I can still spoil the dogs but it just happens to be on my terms and not theirs. Funny thing is that despite the training they (and I) underwent all my dogs have ended up with basically the same skills. And I consider their weaknesses to really be my own. So I would have to say that one size will never fit all so having a variety of training options out there just means there are more resources available to meet the individual needs of dogs and their owners. That can't be a bad thing.

Maybe this info should be in the pet craft thread as well? So useful if you have an urgent need because who doesn't have some daggy track pants, sweatshirt or old socks lying at hand!

I made a stuffed toy for my foster boy who just left and I stuffed it with stuffing left over from his play time here - unwashed. As he was leaving my sister embarrassingly rubbed it over all the dogs and us so it would be full of familiar smells. I think his new parents thought she was a bit 'earthy'!

What a ripper idea!!!!

Dogs continue to amaze me. Oscar was back to his usual self today. When his new family came to get him this afternoon he spent time getting re-aquainted with them. I never expected him to be a family dog - I thought he'd be more suited to a single person, but there he was wagging his tail with the kids and playing tug. He walked straight out of the house, down the stairs, quick piddle stop on the front lawn then straight into the car next to the son. WTF? I usually have to push him off the verandah and encourage him into the car with treats! I got a text later to say he had done the whole trip home with his head on the daughters lap. Poor Dannie has been all teary that he has gone and the other dogs are doing Sad Sack impressions. I'm a little teary too but more because how fantastic an outcome this is for him. I can see him becoming a whole different type of dog in a family environment, with kids to play with. They want to keep in contact but they don't need my approval - they will give him far more as a family than we could ever give him here. You just never know how things are going to turn out for rescue dogs sometimes but it is good to at least be part of getting them ready to start a new journey with more confidence. We're going to miss you Snorkel Boy!

My sister's dog wants to hump the others after she eats and the other two are trying to play while this is happening and I'm yelling at them all to settle down. It's like they feel the need to celebrate having had a meal! My laundry where I prepare their meals has 2 doorways. The two youngest dogs (one a foster) like to run circles through the laundry, kitchen and work room as I prepare the food, but the funny thing is they run in opposite directions. My sister's dog does circles too but just at my feet in the laundry. Because of the direction she runs in my girl then dances backwards on her back legs in front of me as I walk to put her bowl on the floor. Beats me how dinner could be so exciting every single night!

Oscar has found a lovely new family and will be going to live with them from tomorrow. He is breaking my heart at present though because he seems to sense change is in the air and has started chewing on himself and scratching and his eyes have gone gunky again. I have not made any preparations for his departure - absolutely nothing has changed here, but he still seems to know. He didn't even eat all his brekkie this morning. I'm just going to continue doing things the same rather than react to his new behaviours. Wish him luck for a smooth transition. Once he settles into his new home I know he is going to have a wonderful life.

I just use those plastic key tags but I try and match the colour to the collar and dog. When my foster kids are out in public they always wear a bandana anyway. I've finally made some 'adopt me' ones up that have a shar pei pic on them and the rescue groups details, so the tag is unlikely to be seen.

I got some reflective wrist bands from Kathmandu quite cheap. I wear one and one hangs on the leashes.

I think there are a couple of ways to attract potential foster carers. My first suggestion is to contact your local council and see if it is possible to send out a flyer with dog re-registrations. Councils in QLD used to do it with rates notices but you really want to target pet lovers. Do you have signs up at local pounds? Are there popular pet shops where you could set yourself up one saturday morning to talk to pet lovers? When people find out I foster dogs they have no idea how it works. Flyers should include a carer and dog story and state the resources/support you provide your carers as well as what you expect from your carers. If there are any pet or animal expos on you could also set up a stall with the specific purpose of recruiting. You could also check with your dept of communities or families and when they are recruiting for foster carers for children see if they would let you distribute flyers as not everyone who goes to their presentation nights or training ends up being right for caring for children. There are also some people on benefits who would make great foster carers but they might think they can't afford to care for an animal on their income. The rescuer I support provides good quality food which I choose to supplement, and all medications, etc so some rescue groups leave a foster carer with very minimal cost outlays and this could be a selling point to people on Centrelink benefits with time and love to give.

I've worked in child protection for many years. The cases of abuse continue to grow and the severity and length of some of the abuse is hard to imagine. I firmly believe people know right from wrong but still there is an element of society that simply doesn't care about anyone but themselves. They justify their behaviour with a myriad of excuses. Everything and anyone around them seems to have no value. Education and reminders are always important but the percentage of people this will affect and change the behaviours of is small compared to those that simply don't give a toss about the acceptable way to treat animals, children, spouses, the elderly, etc, etc, etc. I honestly don't know how you change that.

I second the vet check. I remember someone telling me they had no idea their dog had gone blind until they moved into a new house and the dog started acting all strange. Obviously it had the old house mapped out. But on the other hand - did you build your new house? Could it be an old renovated house with ghosties????

I've got a shar pei foster dog here who is so laid back we didn't think he knew he was actually a dog. In the two months he has been here he has not barked or growled or even got the hump about anything. But my scary side of the family came to stay with us on Wednesday night. Thursday morning my sister and I had to take her dog to the vet for an operation. While we were out the foster boy bailed my dodgy sister up in the hallway. He wouldn't let her past our bedrooms to the bathroom. He was growling and barking at her. Dogs are such a good judge of character!

If you do a search for the word 'anxiety' under the training thread you will find a couple of useful article links. I was facing that situation here with a foster boy so I started researching last week briefly.

What about using a pallet as the floor/base for a larger dog house? If it doesn't need to be moved they sit up off the ground which would have to help keep it dry and insulated? I'm not good with building stuff though so feel free to ignore my suggestion if it is lame!

Re a temporary shelter - when we went camping we took a beach shade/pop up tent with us just in case and everyone commented what a great idea it was. It was bought from an op shop but camping places like Anaconda sell them for $20. They will give shade and protect from wind and rain. They can be pegged into place. If you were closer I'd loan you mine! Please keep updating on here if you get stuck with anything. I live southside of Brisbane and depending on how your transport from Toowoomba to the airport pans out could probably assist with an overnight stay and delivery to the airport if that became necessary. Hopefully Tonka will still remember you and settling in wont be too traumatic. Remember this happens with rescue dogs all the time and with a little extra tlc they find their feet again fairly quickly. Dogs are oh so resiliant.

What a beautiful, happy girl. RIP Sabine.