Wendles

Most of the pictures I have seen are of Cockers, Cavaliers and the usual little fluffy types that pet shops love I am between Grey fosters at the moment and have sent off my details but truly hope they are inundated with foster offers and every dog has a spot to go to. The dogs appear to be getting released on a daily basis depending on vet assessments etc.

Sadly this sweet little boy still needs a home so bumping him up. I did not know but my parents have a 3 week "once in a lifetime" cruise booked in Feb and do not want to adopt this little man and have to leave him again so soon and for so long. My Mum would have been happy to cancel the holiday but I think she would have gained a dog and lost a husband (depending on the husband I know this may not have been a bad trade!!). Hopefully it means fate has another wonderful forever family coming his way

Would Adelaide be an option for a new home if we were to drive over? I know a retired couple (my parents) with no other pets who are waiting for the right grey with GAP here in Adelaide - I foster for GAP and we are very familiar with grey care, muzzle laws and not allowing them off lead ever. The number of times my Mum has said she wishes pups came through GAP as she is still drawn in that direction and would prefer a boy. I will send you a PM :)

Ouch - some people have no honour code do they I am lucky that I only have my own dog and the occasional foster but nobody wants to be used do they and not even to get a box of choccies or a bunch of flowers - that is low

I have done the same by offering to take care of Star if there is ever an emergency or the new family want to go away on holiday. Her new Mum told me she felt guilty taking her from me as she could tell I was very attached - which is part of the reason why I am trying to give them space and not appear too clingy. I think it is a good thing to care and want to know the dog is settling in OK - I have decided I will give a quick call tonight and then leave things alone for a week.

Excellent I appreciate all the responses.

Thanks guys :) I will leave things alone for a few days and maybe text on the weekend if I haven't heard anything. They definitely know how to reach me and I am sure I will hear if there are any issues.

Hi All, My first little foster greyhound Star went to her lovely new family yesterday morning and as I sit here fighting the urge to call and check on her - it started me thinking...... I am sure it is very much a case by case situation but do those of you who are regular foster carers have a set timeframe of how often you follow up on the dog in their new home. Do you tend to leave things be and go with "no news is good news" philosophy or do you follow up every few days for the first couple of weeks regardless? I was lucky that Star's new family sent me photos yesterday afternoon and all was well. I am dying to hear how things are today and how she was on her first night with her new family but I am resisting the urge as I feel like a stalker!! I am not expecting there to be any issues as she was a great girl but I can be a bit OCD and perhaps I am being too much of a control freak. I will text tonight and then wait a few days before I bother her family again - it is a hard choice between having people think you don't care and they have no support or whether they feel you are bothering them. What are peoples thoughts?

I have a foster Greyhound girl who can beat up a 38kg Labbie boy with ease :) She will be available through GAP SA and is used to us being gone at work during the day and is fantastic with my two sons, great on a leash, great in the car, not picky with food, not a chewer or a digger - a brilliant dog. PM me if you would like the links to some Youtube videos

Thanks guys :) you are helping more than you will ever know - all great feedback and much appreciated.

Hi Koalathebear :) I don't do fostering all the time to give my own boy lots of attention in his later years but definitely the dogs I do foster get treated as if they were my own. My current foster is a greyhound through GAP so the rules for her are slightly different to dogs I have fostered in the past - there are expectations of what she will and won't do while she is with us and what she will have achieved by the time she leaves. We haven't banned her as such from the furniture but we are supposed to discourage this behaviour - luckily in almost 3 weeks she hasn't tried the couch once. I am lucky because hubby makes beds for a living so uses all the off cuts of memory foam etc at the factory to make great comfy beds the dogs love - she loves hers so much she hasn't wanted to try anything else and will get to take it with her to her new home. Our fosters sleep in our room with us at night on their own bed - I do not allow them on our bed as in the past this has led to dominance issues with my own dog I will not allow again. I also find it easier to instigate nightime toilet trips this way as I am a light sleeper and hear anyone moving around. We were supplied her Optimum dry food which she has every night along with meat of some variety - usually mince or chicken the same as my boy. She also has a variety of foods for breakfast - toast, weetbix (found Weetbix to be the best way of getting my dogs to have fish oil!!) or diced chicken. I try and make sure all foster dogs leave me toilet trained and able to sit and stay and go to their bed when told. Basic manners go a long way and I like to socialise them as much as I can. I agree with Staffluv about treating them differently to my dog in case their new home does not allow certain behaviours - I hope as a foster carer my input would always be taken into account in the placement of a dog with a new family and would be letting the potential adopters know clearly up front how the dog has been living and whether it could continue to live like that would be a huge factor.

I saw the Curly Coat Retrievers mentioned in the other thread I read and have passed that on to my SIL. To be honest I have never met or had dealings with a Labradoodle so am really ignorant about them - I'm not a fan of poodles (can't explain why and nothing against them - just don't appeal to me) and I think the whole explosion of DD's has not been a good thing in so many ways. I know Labs - the good and the bad and to match that with a much smarter dog scares me a bit!! One of the main things that has made my Labs manageable is that they aren't the smartest tools in the shed :laugh: Didn't know the extra point about the epilepsy - thanks Dogmad. I'm really pleased and relieved that my SIL has asked for my help/advice and trying oh so carefully to help her make the right choice she won't regret - we don't want another dog to end up in a shelter out of stupidity/naivety

Definitely a Standard so it is a bigger dog - they are used to Labradors so definitely not looking at the smaller crosses.

I found a really great thread on DOL of all the alternative breeds to a DD and gave her a lot of facts from that - she is one of those people who is so stubborn and she knows best - I have made major inroads by getting her to look at rescue and not a puppy - I am hoping she falls in love with one of the many Labbies I have sent through for her to look at - just thought I would ask the question. I know she will take it as a huge endorsement that there are no Doodles in rescue this must make them a wonderful dog nobody wants to part with I agree with all you have said and appreciate the feedback.

I hate to ask this but does anyone know of any Labradoodles in rescue My siser in law, her husband and two children aged 2 and 4 live on a semi rural property which they own here in SA - they've always had Labradors in the past but despite my best efforts my sister in law has it in her head that due to less shedding etc etc the ideal dog is a Labradoodle. They've had their name down with a few "breeders" for a pup but nothing has come of it and I am at least pleased that they have decided against a puppy and to give an older dog in rescue a home. She has conceded to looking at Labs aswell and sadly there are an abundance of those in shelters and rescue - I have provided her with a email the size of war and peace with links for Labbies and keeping my fingers crossed. They have no preference between male or female and a dog up to 5 years old would probably be preferable (they put their 12 year old Labbie girl down last year and don't want to go through that again for a few years if possible). Top requirements would be a dog that is good with children, relaxed and houstrained. If anyone does know of a Labradoodle in rescue that could be rehomed to SA please let me know. Many thanks.