[Dailydrool] mixmatches

[Susan Kitz]

I have not been fostering long, nearly a year now, but I have had some interesting experiences.  I found that even the most "perfect" home may not be the right one for that dog or dogs.  When we got Rolland to foster I was delighted, not only was he a beautiful red and white basset he was cheerful boy with who just sparkled.  And, oh my, did he love to play with my other dogs.  In a very short time a very nice woman with 2 boys applied for him and she and her home seemed very good for him.  Sadly it was not.  Despite being told he would probably have accidents until the various changes in diet and feeding times were settled, she found it upsetting and began crating him,  He did not like that and tore up the crate bottom.   She also did not like it that he knocked things off the table and knocked over the garbage.   She love Rolland but found she could not deal with his naughty behavior and back he came, less sparkle.    He came back home with another basset/beagle mix, Murphy and boy did those guys play, it was WFC? every day.  Endless bassset wrestling matches.  They all were having so much fun  I was a little saddened to get another request for Rolland.  This turned out to be THE match.  There was a basset in the home and one at a relatives.  Boys to play with and a Momperson home a little more.  It was like Cinderella's slipper.     I got an e-mail from the first home, she has a beautiful 8 yr old girl found lying down on Hwy 40 (traffic very heavy there), skinny and a mess.  From her picture she is now the pricess of he house and her owner could not be happier.  There was nothing wrong with the first home, she thought she understood what she should do as a good basset woner and found out that certain things did not work for her  or Rolland.  Even more so her expierence opened her up to giving a fine little beauty in big need a very nice home.  On th subject of littermate placement I think that depends on the individual temperments.  I had 2 mixed breed brothers that began figthng eachon=tner at about 18 months.  They wer both neutered and over 100 lbs.  We spent 8 years seperating them , paying vet bills for the damage they cauced eachother  until Vega died of bloat, the first time I ever experinced it.)    It was terrifying to see them go at eachother.  It was not constant thank goodness but often enough to cause us a great deal of stresss.    Being adult male mixed breeds (very mixed) there was little hope of rehomeing anyone., things were still of the ad in the paper and grapevine  sourses.  So we just did our best to watch for signs and defuse when possible.  Not something I want to go through again.    Yet dispite the awful fight I have some wonderful memoreis of those guys  and I do not regret having them only that I did not have the experience need at that time.
 		 	   		  
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