When it comes to homeless dogs and cats in NYC, the supply often outweighs the demand especially with cats and certain types of dogs such as pit bull types. We are often overwhelmed with all the emails and phonecalls we get asking for help with strays or with pets that families no longer want. This is why we are in desperate need of foster homes.
I have already adopted two pit bulls that while they are loves of my life, they both had zero training when I adopted them. They were both fosters that I ended up keeping. They have great temperaments but needed to learn manners, housebreaking and were both very high energy. My female pit bull, Lucky Charm, still is picky about what other dogs she will socialize with so I have to be very careful with her. My male pit bull, Horatio gets along with all other dogs which is probably how I ended up adopting him. He was a foster that completely won Lucky over so he ended up staying =)
After I adopted Horatio, I stopped fostering for awhile. Learning to walk Lucky and Horatio together, getting them used to riding in the car together and greeting visters were all things that took time and patience. I have had Horatio for almost two years not. Not long ago I started fostering again. In DecmeberI took in an Old English Sheepdog, Billy. Horatio, was of course very friendly and welcoming but Billy was too nervous to pay him much attention. Lucky, of course, did not like Billy at all when she met him. I expected this. It usually takes her some time to get used to new dogs. So I kept Billy seperated while I had him. It was work walking Lucky and Horatio for an hour and then walking Billy for an hour. I rotated them in the living room so they would all have time with me. When Billy wasn’t with us, he was in a crate in my office or just free in the office. He liked the crate and actually went right to it when he saw it. He was a great dog, completely housebroken and walked well on a leash. Social with everyone. After three days he was adopted. There are two moments when you foster a dog where you say to yourself, “Oh God, what have I done?” It happens when you first bring the dog home and for a moment you realize how easy things were BEFORE you brought the guest home and then when you adopt him out and your heart breaks because you love him so much and you wonder if you should have kept him? Billy was no exception but after seeing the wonderful hous he was adopted to and how happy he was there, I knew it was the right thing.
Since then I hadn’t had another foster till last week when a man emailed us saying he had a three month old pit bull puppy he didn’t want anymore. We were full at our Vetport and Atlas shelters (and puppies really need to be in a home environment if possible) so I, of course, emailed back “I will foster him!”
Then I thought, What have I done? But then I thought, I can do this! I went to the Vetport that night to meet the man and pick up the puppy. He actually left before I got there but there was the pup. A three month old brindle male that I named Rockaway.
I scooped him up in my arms and took him to my car. I had already set up a crate in my bedroom. I wanted the puppy to sleep in the same room so I can listen for him and makes sure he was okay. Also I wanted Lucky to be able to smell him and get used to him.
On the way home, Rockaway fell asleep on my lap when I was driving and I was instantly in love. I let him go to the bathroom outside once we were home and then carried him into my house. Lucky didn’t seem to notice I was holding a puppy and Horatio was just super excited, as always. (Please note the proper way to introduce a new dog is to walk them all together on neutral territory- not to just barge into the house with a new dog like I did =) I walked right into the bedroom and put Rockaway in his crate. He sniffed his surroundings, a new plush bed, some new chew toys. Lucky marched right up to the crate and sniffed him through the bars. Her tail was down and wagging lowly and she seemed calm. Good sign.
It was 10pm and I was tired. I let Lucky and Horatio out and then we all went to bed. Rockaway cried and whined at first as I tried to go to sleep. I surprisingly didn’t have a “What did I do moment?” For some reason I felt confident and knew he would be okay. I just had to stay calm and wait it out. In a matter of minutes he stopped and fell asleep. He slept all through the night.
The next morning I let Lucky and Horatio out first and then brought Lucky inside and brought Rockaway out to the yard with Horato. Horatio was super excited and ran up to a terrifed Rockaway. (Again, the nice thing to do would be to walk them together) But Horatio has a way of getting dogs to feel comfortable and come out of their shell. It wasn’t long before Rockaway was following Horatio around like a shadow.
I introduced Lucky slowly to Rockaway. She was very interested in him at first, but not aggressive. I had to watch her at all times. The first time I let Rockaway and her interact I was not nervous. Usually I am, I admit. Lucky sniffed him, followed him around. She tried to hump him several times but listened to me when I told her “no.” Within a matter of days she was playing with Rockaway the same as Horatio was! Now I can let them play in the living room while I am on the computer. I keep an ear out but I don’t have to contstantly be watching every move.
Its funny the first time I let all three of them play together in the other room, Horatio and Lucky suddenly appreared at my side and sat there staring at me. It took me a minute to realize something was up. Where was the puppy? I went to the living room and saw Rockaway on his dog bed with my shoe! Ha! It was like Lucky and Horatio knew he was doing something wrong and wanted to let me know he was and also that they had no part of it!
As the days passed Horatio and Rockaway played and played like I knew they would. I thought Lucky would run around for awhile but then come back and lie down with a toy like she usually does. But today Lucky and Rockaway had a very long play sesssion where they play nipped at the neck and rolled over for each other. Then Lucky picked up a toy and teased Rockaway with it till Rockaway chased her around the living room in circles. When they were tired, they came into the office and lay down on the loveseat together. I knew Lucky would get along with the puppy eventually but I never thought she would like him this much. I was thrilled!
Even though all three dogs are getting along better than expected fostering Rockaway is still work. He isn’t housebroken yet. He still likes to carry my shoes to his bed if I leave them where he can find him. I haven’t yet mastered walking all three of them together. Horatio can still be a little pully and Lucky a little fiesty when she sees other dogs on the street. Rockaway walks beautifully and I don’t want him to pick up bad habits! He is overall, a very good puppy. I accidentally got locked out of my apartment the first morning I had him and we walked to the coffee shop around the corner (that welcomes dogs) and we sat there for two hours on a bar stool (him asleep on my lap) while I waited for my boyfriend to come bring me the extra keys. He was a dream to have at the vet when I took him to get his first puppy shots and exam. He did get car sick twice but I didn’t mind too much. My car went to the dogs a long time ago! When I took Rockaway to an event this weekend, he was a star- great with everyone.
When I took him to his first training class at Pawsative last week, one of the trainers, John, came over to meet Rockaway. Rockaway immediately sat and looked up at him with big adoring eyes.
“This is a nice dog,” John said. I nodded. Then he asked the million dollar question. “Are you keeping him?”
“No,” I said quickly as if I was so sure about it, as if I wasn’t thinking about it constantly. “I already have two and my apartment really isn’t big enough…”
I trailed off.
“He’s a good dog,” he said and that was just it. Not that Lucky and Horatio aren’t good dogs. They are perfect now but they were considered more dificult adoptions at the time. Rockaway is a great puppy. He is social, smart and adorable. He is very adoptable. Why keep this dog when I already have two and this dog could have a wonderful home of his own… I work a lot, Lucky and Horatio take up a lot of my time… and yet Rockaway fits in so beautifully with them. Its a delimma a lot of fosters face… Its one I thought about with each and every foster I had…
Right now its ten o’clock at night and Rockaway is sleeping peacefully on the loveseat curled up into a little brindle ball. We haven’t gotten any inquiries yet for Rockaway. I guess I will have to cross that bridge when we come to it.
Rockaway asleep after a long day of playing
Rockaway and Lucky on the love seat
Horatio, Lucky and Rockaway. What good dogs!
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