Application DENIED!

[hyperbole]

Well, I applied to foster at a rescue in town. Figured I could help out a bit, receive some great karma, and it's an opportunity for me to "try out" having two dogs.... the rescue just got in a litter of pittie pups, 5 weeks (!).....poor little babies were abandoned by momma..

My app was denied.

The woman said she would love for me to foster except that Poplin is so dog aggressive and she is worried about placing her dogs in that situation. I haven't responded to her email yet, not sure if I should try to convince her that I would be very careful about seperating the foster puppy from Poplin (we already have two crates, etc.), or if I should just count my blessings and move on...

Incidentally, I called a behaviorist in town (as recommended by Odnarb) to help whip Poplin's dog aggressive donkey into shape..... That was about a week and a half ago....still waiting for a return phonecall to set up an appointment.

[Chocolate Thunda]

People foster dogs w/ aggressive pits all the time. I'm sure this is not a habbit but it does happen. They just have to be monitored a lot. For all they know Pop may chill after being around a pup. I really don't get this deny someone who wants to help thing. If you meet the requirements what is the problem. Get a opposite sexed pup place it and train it to be cat friendly like Poplin. Why do they always cause unnecessary grief. I know here most of the rescues are run by old ladies who are bordering on dog horders. Which is much worst if you ask me.

[mnp13]

Why don't you start with volunteering with the group first? Let them get to know you and your dog.

If it is not a 'Pit Bull Rescue', they are probably leery of the breed anyway, most are. So let them get used to you and to trust you as a responsible owner and Poplin as an under control dog and I'm sure they'll take you up on your offer.

Michelle

[hyperbole]

I sort of agree with you, Nasek... Having me as a foster dad may not the best thing that could happen to one of those puppies, but it definitely wouldn't be the worst thing either... Unless they have an overwhelming number of foster houses for their dogs, why not give a brotha' a chance?

Since I've had Poplin, I've only had him around one other dog for any "reasonable" length of time (i.e. longer than 30 seconds), and I did so with the specific intentions of seeing if he would "chill out" after his initial "I WANT TO KILL YOU" episode passed. Guess what? He totally chilled out. We were at a park with some friends who have a black lab/pit mix... Poplin did his usual freaking out thing on and off for about 15 minutes or so, then he just chilled out and sat very politely, waiting for me to let him chew on the tennis ball.

I don't know what that means long-term, or in regards to bringing another dog into our home.... but I would think that it's promising. Maybe he would chill out with a "packmate"...

[hyperbole]

Why don't you start with volunteering with the group first? Let them get to know you and your dog.

If it is not a 'Pit Bull Rescue', they are probably leery of the breed anyway, most are. So let them get used to you and to trust you as a responsible owner and Poplin as an under control dog and I'm sure they'll take you up on your offer.

It's not a pit-only rescue, no. I tried to contact the pit-only rescue in the area twice now, but they haven't returned phone calls or emails..

At this point, after muddling over it a bit, I'm fairly convinced it would be futile to email this woman back and try to convince her that I could handle the dog aggressiveness. Maybe I will email her back and offer to volunteer.

Blah.

[jamobi]

People foster dogs w/ aggressive pits all the time. I'm sure this is not a habbit but it does happen. They just have to be monitored a lot. For all they know Pop may chill after being around a pup. I really don't get this deny someone who wants to help thing. If you meet the requirements what is the problem. Get a opposite sexed pup place it and train it to be cat friendly like Poplin. Why do they always cause unnecessary grief. I know here most of the rescues are run by old ladies who are bordering on dog horders. Which is much worst if you ask me.

Are you for real??

[Chocolate Thunda]

People foster dogs w/ aggressive pits all the time. I'm sure this is not a habbit but it does happen. They just have to be monitored a lot. For all they know Pop may chill after being around a pup. I really don't get this deny someone who wants to help thing. If you meet the requirements what is the problem. Get a opposite sexed pup place it and train it to be cat friendly like Poplin. Why do they always cause unnecessary grief. I know here most of the rescues are run by old ladies who are bordering on dog horders. Which is much worst if you ask me.

Are you for real??

I'm not saying the "GAMEBRED" fighting aggressive pits but food aggressive toy aggressive that's my human stay back aggressive. It happens! There are a lot of thing that do not show themselves on day one. But by day two wham! are out full speed. I fostered a staffy for my inlaws that for a week played with Gator w/ no problem. Then one day what started as a little game of tug -a- war became violent. She attacked his face, and then the fight started. She got crated he got roomed and the two never meet when a toy was around. So yes I'm for real.

[moto1320]

This surprises me. Daisy is a wonderful dog but dominant and gets ill over dominant males. They snuggle in thier pitbull yin yang all the time now. But she and Doc beat the snot out of one another for the first two weeks. I nearly lost my mind. If Doc ever places it will be the same thing again with my next foster with her. I would suggest, what I assume she would already want, a test run. This happens all the time. In a liftime of pets I have never ever had one just accept the new kid right off the jump. Interesting....

[dawgdays]

Hyper, it's great that you want to help, but five week old puppies need a female role model right now, not an untrained male that may or may not eat them. The rescue was just being responsible to the pups in this sitch. You can't blame them for being smart.

Using a rescue dog to socialize your boy is a bad idea right now - it's not going to help anybody. Most rescue dogs come in completely uncivilized, so a good rescue org is going to look at Poplin and decide if you've got what it takes to be a good foster dad. An important part of your job will be to help their dog get some manners so it can get adopted. If Poplin is a little rough around the edges, the rescue dog will pick up on his cues .. and there you have it; two untrained dogs.

Get your pup's manners spruced up, and start volunteering with the pit rescue to do other stuff in the meantime.

Don't sweat them not calling you back. Just bug them again if you have to. You wouldn't believe how overloaded rescues are with mail. It's insane. Same may be true for the trainer.

[Diane Jessup]

I like Michelle's idea of letting these folks get to know you. I have been fostering dogs here in this "den of wolves" for years, and manage to keep the fosters in one piece. I would NEVER be offended if someone came here and refused to leave a dog. Believe me! I would understand their concern because several of my older dogs are highly dog aggressive and show it.

One thing I want to mention though... just a piece of experience from 20y years of bulldog ownership. If you do do foster, don't expect to "change" your dogs hardwiring. Yes, you can change some higher-threshold dog's behavior, but when you run across a low-threshold dog you will have schooling like you have not had before. One thing that seperates the "newbie" from the experienced bulldog person is UNDERSTANDING that it is foolish to try and "train" what is hardwired in some dogs out. Good management will keep you out of trouble, save the life of a pup, and keep you out of the headlines. I can't help thinking of that dork in SF who turned her "trained" dog loose in the Park and it attacked a police horse. What an ass. I don't care if the dog was trained positive or had a shock collar on "fry" around its neck, a tough dog will GO when it is going to GO. Trying to "make" a low-threshold dog tolerate another dog is like trying to "make" a fish stop swimming. You might be able to stress and traumatize the dog enough that the behavior will be DISPLACED for a time, but it WILL come out, and you will have not done anyone any favors.

It sounds like you are pretty smart about the fact that you will have to keep Pup and Dog apart - just don't let anyone talk you into "trying" to change your dog. Be VERY careful. There is a HUGE variety of threshold toward dog aggression in this breed... folks who THINK they have experience with low-threshold dogs (but who have not!) are the ones who will try and talk you into "trying" your dog out. Beware, my friend.

It sounds like you will be a great foster home. It also sounds like you may not be a great candidate to own two dogs... Or, at least two dogs in the yuppie sense of leaving them alone together in the house. If you know "what time it is" and plan on keeping the dogs apart if there is a hint of trouble, then best of luck to you!

Now go snuggle up to the rescue folks. What state are you in?

[gypsydog]

Yeah, let them get to know you.
I just started fostering a male pitty and my other male and him would just as soon kill each other. So it can be done. We just keep them seperated at all times. Better he be at my place awaiting a good forever home than be euthanized.

[hyperbole]

Thanks to everyone for the advice and comments.

dawgdays - I'm working with Poplin, I promise! I cannot tell you how much his behavior has improved since we first got him. He's an ANGEL!!! His only drawbacks now are that he doesn't listen to anybody but me (Kim can barely make him sit if he's distracted), and his dog aggressiveness. Oh, and now instead of growling at strangers, he jumps on them trying to lick their face.

Diane - I'm located in Portland, OR. Not too far south from you, as a matter of fact.

So what I ended up doing is emailing the rescue back and I basically said, "Well, for what it's worth I think I can handle it, but whatever your decision I would love to be involved with rescue in some way. I'd be happy to donate my time, or help out. Let me know."

...and she pretty much just responded back and said, "Sorry. If you want me to keep your foster application on file I will." and she pretty much ignored my offer to help out in other ways.

What can ya do?

[JaquelineC]

That really sucks! I don't understand why they wouldn't accept your offer to help in SOME way...! How bizarre, can any rescue folk help explain why they might not WANT help?

[Maryellen]

Some rescues are very leery of people who own pits. i belong to a rottie rescue too and they were very leery of me fostering due to rufus being in the house as he is part pit. so what i did was i started out volunteering , then brought rufus to show the rotti rescue that he was a well trained dog and that i could handle him. then i graduated to fostering. the funny part is my german shepard is more aggressive than a pit, and she will start a fight in a second . so, i foster puppies as she is great w/ pups, she just hates adult dogs:)now, mind you, rufus and my gsd were well socialized as pups, unfortunately my gsd is genetically to hate all adult dogs regardless of size and kind. alot of rescues are different, what works for one rescue wont work for another. when i do rotti and pit rescue, i told both i can only foster pups under one year due to my gsd, they were fine with that. once i proved no pups came to harm in my home, i do foster adults once in a while, and just play musical dogs. i have a 2 story house so the foster adults stay downstairs, and i divide my time up. the pups stay upstairs with my dogs, and i just rotate them all. if you start out volunteering and show them you can be responsible, some rescues will allow you to foster a pup, also, at that young age they do need a female to nurture them.. also, dont send them an email like you did, as some rescues will get offended and take it the wrong way.

[hyperbole]

also, dont send them an email like you did, as some rescues will get offended and take it the wrong way.

I didn't say anything offensive in my email.... ?

Good info in your post though, thanks. Totally makes sense that suuuper young pups (like the 5 week old pups currently in question) would need a nurturing female rather than an aggro male. I still don't get why she all but ignored my offer to help out in other ways though.