After losing Soli, I was struggling to cope with the massive hole she'd left behind. Soli was a character - HUGE personality in a big body. A few months after she died I decided to look for a dobe to foster, and spotted a 10yr old nervous dobergirl at a nearby rescue. It seemed like fate. I rang them and discussed her, and arranged to go and meet her. The day I went, my mobile was broken; when I was halfway to the rescue they tried to ring me to tell me that someone had offered a home but of course, I didn't get the message - so I turned up with no dog waiting for me.
But fate wasn't finished. Knowing what I do, and the sort of dogs I take on, the rescue coordinator asked me if I'd consider fostering a dobe/dalmatian boy who'd come in the night before. His owner was of the 'be the boss' ilk, and had tried to scruff him one too many times; he very nearly got bitten for his efforts, and rightly so. I didn't want a boy, or a cross, but I agreed to have a look; Remy by this point was mostly fine with boys, but living with one has always been more of a problem than meeting one on a walk so it all hinged on him.
As I went into the room he was stretching his legs in, Linda told me that Charlie was very wary of strangers, and probably wouldn't so much as look at me. I was in the room less than ten seconds before this enormo-dog was stood with his paws on my shoulders licking my nose! Linda was certainly surprised, but it was a good sign; so on with the meetings. It couldn't have gone better - Remy ignored him. Completely. Sounds bad, I know, but it was brilliant; if Remy was going to have a problem with him, we'd have known straight away. So that was that. I got my guys back in the car, then took him back to reception to sort the paperwork. All the time I was filling out forms, he was sat on my foot, leaning on my leg. In the car going home, for a 90 minute journey, he just leant back into the seat and dozed as if he'd always been there - I knew then he'd never leave. I really am terrible at fostering!
Linc, as he is now, is a character just like Soli was; there's that pesky fate again. He has so many of her mannerisms that sometimes it's like I'm seeing her laughing at me from behind his eyes. If my phone hadn't broken that day, I'd never have gone - fate, every step of the way. Linc is super smart, super devious, and at times, an immense pain in the backside - but I love every wiggly bit of him.
This year he has upped his game and made himself even more challenging by beginning to chase other animals, something he has never done - but I am proud to report that after a lot of work, I can now recall him mid-chase!
But fate wasn't finished. Knowing what I do, and the sort of dogs I take on, the rescue coordinator asked me if I'd consider fostering a dobe/dalmatian boy who'd come in the night before. His owner was of the 'be the boss' ilk, and had tried to scruff him one too many times; he very nearly got bitten for his efforts, and rightly so. I didn't want a boy, or a cross, but I agreed to have a look; Remy by this point was mostly fine with boys, but living with one has always been more of a problem than meeting one on a walk so it all hinged on him.
As I went into the room he was stretching his legs in, Linda told me that Charlie was very wary of strangers, and probably wouldn't so much as look at me. I was in the room less than ten seconds before this enormo-dog was stood with his paws on my shoulders licking my nose! Linda was certainly surprised, but it was a good sign; so on with the meetings. It couldn't have gone better - Remy ignored him. Completely. Sounds bad, I know, but it was brilliant; if Remy was going to have a problem with him, we'd have known straight away. So that was that. I got my guys back in the car, then took him back to reception to sort the paperwork. All the time I was filling out forms, he was sat on my foot, leaning on my leg. In the car going home, for a 90 minute journey, he just leant back into the seat and dozed as if he'd always been there - I knew then he'd never leave. I really am terrible at fostering!
Linc, as he is now, is a character just like Soli was; there's that pesky fate again. He has so many of her mannerisms that sometimes it's like I'm seeing her laughing at me from behind his eyes. If my phone hadn't broken that day, I'd never have gone - fate, every step of the way. Linc is super smart, super devious, and at times, an immense pain in the backside - but I love every wiggly bit of him.
This year he has upped his game and made himself even more challenging by beginning to chase other animals, something he has never done - but I am proud to report that after a lot of work, I can now recall him mid-chase!