Help with foster pup

[Sue Bisaga]

I am fostering a 10 week old 11lb. corgi aussie mix boy. Looks pure corgi but with a tail.
I have had Boomer 3 days. He was raised outside on a horse farm with his mom and lots of other dogs,cats,horses,chi ckens, and ofcourse his brothers.
I took the most dominate beast. I have 5 other adult dogs ages 15 yrs. to 1 yr. and a 6 month old foster black lab m/n pup so I figured he'd get his over the top behavior straighten out here. I also have fostered herding dogs for years. My prefered breeds.
He is a wonderful pup and way too smart. But he is a herding dog so he is bossy and very pushy. I brushed him earlier and he was all teeth (trying to bite me and the brush). He is learning to respects me and after a few aghs and a lite scruff shake (treats were given at the end of session) he calmed down. He is very confident and out going. My kind of dog. He is the kind of dog I would look for if I needed yet another full time dog.
He is not a dog for your average owners. He will be a full time job most of his life to keep under control and entertained.
I have decided to keep him for 3 more weeks so I can have him neutered before he goes to a new home and try to get some manners into him. I do beleive in pediatric spay/neutered people lie and contracts are broken.
I have had interest from people but none are even close to the right people. Since he is very cute and little people want him for a lap dog something he'll only be after a day spent working on the farm.
Now the million dollar question do I just hold on to him ( remember my other 6 dogs,2 cats,6 pet rats,2 horses,lizard,bird and 2 humane sons 6 and 9 yrs. oh and a husband) and keep training him til that perfect home comes along or do I relax my standers some? I don't want him to become a boomerang and be re-homed over and over or worse chained to a tree because he is so hyper,aggressive, or just too smart for his new owners. I do have people sign a contract that he is to come back to me if he doesn't work out.

Any ideas?
Thanks Sue and Boomer

[Summer Magic]

I'm afraid if you don't hold out for just the right family for him he will be a boomerang a lot of times. Sure they are cute but as you said he's smart and has a bit of an attitude. He needs puppy training and a lot of obedience classes to form him into a proper herder. They are smarter than the average and learn how to push your buttons really fast. I'd keep him till the right home presents itself

[Sue Bisaga]

I guess I should mention my husband is a good man but all the animals minus his horses he brought into the marriage are mine. Sure the kids call the rats there pets and the bird is my youngest sons and my husband clains the horses and one or two of our advanced trained dogs that will listen to him but in all truth every animal is mine and 100% my responsablity.
I clean them,feed them,love them, and train them. That's a very wide scope then it sounds it a full time job along with the two humane kids I have to clean,feed often,clean up after , oh and raise to be respectful,intellege nt,well behaved humans.
I am just worried I don't have time to be fair to every one. Training 3 young dogs under a year is hard work and lot of rotating for alone/ socializing time. All 7 are house dogs none are outside dogs.
I left yesterday for 2 hours I didn't take any kids or dogs ( this is a rare thing for me) and came home to 2 potty accidents Boomers (he never has a problem when I am home goes to the door already) and a chewed slipper I could have swear I put up. I left him crated when I left. The husband and two kids thought they could watch him.
I guess I am just ranting I will do what is ever best for him.

Thanks,
Sue and Boomer

[Andre Mendizabal]

Gosh..... you have a zoo there!!!! wow, you must have great fun with all the animals, plus young human kids!!! that's my dream, you know? having a lot of animals and a huge farm for them to run... anyway, I guess you have your answer right there, frankly, you hear like you are not able to give Boomer all the attention he needs, so maybe relaxing your standards a bit will help him find a new home soon... if you live in the country it might not be difficult to find him another farm were he can burn all that energy!!! Keep us posted!!! :p

[Melissa Brunoehler]

Hi Sue~

Thank you for fostering! Wow 10 weeks, this guy is very much a baby! The most important thing right now is to socialize this little guy. Take him anywhere with you that you can. I'm sure you've socialized pups before but here's a great article on it that you might want to read
http://www.doggiebagonline. com/articles/article.php?articlei d=24
Please do not ever scruff shake this puppy or any dog- Scruff shakes may seem to be working at first but after time they usually make the dog fearful or aggressive. We want this pup to learn that wonderful things come from human hands not be fearful of them. It is so common for a pup to wiggle & bite at hands or the brush when they are being brushed. To counter this keep grooming sessions very short- one stroke give a treat, stop. A while later start again- one stroke- one treat- stroke - treat- stop. Brush again later- gradually increasing the firmness & length of the brushing.
As far as a who is right to adopt this little guy I think you have to decide on a case by case basis. Let people know how big he will likely get & how much energy he will have & the amount of exercise he will require. If someone does not seem like a good fit, move on, but remember you may not find someone who meets 100% of your requirements, you might have to settle for 95%.


I am fostering a 10 week old 11lb. corgi aussie mix boy. Looks pure corgi but with a tail.
I have had Boomer 3 days. He was raised outside on a horse farm with his mom and lots of other dogs,cats,horses,chi ckens, and ofcourse his brothers.
I took the most dominate beast. I have 5 other adult dogs ages 15 yrs. to 1 yr. and a 6 month old foster black lab m/n pup so I figured he'd get his over the top behavior straighten out here. I also have fostered herding dogs for years. My prefered breeds.
He is a wonderful pup and way too smart. But he is a herding dog so he is bossy and very pushy. I brushed him earlier and he was all teeth (trying to bite me and the brush). He is learning to respects me and after a few aghs and a lite scruff shake (treats were given at the end of session) he calmed down. He is very confident and out going. My kind of dog. He is the kind of dog I would look for if I needed yet another full time dog.
He is not a dog for your average owners. He will be a full time job most of his life to keep under control and entertained.
I have decided to keep him for 3 more weeks so I can have him neutered before he goes to a new home and try to get some manners into him. I do beleive in pediatric spay/neutered people lie and contracts are broken.
I have had interest from people but none are even close to the right people. Since he is very cute and little people want him for a lap dog something he'll only be after a day spent working on the farm.
Now the million dollar question do I just hold on to him ( remember my other 6 dogs,2 cats,6 pet rats,2 horses,lizard,bird and 2 humane sons 6 and 9 yrs. oh and a husband) and keep training him til that perfect home comes along or do I relax my standers some? I don't want him to become a boomerang and be re-homed over and over or worse chained to a tree because he is so hyper,aggressive, or just too smart for his new owners. I do have people sign a contract that he is to come back to me if he doesn't work out.

Any ideas?
Thanks Sue and Boomer

[Sue Bisaga]

Thanks.
It isn't that I am worried about his size. He'll stay small. People like small dogs. But he'll be a small herding dog and herding dogs are a whole nother beast compared to most dogs. They're bred to work all day long and there smart maybe too smart. I try to take him with me as much as time allows and take turns with my other foster pup.
I took him to a friends house today and he was very confident and out going and he played well with her two adult female pitbulls (very close supervision) but he wasn't about to submit to either of them and tried his darnest to dominate them. He is a pushy little bugger. He has to be with the bigger pups in class since he terrorizes the guys his size.
So far I haven't gotten any application that were even 50% right for him. Most people have no idea different dogs have different personalitys and all breeds are not the same. Just cause you had a poodle mix live to be 12yrs. old doesn't mean a high engery corgi is the right choice for your next dog. People need to research breeds not say I like them cause he is cute. I even send web sites when I email back but no one has returned my email and said we read all the information and are still interested.
For now he stays with me and I will look for his perfect home or as close to it as I can find.

Sue and Boomer

[Sheryl]

Hang in there..... things always work out the way they are supposed to. I commend you for your dedication to animals (and your family!). There will be a family come along that is a good match, I'm sure of it!