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I would go to another Rescue. I own cats and a dog, both species require good responsibile owners. Their needs are different but that's about it. A cat will take itself for a walk, whereas you have to take a dog for a walk. A dog is eager to please, a cat pleases itself.
I also own a rabbit - where am I in the scale of superiority
I was talking to someone who does dog rescue & fostering about the idea of fostering a dog. She seemed to laugh at the idea since I've only ever owned cats (for more than 20 years). I'd love to foster dogs and think I'd do a good job. I couldn't seem to convince her that a cat owner could also be a good dog owner.
Do dog "people" just feel superior to cat people? What is it that makes them feel superior?
What about those who own both? I have dogs and cats. (And fish, too!)
Am I supposed to feel superior to myself?
The lady in rescue is one of those who, unfortunately, forgets why she got in to rescue in the first place. You'll find that with a lot of rescues. It frustrates the ones who are in rescue for the right reasons. Two of my friends are in rescue, one does mainly dogs, one does mainly cats and they both say the same that some people in rescue have massive egos and really shouldn't be in rescue anymore until they get over themselves.
I can see your point, and that's what I was hoping for in this thread. Do you care to elaborate on why someone like me would not be a good first time dog foster parent? I can guess why but I'd rather let you share your own opinion.
Thanks.
I completely disagree that you would not be a good foster for a dog. As you start out, you might take softer tempered dogs, easier to handle, ones that get along with everything and love life and as you get to know dogs more, you can move along to other types of behaviors but to totally dismiss someone because they own cats is ridiculous. Does she or does she not want to help those animals find homes? Then take the fricken help you can get and stop being so damn militant about everything!
Most places are desparate for more foster homes as animals come streaming in and their space is limited. I'm sure they could find a dog with no major issues who just hasn't been having any luck in getting adopted. I would think they'd be happy to get the offer. Like I said, try somewhere else.
I can only speak from my own experience, but, yes, I do believe so.
I was always a "cat person". Always had cats, liked the freedom that I had to be able to go away for several days and not have to worry.
Over the years, people liked to make me feel that getting a dog was the "next step". Really? I guess having to be stressed to get home to take the dog out is a step above cat ownership. I don't get it, but, yeah, this is what I've seen...
OP, I think your real question is: "why the reaction from the shelter worker?", let me give you a quick background and then answer what I think your real question is.
We had dogs when I was a younger man, but have always had cats. I grew up in a home with a dog and at least one cat. I did a career in the military (we had a dog and a couple of cats), and cats are easier pets with moves and travel - you can leave a cat for a weekend, but not a dog (a dog has too high of a need to interact with people/animals). When my dog died, we just kept cats for the rest of my career. I retired a couple of years ago, and the last two cats finally died (both geriatic world travelers!), so I got a dog, and then a second dog (both rescues). I have also fostered from the same rescue since I got my dogs.
Dogs take LOTS of time. Walks are not optional. The most social male cat is still not as social as a dog (although, there are some very social Toms out there!). Dogs eat things that are bigger than they are, sometimes they eat cats. Cats generally only go after small stuff, and leave dogs alone (Cats and Dogs raised together frequently act as playmates, however, and the cat is sort of accepted into the pack as the weird looking hairy dog that can't bark and doesn't like walks).
Now, add in the unknown of a foster (Is it cat aggresive? Is it people aggresive? Does it have food issues? Guarding behaviors? Dog aggresion? Is it destructive? Does it have seperation anxiety? etc. etc.), and there is a lot of potential for problems that range from you weren't prepared to deal with X, to coming home to dead cats and a snarling dog.
Fostering, to me anyway, is more about rehabing an unknown dog, into a good dog that will be adoptable. Sometimes it's very easy, because the dog is normal with few or no issues. Sometimes you are way over your head, because the dog was abused/ferrel/ill/etc., and the foster family is not equipped to deal with the challenge.
You have no experience with dogs, so a foster is probably not the place to start (but clearly it can be done with a successful outcome), you have cats, so a foster of unknown temperament may put your current pets in danger (bad thing!), and rehabing dogs in foster is very different than "getting a dog" - different requirements and needs, with a higher difficulty level than standard dog ownership. The back end is something nobody tells you about either. You will get attached to the foster, especially if you see great progress in behavior, and it can be really hard emotionally to hand that dog off to an adoptive family (hence the term "foster failure" I came very close to keeping my foster, and still think about her). I supect those are the reasons for the reaction you got, but explaining that too you rather than laughing/mocking would have been a much better reaction.
If you are serious about fostering (and there is a great need), I would recommend you spend a couple of hours reading "The Other End of the Leash" before you foster. Be highly selective about the dog you foster - you want an easy one that is OK with cats. Owner surrenders may be better to start fostering with than strays (but you get what you get with fosters), because you generally have more information about the dog (although, owners lie, thinking the dog that barks 24/7, or nips children, will be more adoptable if they forget tio mention that fact).
Hope this helps, and if you decide to foster, good luck to you! It is a kindness that is badly needed for the dog you foster.
Last edited by Tuck's Dad; 04-16-2014 at 07:05 PM..
Reason: spelling
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