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[AugustWest]

We're gonna need a bigger boat.

[wombat]

I was too tired to entertain the foster pug this evening so she spent an hour alternately humping a big dog bed and throwing it around trying to break its neck.

Someone contacted me about possibly adopting her. It's a family with a 6 year old and a nine year old who have been agitating for a dog for three years. We don't know how she is with kids, but maybe with a staff - er, family - of four she'd have more people to tire her out. The mom has never had a dog and doesn't know what to expect except that this is going to be a big change and a new thing to learn how to do. So, maybe since she has no basis for comparison so she won't know how crazy this dog is?

[wombat]

I think that's all correct.

Also - turns out the nine year old boy says he wants to be a dog trainer. I'd love to see this dog go to a dog trainer's home, and even if the dog trainer is nine, that's fine by me.

[wombat]

The crazy foster pug has left the building. She was the right dog for the moment and arrived and left at basically the perfect times. And now I don't feel anymore like I want any old crummy pug as soon as I can get one in the house, so that is good.

[pmcd9]

Both pug and you are better for the relationship.

[jaydub]

The Highland Games were recently in Pleasanton, and there was a competition for sheep herding with a dog.  All the contestants I saw were using Border Collies, and it was astonishing.  The dogs' behaviors were clearly instinctual, and the skill of the handler in directing the dog really stood out.  Most were quite proficient in getting their little flock of 6 sheep to move around the obstacle course, a couple were pretty inept and were put out of their misery by a horn sounding after about 5 mins.  All of the dogs looked so thrilled to be at work; 2 of them were drooling, one spectacularly so.  If it had gone on for much longer I think she would have passed out from dehydration.

[jaydub]

On topic: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/topic/4-h

[pmcd9]

Also, I think Bobby Hill did this unit: MOO!

Is that what gave him the gout?

[AugustWest]

Is that what gave him the gout?

Dangol'toeswoleupsizeofagrapefruitman.

[wombat]

Wombat successfully navigated her way around a rebound-pug without anyone getting burnt.

That's kinda a thing.

Especially given that the Tech Staff spent at least the whole first week saying "Why don't we just adopt her?" and I had to explain repeatedly that we couldn't do anything that we have enjoyed doing with dogs with this dog.

[jaydub]

Do they share, take turns...I'm assuming they don't tussle over it.

[wombat]

Awww sweet. Are you going to dress them up for Halloween too?

[pmcd9]

Nah, But they'll get to eat the carved up pumpkins once we hit the first.

You're a good dad. You're gonna let Paul smash it with a hammer first of course?

[wombat]

A nice family with a little chihuahua-pug mix drove a long way to meet the foster bug and he totally blew it. He wanted to play so bad that he terrified her. He also barked at the extremely tall dad. He does this sometimes at first but makes friends quickly, but dad was not willing to make an effort. Just a bad match all around, the little boys also didn't seem to like a dog that is jumpy when excited.

I hope this guy finds a home soon because I can deal with his other issues but I'm exhausted trying to keep him separate from the cats. And because with the last four rescue pug-things I've met at this point, I'm starting to feel like if I can't have my old dogs back maybe I don't want a dog at all. Or at least, that I really need to raise one up myself, but even then there are no guarantees. I didn't think what I wanted was so complicated - basically a dog who is OK with cats, other dogs, and humans, and can walk down a street or hang out with all of those things without having a fit. I thought that was just the basics and then I could find one that otherwise had the sort of personality I like. But none of the ones I have met have had the basics.

I guess a big part of the problem is that if you go to the bother of properly socializing a puppy, you're not the sort of person who's going to dump it in a shelter after all that work. Still I know I have met a lot of great rescue dogs and I am trying to remember that. But I'm tired, I have caught a cold AGAIN, and this dog is wearing me out.

[wombat]

Yeah, I did put a lot of work into them. But I was thinking about this - mostly it wasn't spent on fixing them. They weren't already fucked up when I got them. With these dogs all the training is going into getting them halfway to normal. Mine started normal and the work went into making them really good.

Even Rose, who spend the first four years of her life in a cage, wasn't as big a problem when I got her as these dogs have been. Maybe that gave me an exaggerated idea of how much you can compensate for lack of proper early socialization. Really, for all I know Rose had a great life in the critical period before she got locked up and that's why she was OK in the long run, so maybe I was interpreting the whole thing all wrong.