Pippa - what have you done? Posting about the medical detection dog charity needing fosters in my area! I've rung them and they like homes with other dogs and now I'm seriously thinking about fostering a future service dog just as I was thinking phew - that's the puppy stage over with Rusty as he's literally just turned 18 months - am I barking? The training classes I've been to also train Canine Partner dogs (and they've always coveted Rusty he's so the right temperament) and not been more than mildly tempted even though they're always recruiting fosterers but the topic of medical detection is so close to my heart it's was pure instinct to pick up the phone! They pay all the costs so it's the time & commitment and then of course parting with a dog you've brought up for 12-14 months...
Re: A bone to pick with... I think it sounds like a fun project! My husband's stepmum does this sort of thing with guide dog pups, and they find it really rewarding. They have a dog of their own too, and it seems to work just fine. Just don't spread yourself too thin.... )
Re: A bone to pick with... Oooops, sorry Carole! But do keep us updated, it would be great to hear all about it if you go ahead!
Re: A bone to pick with... ;D I can tell how sorry you are Pippa! I'm going along to an open day on 17th July and have the application form in my inbox, to Sam's point my main concern is spreading myself too thin and whether I'd have enough time for my boys and a new pup.. and of course being able to hand it over 14 months later... Most of their dogs are labs or lab crosses as they have both the right temperament and excellent noses...
Re: A bone to pick with... Oh good for you Carole I always fancied being a puppy walker for Guide dogs for the Blind, but I know I would be in bits about handing them back . Looking forward to hearing how you get on
Re: A bone to pick with... I used to Puppy Walk for GDBA and found it a very bitter sweet experience. I LOVED being given a 6 week old pup to raise. It was hard work at times but I adore puppies and love watching the way they learn and grow up. Luckily I was given a pretty free licence to raise the pups how I felt was necessary, as long as I taught them the specifics GDBA needed. I know many other PWs weren't so lucky though and their Supervisors were much stricter about sticking to their rules (and my goodness there are a huge amount of Rules). I love the proud feeling it gives me to know my Puppies are now useful members of society and that they make their blind person's life so much better. What I wasn't so keen on was the lack of control I had over such simple things, such as what the pups were fed....even when clearly what I was given to feed them was not agreeing with them. I disliked that they could make decisions about the pup's health and welfare without even knowing the pup and often I felt their actions went totally against what was best for the dog. I hated that it felt like they had a gun to your head sometimes, when if you disagreed with them, they could just come and take the dog away, regardless if this was of detriment of the dog. I also hated that once that dog had gone into training, there was very little contact between the trainers and us PW's, to let us know how the dog was getting along and once the dog was placed with a new owner, we often never heard about the dog again. I personally wouldn't ever Puppy Walk for GDBA again, after they so badly managed the health and welfare of the last pup I had for them. I have often thought of Puppy Parenting for CP though and have spoken to them a few times about it. I'm just not sure I can put myself through the headache of having someone else in control over what I can and can't do with a pup for a whole year, again. And I have to admit, the parting with the pup after loving and nurturing it for a whole year tears me apart. I'm soft, I know though and others seem to have a quick cry and move onto the next pup in the blink of an eye, whereas I still sit and wonder how my first pup is doing, even though she left me years ago. :-\ Jules.
Re: A bone to pick with... That is very sad. From talking with CP do you get the impression that they run things a little differently? Pippa
Re: A bone to pick with... [quote author=editor link=topic=574.msg2611#msg2611 date=1341080401] From talking with CP do you get the impression that they run things a little differently?[/quote] Having spoken to a few of the people there and a few of their Puppy Parents, I get the feeling that because it's a much smaller organisation, there is a much more personal touch with everything. So rather than having to deal with a faceless individual on the end of a phone line, you are more likely to actually KNOW who you are speaking to. I think that alone makes a lot of difference. I can't say I know if once the dogs are placed with their new owners, there is more contact though, as I guess that is down to the individual owner. CP do things very differently to GDBA in other areas. There seems to be much more Puppy Swapping which goes on, so the pups get to live with other Puppy Parents, rather than being just with their one family for a whole year. I can see this would be an advantage in many cases, as it would then not be such a huge wrench for the PP's and much less stressful for the pups, if they are already used to being moved about. All of their training is based on Clicker/Reward based training too, whereas I heard recently that GDBA are discouraging their PWs from using any food treats at all now and of course you can't really use toys which excite the pups as a reward either, as you need them to be as calm as possible when working. I will probably do a pup or two for CP in the future, but at the moment with 4 dogs, one of which is only an adolescent herself, the time isn't right for me. I do still miss the feeling of doing something so very useful though. Jules.
Re: A bone to pick with... It does sound very rewarding. I am surprised to hear that the GDBA is going in the opposite direction to everyone else re: clicker/reward based training. I suppose they must have their reasons. Pippa
Re: A bone to pick with... Jules - thanks for posting about your experience - it raises some interesting questions - some of which I was already thinking about before I go the open day. The charity I'm looking at (thanks to Pippa!!!) is very tiny compared even to CP. Funny enough I was at my local church fete yesterday and CP had a stand and demos and a few people were there that I'd met before in training classes. One lady who has a partner called Nikki (funny how we learn dog names but never introduce us as humans!) she's from Oxford which is an hour from us and I first met her when she brought Nikki to do some agility when I was taking Barney. She was telling me how Nikki had recognised a few of her "puppy parents" although she hadn't seen them for over 2 years. I've no idea though whether the puppy parents get news that she was placed in a loving home/ passed her assessments etc. I can see that it would seem that swapping around would make it easier but I'm not so sure. Speaking with my "Grief Recovery" experience head on - the amount of grief is not due to the length of the relationship but to it's intensity - and every relationship is unique. I don't know about a puppy I know I'm not going to have for ever but Rusty had me wrapped around his little paw in hours.
Re: A bone to pick with... [quote author=caroleb link=topic=574.msg2629#msg2629 date=1341158340] I can see that it would seem that swapping around would make it easier but I'm not so sure. Speaking with my "Grief Recovery" experience head on - the amount of grief is not due to the length of the relationship but to it's intensity - and every relationship is unique. I don't know about a puppy I know I'm not going to have for ever but Rusty had me wrapped around his little paw in hours. [/quote] Yes, I can see what you mean. My last pup, Una, I fell for the moment she was placed in my arms. She was just my sort of dog....busy, inquisitive, eager, willing and I desperately wanted to keep her. I do know some PWs set their pups up to Fail so they can have them back, as they are THAT attached to them but I'm far too "straight" to do anything like that, so I just kept my fingers crossed instead. I would have missed her terribly, no matter when she left me. I do think I'd have worried less about her though, if I had known she was used to and coped with change. As it was, she never left my side for 12 months, then was taken into the training centre straight after her season for a week to be spayed (long story) and when she came out she was a changed, grumbly, nervous wreck of a dog :'( . Knowing she had to go back there as soon as she recovered from her spay, broke my heart. I would consider fostering again for a much smaller organisation, as I said. I think I'd still be very aware that I had to stick to their Rules though, even if it went against what I felt was right. Hopefully with a smaller organisation you'd have much more input though. At the end of the day, you can only try these things. If you don't enjoy the experience, then don't do it again, but if you do then the first pup could easily lead to a new pup every year for a good many years to come (my idea of Heaven ). I just hate to see people going into this sort of thing only hearing the good side, as I know I'm not alone in having experienced the "other" side too.
Re: A bone to pick with... Went to the open day for the Medical Detection Dogs and it was great. A v small charity they currently have about 25 dogs in training and a 5 year waiting list of people needing a dog that could save their life. Started by the lady who started hearing dogs for the deaf some years back. Loads of experience and a lovely atmosphere. After hearing about Jules' experience I was pleased to talk to a volunteer who's already had 5 puppies. They get lots of feedback on the progress of the dogs after they leave home. The dogs are never put in kennels but always kept in home environments and she's in touch with 4 of the people who now have fully trained dogs and sometimes meets up with them. It's up to the person who gets the dog if they want to make contact and most do - to be able to see the puppy pictures and learn about them growing up etc. I'm very encouraged and certainly will be doing some work for them in some way - and going to sleep a bit more on the whole puppy fostering thing.
Re: A bone to pick with... That sounds very interesting. Five year waiting lists are tough. What a deserving cause though, look forward to hearing more!
Re: A bone to pick with... That sounds like a much better set up than GDBA. I love that the pups are always kept in a home environment too. Jules
Re: A bone to pick with... Ok here goes.... I've just sent in my form for a home visit with a view to being approved as a puppy socialiser. I'm thinking about creating a blog about the experience from the decision process onwards...
Re: A bone to pick with... That is a really great idea! ;D When you get it set up, please let us have the link.
