Adventures in Fostering

Update 12/14/20: Dory passed away on Saturday in the hospital from multiple infections. If you’d like to read more about her there is another post below or find many photos and stories of her on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/laurafostercoaching/

Dory, my new hospice foster dog, has been with me a few days and we’re slowly adjusting to each other. It’s very stressful for a dog, especially a rescue dog, to be in a strange environment with a new person.

We definitely have some issues with pee and poop. If you have an aversion to pee and poop you might want to stop here. She’s from a puppy mill and was likely raised in a cage, so she doesn’t really understand how to dog in so many ways- including not peeing (or pooping) in her crate at night. Her previous fosters did a great job with her, but she’s still learning. And honestly, I’m still learning too. For instance- now I know the following- don’t feed a dog at 8 pm. Don’t let your dog drink a bucket of water at 10 pm. Don’t leave them alone to roam the house while they’re still getting used to things. And notice when they’re pacing and/or scratching at the floor.

There have been some accidents in the house- which is to be expected. I rolled up the living room rug in anticipation of exactly this. (Actually, the truth is that my rug is still rolled up waiting to go to the cleaners because Pink, the last foster dog, peed all over it.) 

Yesterday while I was on a video call with a client, I noticed she’d suddenly become quiet- and then I smelled the unmistakable aroma of poop. 20 minutes later I finally got off the call to find that poop was confirmed. I wasn’t angry, but I was definitely irritated that I wasn’t better prepared.

I know from my reading that yelling at a dog and rubbing their nose in their excrement doesn’t work, so I looked at her sheepishly lying on her blanket, but I didn’t approach her. I got down on the floor and simply cleaned up the mess. That’s when she slunk over to me with her head bowed and put her head in my lap. My heart completely melted. This tender little being was apologizing to me. She knew she did something she wasn’t supposed to do. She had even tried to warn me by pacing and circling. I just didn’t understand.

Her last foster had a porch potty- look it up, it’s actually a thing, but that seemed like too large of a commitment, so I had ordered some fake grass for my balcony. Needless to say, it does not look “real” or “lifelike”, but it is green. One of the reasons I ordered it is because Dory struggles going up and down stairs. She’s fairly comfortable going up the stairs, but she just started trying to go down stairs last week with her former foster so she’s still pretty unstable and really doesn’t like to do it. I thought, in a pinch, fake grass on the balcony might be a lot easier for her. I do sometimes carry her down the stairs, but I want her to get stronger, so if we have time, I encourage her, and we take our time navigating the stairs.

Last night I took her out to use the “highest quality authentic lawn.” She’d already peed on it once, so I knew she’d accepted it as a legitimate elimination spot. She refused to step on the fake grass and instead pulled me to the stairs and painstakingly, one by one, led me down to the bottom so she could poop in the actual grass. I was stunned. She’d fought me every single previous time we’d gone down those stairs.

This little 30-pound creature put herself in an uncomfortable position and did something that is truly difficult for her because she wanted to please me. She wanted to show me that she sees and understands me. What a touching and beautiful sacrifice.

It’s only been 3 days. And already, my heart is wide open and I’m madly in love with her. Yes- even though she pees and poops in her crate (and my house). Even though her farts are more deadly than the kitten farts. Even though- she’s going to die.

This morning when I went to get her up to take her out, she refused to get out of her crate. Instead, she turned on her side to show her belly to me as if to say. “Slow down. Let’s love each other first.”

I launched my group program this morning and, of course, had a lot to do. And still- I spent some time snuggling with her on the couch after our walk. Because she deserves all the love and care I can muster.

It may be strange to talk about love and poop in the same post. But really, isn’t that what all of life is? Good. Bad. Hard. Beautiful.

Join me in hoping that I get more time rather than less with this angel.