The Difficult Dilemma of the Puppy’s Foster Mom
That’s Nikki on the right. Some face, huh? She was 15 weeks old when she came into our lives as a foster puppy just before Christmas. That’s why we named her Nikki, after St. Nick. She’s an adorable, fuzzy, white ball of fur with all the accompanying antics you expect from a puppy. And she was so shy. She found a safe place under an end table in our family room, and she’d never come out, so we had to lure her out and catch her to give her some affection, to which she quickly responded.
Been Here Before
Nikki isn’t our first foster dog, nor is she our first foster puppy. My husband and I have been fostering German Shepherds for our local German Shepherd Dog rescue for about five years. We’ve had the joy of fostering around 27 German Shepherds, and we have managed to adopt only two of those 27 or so, because when they’re absolutely meant to be part of your family, you know it.
The Dilemma
We typically foster only one dog at a time, because three’s as many as we can handle at one time. Here’s what’s going on for me. I know my husband wants to adopt this dog, but that would mean the end of our fostering days, which–as much as I’ve loved it–is something I’ve been thinking about for a while, especially since we spent the entire summer renovating our home to rectify 15 years’ worth of doggie wear-and-tear. It looks so wonderful now, and I want it to stay that way as long as possible. A steady stream of dogs, some which chew wood and aren’t housebroken, isn’t going to help me be successful in that quest.
But Wait! There’s More!
The question I’m asking myself now is–do we really want another dog (a real cutie who’s already become one of the pack, because our alpha female Zoey plays with her instead of going for her jugular)? Another dog means bigger vet bills, more dog hair everywhere, bigger pet-supply costs, higher kennel costs if we want to go somewhere, stuff like that. That said, I’ve bonded big time with this puppy, and so has my husband. Today we have a very rare four inches of snow on the ground, and just watching Nikki romp in the snow was a heartwarmer. And I’m pretty sure she likes it here. (Considering the way we treat our furkids, a dog would have to be nuts not to love it here.) My husband is leaving the decision to me.
Reason or Surrender?
Once I make the call to keep her, there’s no going back. I would never give her up. My concern is that I’ll decide to keep her–and live to regret it, and that it may be to much for me (and the house) 24/7. On the other hand, I may regret letting this sweetie go. So, my furkid-loving friends, do I go with my head–or my heart? Any input that would help move the needle for me one way or another will be greatly appreciated.
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