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Carol · Dec. 1, 2010
and i found this link in the article to this other blog piece. it is beautifully written and deeply insightful not just into dogs but really into all other living creatures.
this blog article was written in october and is called "The Left Side of the Dog"
(maybe someone can fix this so it is the click on link)
Hornblower
We have had one dog that was with us for 13 months and she went for a just a two day stay over with Jo - when she came back Jo went to the door and Lexi followed her like don't leave me behind. Left with Jo that night and only came back to visit.
Our fosters are with us for months and we keep in touch (in that we become friends with some of our adopters) and dogs - as long as the person loves them adjust fine.
Actually, the more I read, the less I liked ...... & I'll readily admit that it may have a lot to do with the fact that I just sent a foster out to his forever home, after he'd been here for 11 mos.
The whole comparison with the Home Children - hmmm, that just seems too much. I'm all with Patricia McConnell in the "of course dogs have emotions" camp but I do think most dogs are much more resilient, much more adaptable, much more 'in the present' than this blog author seems to give credit.
Or maybe I'm just saying that to make myself feel better.....
i read some of her other stuff..she is pretty good in some of the things that she says but i think she has run into the dark side of rescue a few times. she makes some pretty out dated generalized judgements of the processes rescues and shelters have in matching dogs and families and not only their shelter/foster home time but the final adoption process too. there are many who do not bounce dogs around in several different temporary foster homes..we do in fact understand the damage it causes and many shelters do have more than just a daily walk and a nyla bone for enrichment too. and many shelters and rescues do go to great lengths to match dogs to appropriate homes..maybe they are 20 years behind us in ontario but i doubt it.i think she just ran into or heard about the wrong few.
still i thought many of her other thoughts are interesting and valid...exp her perceptions of how dogs perceive differently...i think that is very true.
i personally don't want to see my guys when they go out until after they have made the full adjustment and are in love with their new home. and i usually don't ( but very occasionally do) let previous families come and visit the animals here...i figure they will just feel sad when they are abandoned yet again as they watch that family that they used to love, walk back out the door without them again. it is too confusing to them.
different strokes for different folks..we all do the best that we can and if we are doing it from a caring and loving place in our hearts...how wrong can it be?
i bet you didn't like her because some of her stuff is pretty judgemental and not really accurate in some things....but i did think that left side of the brain post was really well said....none of us can get everything right. so i guess we take what is of personal value and ignore the other stuff.