I'm Going To Be Fostering

[MMouse6937]

Got a call from the shelter manager today and they wanted to know if I could foster two 4 week old heeler puppies. Of course I said yes, but YIKES. We had fostered some kittens in the summer last year. We had a mamma and her three boys, and a litter of five. Two of the girls didn't survive and it was really hard for DH to get over (that's why we ended up adopting the runt, George). I don't want a puppy to adopt, I just know how hard they are. The foster that took them when they were born took mom and the NINE puppies so that she could nurse. Bless that ladies heart. SO, say a prayer for me in puppydom, it should be a lot of fun!!

[DisneyWhirled]

Good luck to you and bless your heart for doing such a wonderful thing! I am sure that you will do a great job, and those babies will just love their foster home.

We just got a puppy ourselves last week (our first dog) and you are right on the money when you say that it is a lot of work. My kids love him though, so it makes it all worth while!!

[MNNHFLTX]

I admire you so much for fostering those two little puppies, and my appreciation comes from personal experience. One of our dogs, Oreo, was fostered (along with two of her siblings) by a vet tech at the clinic where we took our other pets. The original owners (if you can call them that) dropped off six 2-day old puppies at the Humane Society but kept the mom, instead of letting them stay with her until they were old enough to wean--nice people, huh? The Humane Society called up our animal clinic asking for help, since they would have had to euthanize the puppies if they couldn't find someone to care for them. Two of the vet techs each took three of the puppies and raised them until they were 7-weeks old, and that is how we got our Oreo! So if it weren't for people like those vet techs and yourself, many homeless pets would not be alive today.

BTW, the vet tech told us how she got a molded plastic children's pool that served several purposes when the puppies were little. During feeding time, they would put kibble in the pool instead of trying to fuss with bowls, and the puppies could eat without making a mess. They would also put toys and blankets in it and it would serve as a play-pen, at least until they were big enough to start climbing out. Plus it was easy to clean up--they would just wipe it down. I thought it was a neat little idea that might come in handy for you.

[MsMin]

I admire you so much for fostering those two little puppies, and my appreciation comes from personal experience. One of our dogs, Oreo, was fostered (along with two of her siblings) by a vet tech at the clinic where we took our other pets. The original owners (if you can call them that) dropped off six 2-day old puppies at the Humane Society but kept the mom, instead of letting them stay with her until they were old enough to wean--nice people, huh? The Humane Society called up our animal clinic asking for help, since they would have had to euthanize the puppies if they couldn't find someone to care for them. Two of the vet techs each took three of the puppies and raised them until they were 7-weeks old, and that is how we got our Oreo! So if it weren't for people like those vet techs and yourself, many homeless pets would not be alive today.

BTW, the vet tech told us how she got a molded plastic children's pool that served several purposes when the puppies were little. During feeding time, they would put kibble in the pool instead of trying to fuss with bowls, and the puppies could eat without making a mess. They would also put toys and blankets in it and it would serve as a play-pen, at least until they were big enough to start climbing out. Plus it was easy to clean up--they would just wipe it down. I thought it was a neat little idea that might come in handy for you.

I can't believe someone would do that to innocent little pups. Probably the type that blamed the dog for having pups too.
About the plastic pool, I used one for our first litter and it works for about 4 weeks so you are right at the point where they should start crawling out and since we had Yorkies and they could get out I'm sure a Heeler could real soon. I do love the pool idea I think it may have been Beth who gave me that tip when we had our pups. Our last litter (literally too b/c Max is fixed now) we had so much trouble for those who may recall b/c they were born early (w/very little hair and couldn't ****) we stayed w/ them round the clock for 4 days taking shifts (still traumatized by that event ).
I bought a travel pop up kennel to keep them in b/c it was inexpensive and we only had two. When they were real tiny we kept them in a big flat rubbermaid box -the kind that fits under the bed. It makes a great whelping box.
Since we had several ppl waiting for pups and only 1 available, b/c my dd was keeping one, I traveled to my breeder in Arkansas and picked up 4 more pups. We borrowed 2 small kennels from my dd's friend and I used a sheet of plexiglass and taped the training pad to the plexi so the pups couldn't tear it up. We also used a water bottle to keep water from spilling all over. It didn't take long for the pups to learn to use the bottle.
It's a lot of work but a lot of fun. We sanitized everything at least 3x's a day and washed a lot of puppy blankets. Pups usually go in about 20 mins after eating so it is easy to schedule the cleaning. puppy for your big adventure.