For Those with Failed Fosters

[StillandSilent]

Has anyone else experienced this phenonmenon? Yesterday Argon went back to the shelter he came from, as we were retrieving and scattering Neons ashes. He absolutly loves that place, and is crazy about the people there.
I fostered Argon for close to 8 months, without a whole lot of interest in him. I had two enquiries, but neither one even advanced to them meeting him. Since the market is not huge for 6 year old, epilpetic, DR, scrawny, plain brown mixes, I kept Argon. It was about a year ago that I signed papers for him.
Suddenly, Argon became the hot ticket. People stopped when we were walking to ask what type of dog he was, tell him how pretty he was, and ask how they could get one like him. Seriously? No one would even look at him when he was a foster, but now he belonged to someone, no one could get enough of him.
We were at the shelter for less than two hours yesterday, and no less than three people asked if Argon was for adoption, because they thought he was exactly they were looking for? WTH?
Is it the old theory of only wanting what you can't have? I think Argon is great, and would have done really well in a variety of different homes, but why does everyone else just now see that?
Has this happened with anyone else? If I could figure out how to harness whatever is so attractive about Argon, I could do a lot of good!
PS- You guys would be proud. The only dog I left the shelter with was Argon, despite all the temptations (6 month old cattle dog mix, I'm looking at you! ) Well, I did leave with half of Neon, to be scattered at my apartment, but I don't think that counts!

 

[Renee750il]

Well, I had that with Tallulah from the moment I got her, but unfortunately, they were all the WRONG people! They knew exactly what she is, could tell how well bred she is, and wanted to use her to breed No freaking way was she going anywhere!

 

[misfitz]

Maybe the dog knows it has a forever home, so it's happier, and it shows? I dunno. But I had a similar experience with Sienna. When she was at the shelter, I tried for 2 weeks to find her a home. No luck. Then I had a friend fostering her, and I showed her to several potential adopters, but none of them 'clicked' with her. Actually, they all commented on how attached she seemed to be to me...

Now that she's my dog, I literally get stopped on the street daily and told how wonderful she is. I have more dog-sitters than I know what to do with, and have had several offers to take her if I "can't keep her for any reason!"

Not sure the answer, but maybe it's similar to the phenomenon of, once you're in a relationship, that's when you always get hit on? (Or is that just me, LOL.)

 

[maybe532]

Maybe because he wasn't in the cages and was nicely walking on a leash? And not acting all hyper like a lot of shelter dogs do from being pent up in cages all day long.

 

[smkie]

WHen i first got Pepper people acted like that. I would ask them if they wanted a dog and they would look at her for less than a second and shake their head no. ONe teacher at the guild did exactly that. THen a year later he sees her in the glaze room and his reaction is totally different. HE exclaims how beautiful she is. He even told the people on teh bus route what a glossy and incredibly beautiful dog she is. He said 2 years later that if he was going to get a dog he would want her. Now that all the hard work is done and over with.

I know what made the difference. In the beginning, she had a wall up, she looked at no one, she connected with no one. Now she is thrilled to see you, wags her tail. Now people like her. SHe shines love. THis is why people that adopt need to remember that the dog's reaction to them in the shelter might not be what they are thinking it should be. THey have real feelings, they shut down. THE beauty is in coaxing them back out and seeing them become all that they can be.

 

[jesirose]

I had the opposite problem. When I had Hadley, people told me all the time how much they'd want her, and how they were going to steal her and they loved her. When I needed to find a home for her, I spent 2 months asking everyone and putting ads up, and no one would take her. I finally gave her back to the SPCA, who found her a new home in 4 days. The people who chose her picked her out of the cage.

*shrug*

 

[misfitz]

Smkie, I think you nailed it. Sienna was very shy and aloof at first, now she loves everyone. Also maybe532's comment makes a lot of sense. It's sad how difficult it is to see a dog for who he/she really is in the shelter. I think the cats have it even worse.

Grooming makes a HUGE difference, too. We had an Eskie in the shelter, after he had a bath everyone stopped to look at the beautiful, fluffy white dog. An hour earlier, they had been walking right past the dirty, matted, (same) dog.