Casey Update

[OurBoys]

To refresh, Casey was on Craigslist and I persuaded the lady to let me have him. (She wouldn't turn him over to rescue.) Casey had his first potential forever home 'interview' today. The young lady came out to the house with her parents who were visiting from out of town. I am soooo glad the parents came.

 

The young lady might have been able to have me believe she would have been a good home but her parents totally turned us off. Yes, she lived on her own but at 25 yrs old, she was going to visit them but she would have to board Casey every time she did. Casey also had too much energy for her. The dog she gets she's going to take him to work with her. I thought that was good until she told me she works out of her boss's house and she was going to put him in the backyard and go out there every once in awhile to play for a few minutes. Casey's only been here a couple of weeks but I already know, he does not like being outside by himself and at 9 months old, he's not going to sit still for long periods of time but this could have been resolved by having a crate in her office for him.

 

Her parents are also cat lovers. Don't get me wrong. We love cats too. We have one ourselves but Casey has cat issues. It's going to take more time than a couple of weeks to get him to understand them (when Tobi hisses and swings at him, Casey will just step back and start barking. He's at the point where, when I tell him to 'leave it' or 'no', he will but he still goes looking for her every time I let him out of his crate) and her parents take their cat with them whenever they travel. Casey needs either constant exposure to cats or no exposure-Not days of exposure every few months.

 

But I think what turned us off more than anything was the fact they absolutely refused to believe Casey was pb because he is a smooth coat. We told them we have his papers but they were so convinced he was mixed with something, they wouldn't even look at them. The mom was a constant complainer. She didn't like Casey's energy level (and unfortunately when he went up to her, he rolled over on his back and submissively peed. The only other time he did that was at the vets when I took him), she complained about his looks. And if she wasn't complaining about Casey, she was complaining about the weather. With her daughter being only 25, I have a feeling I'm probably older than she is but her face was so wrinkled, I got the impression her face stayed in a permanent frown. Casey wouldn't be around her when the young lady went to visit but any/every time they came to visit their daughter, it would be a very stressful time for Casey. I can picture him being constantly yelled at about something but even at 9 mths old, he's still very sensitive. He does sooo much better when praised!

 

The young lady had told me via email before arriving that she was going to go thru rescue first. If she couldn't find a dog she wanted thru rescue, she was going to buy a puppy somewhere. If she does, I have a feeling there's going to be another dog going into rescue next year. I hope I'm wrong.

 

We have another potential adopter coming out tomorrow. He sounds very excited about seeing Casey. Wish us luck.

[PSmitty]

Brenda, the rescuers I know do indeed get disgusted with applicants. I bet if you continue with fostering/rescuing, you'll get quite a few unsuitable applicants! Good for you, though, for being choosy and going with your instincts about what is a good home for Casey. Along with checking references, your gut reaction is important, IMO. This woman doesn't sound like a good fit for Casey, at all. And the smooth coat thing really gets me, too!

 

I hope the next one is great!

[OurBoys]

Thanks, Paula. I know myself well enough to know I might be too picky or over-react so I made sure the interview was while my DH was here. By the time they left, he was more ticked off than I was.

[sweet_ceana]

Good luck to you and Casey tomorrow. Oddly enough we are going to go meet a little boy named Casey as well tomorrow. Just cross your fingers the meeting with Casey may have turned that Girl & her parents off of getting a BC.

[Kyrasmom]

Yes and No, some applicants, such as yours, are irritating. BUT they also tell you exactly who they are and thus turning them down is really easy. Consider Casey saved from them!

 

Maria

[OurBoys]

Yes, SC, I hope Casey turned that girl off from bc's. I feel they are not for her. I hope you liked the Casey you saw today!

 

You're right, Maria. I feel Casey was saved from a very unhappy life. He wants so badly to fit in somewhere. You should see him. He'll watch JJ and Jake to see what they are doing and then try it himself. He's so adorable. And I have some great news! The guy who came out today loved him!!

 

Yes, Casey has been adopted!! And I feel Casey really liked him too! When we let him out of his crate to meet Bill, Casey went up to him and sat to be petted before he jumped up on him. But Bill didn't mind. After Casey got off, he laid on his back for a belly rub. What impressed me was the fact Casey did not submissively pee! I think the only reason he did that yesterday with that girl's mom was because he was scared of her. He was not scared of Bill. He felt very comfortable with him! And the way Casey took up with him, I believe Bill thinks his previous owner's DH didn't do right by him either. His new forever home knows puppies and their ways. Casey has 98 acres to stretch his legs and a couple of other dogs to play with. His new 'dad' loves to hike and wanted a hiking companion. I never saw Casey scared of anything and I noticed he was always curious about his surroundings. I think Casey will make a great hiking companion. Casey bonds easily to someone who shows him attention in a positive manner and I have a feeling he's going to be Bill's 'velcro' dog. Bill lost his bc to cancer about 6 weeks ago. When he saw JJ he said he looks so much like his other bc, it almost brought tears to his eyes. I think Casey will be very loved in his new home.

 

I don't know how you guys do it. We only had Casey for about 2 1/2 wks but the house seems so quiet and empty now. I'm happy he found a good home but I miss him at the same time. He was the youngest bc we have had here and was a handful at times but, you know, I miss that.

[Pat W.]

Congratulations on the completion of your first fostering! You'll learn to listen to your gut when speaking with potential adopters. When doing home visits and phone interviews I try to listen and watch , sometimes I take my daughter with me for a second opinion or to confirm what I was reading from the prospective adopter. It gets easier to let go but not by much, and you know that theres always more where your last one came from

[OurBoys]

Thanks, Pat, but unfortunately the Casey Saga continues. Yep, after 24 hours Mr. Wonderful emailed me yesterday evening saying it isn't working out and brought Casey back this morning. Why?? "Because it was them and not Casey" said the man. At least he admitted to it. We told him Casey needed a crate. He said he would go to Petsmart and get one. Did he? Not till this morning and then he complained about Casey whining and digging at the door of it. I have Casey in a crate right now and he's resting quietly for me.

I made it a point to explain to him Casey had issues with cats. That's ok. He had a dog savvy cat. She would put him in his place. Turns out Casey stressed his cat out. I told him Casey was 9 months old and needed management and asked him to enroll in an obedience class. In fact, I kept mentioning Casey's age a number of times and even took him and Casey outside so he could actually watch Casey's energy level. He even asked me if Casey ever gets tired. I told him I have yet to see him really tired. Mr. Wonderful said "OK, I'll take him". When he was here this morning, I really, really had to bite my tongue when Mr. Wonderful told me he thinks they would be better off getting a younger puppy! If they do, I hope it's not a BC. (He told me his wife told him she thinks Casey is ADD. Not!! He's 9 mths old!)

 

CBCR is working with me. (When I got Mr. Wonderful's first email last evening, I started including the volunteer on all my responses. She even reiterated what I said about crates and obedience.) I received an email from her this morning. She said she might have a prospect for Casey. I should hear something from someone this evening. I tell you what, this situation is making me feel very strict. DH doesn't want to take anyone's word now. Do they already have a crate? I revised my adoption agreement to include the adopter must sign up for an obedience class within 30 days after signing the agreement. This guy had us all fooled. Maybe even himself.

 

This has definitely been a learning experience. I think Casey was very stressed out while there. He practically dragged me to the front door. After Mr. Wonderful left, I took Casey out back to potty. His stool was loose. When we came in, my DH was sitting at my laptop. Casey walked up to him, sat in front of him, leaned into him and wrapped one of his front paws around his leg. At least he feels we understand him, I hope.

[PSmitty]

Awww, I'm sorry it didn't work out. Don't worry, the perfect home is out there for him.

 

Is Casey red and white? Would you consider an out of state adoption, if a local BC rescue were to do a home check for you? It's a long shot, but I got an email this morning about someone looking for a red male.

[Bo Peep]

They only gave him one day? WOW!!! I feel so bad for Casey. You really never can tell. Sometimes it looks like a match made in heaven, then only to find out it's not. At least he returned the dog and you can find a good owner for him. Best wishes for Casey and his forever home.

[PSmitty]

Oh, yeah. And what part of NC are you in, Brenda? I know someone in Raleigh, and I can send her Casey's info and pictures. She does flyball with her BC and she can spread the word, if you'd like.

[sluj]

Wow. I'm sorry to hear what you're going through. You're doing a great thing, and it sounds like Casey appreciates it too.

[Beach BCs]

Poor Casey! At least Mr Wonderful figured out quickly that Casey wasn't going to work our for him. People just don't seem to understand about BCs and activity. It's not that there's anything wrong with them. They're not hyper. They need structure. They need something to do. Whether it's herding sheep or herding their toys. I keep Georgia & Texas entertained by taking out all of their toys from the toy box, hiding them all over the house and having them "find (insert name of toy)" and put it back in the box. This game can last for a couple hours and takes minimal effort from me.

 

Chin up! Casey is going to get a wonderful home. You'll see to it.

[OurBoys]

Yeah, Bo, one day. Can you believe that???

 

Paula, I mentioned your posts to DH. We're a bit iffy about sending him down to FL right now after what he's been through. Raleigh sounds better to us because it's closer and anyone who does flyball or knows others who 'work' their dog in some way would be a better match for him. He definitely needs someone who will work him mentally and well as physically for his own emotional well-being.

 

We live about 3-3 1/2 hrs from Raleigh between Davidson and Mooresville. If your person knows someone who might be interested, maybe CBCR could do the home check and I could meet them halfway??? (CBCR knows my 80 yr old mom lives with us and they might have a foster home becoming available but we're thinking Casey might be better off staying with us until he finds his forever home.)

[OurBoys]

You're right, Kate. After thinking about it, Casey would have been even more stressed out if he had kept him longer.

[OurBoys]

OK people. I took this a little while ago. What's wrong with this picture?????

 

 

I was even able to keep his attention while the cat was in the kitchen by tossing a ball to all 3 of them. All you have to say is 'Ready?' and he has eyes only for me. I think Casey is glad to be back.

[sweet_ceana]

Poor Casey. He will find his forever home... lol maybe he thinks he already has

[PSmitty]

Brenda, are you SURE that Casey has to find another home?

[Laurae]

^^^

What she said! Maybe Casey has already found his forever home

[OurBoys]

 

This is not Casey's forever home. We are not set up for a 3rd dog nor can we afford another at this time. All the poor fella needs is someone who's willing to invest some time and positive attention in him. He always smiles when he hears the words "Good Boy!"

[Peg O'Rourke]

ahw. But, you already have three dogs