*sigh*

[prosodic]

The adoption has hit a snag. I was afraid of this.

Yes, we were told that we could have her. All we needed to do was finish the adoption paperwork and send the required things (photos of the exterior of our house, a utility bill with our legal address). We jumped through all the hoops.

And now we're being told that Reece would be very lonely being left alone all day, even if Lance came home at lunch to let her out. And that our adoption is now dependent upon our agreeing to either enroll her in doggie daycare or find someone we trust to watch her during the day while we're at work.

I'm sorry, but Lance and I both believe that having someone with Reece every single second of every hour of everyday would leave her completely dependent on people and she wouldn't develop any independence whatsoever. She needs to learn to be okay by herself. It will benefit her in her adult life. Our plan was to crate her in the mornings and afternoons while we're at work, and to leave a radio on so that she can have the soothing sounds of human voices and music. It worked for my sister-in-law when she was raising Koda from a puppy to an adult, and Koda is a fantastic, well adjusted dog.

I forwarded this email (which I got from the woman who runs the shelter) to the woman who fosters Reece, just to get her opinion on the whole matter. We let her know that we planned to leave Reece alone for 4-5 hours everyday, and she didn't seem to think it was a problem.

We may have to give this whole thing up. I'm getting really frustrated and angry. But for now, I still think Reece is worth it.

Comments

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I believe a dog can learn to be left alone, even without a crate -- but I think it has to be a gradual process, after adoption. Here they are in a new place, all day alone can be very scary. People I know who have managed it well have taken vacation time and gradually worked the dog up to being alone, e.g. staying home with the dog the first day, leaving it for an hour the second day, three hours the third day, etc. so that it learns that in this big scary new place, you'll always come back.

We left DJ alone for two hours the first day we moved into this house, before she was used to it, but after we'd had her for three years already, and she panicked -- and she's a confident dog, fine being left alone for hours, usually.

[beaniesue.livejournal.com]

Um..that is pretty weird that they won't adopt because you don't have anyone w/ the dog 24/7. Do these people get a babysitter for their dogs if they want to go out to dinner? To a movie?

[prosodic.livejournal.com]

Actually, the woman that runs the shelter owns a restaurant, so she's busy with that all the time. The dogs in the shelter are always fostered out, but even the woman who is fostering Reece right now is not home all day long. But Reece at least has other dogs to play with there.

[inateapot.livejournal.com]

It's obvious to anyone that you & Lance have thought this through - you're not adopting lightly. They should be thrilled Reece is going to such a good home with people that will love her & care for her! Do they have so many people lined up to adopt that they can be so choosey?!

[prosodic.livejournal.com]

Petsmart has a doggie daycare program where they leave the dog alone for half an hour each day and then have her play with the other dogs...that way, they can work her up to being alone for several hours. It's probably the best option, and the least expensive so far.

Still frustrated about the whole situation though. Given the daily costs of this type of service, it's almost as expensive as child daycare.

[anmorata.livejournal.com]

I've heard that pet adoption agencies (? not sure what else to call them. organizations?) are very strict about that sort of thing. How well socialized is Reece? How do they know for sure that she'd thrive in a 'doggy daycare' situation? Not every dog has the temperament for that sort of environment, especially if they're not well-socialized with other dogs just yet. It could be a disaster. Then again, it could be a wonderful thing for her. It's difficult to say.

You might want to try the Humane Society or your local shelter if this doesn't work out. :(

[prosodic.livejournal.com]

She is being fostered with another puppy right now and also plays with the neighbor's puppy, but we noticed yesterday that she tends to be the aggressor in play. I could see that as a potential issue if she's in a doggie daycare environment.

[byron.livejournal.com]

Bloody fucking hell!!! Its a DOG!!! Are these people nuts?

I swear adopting a child is easier in this backass society we live in.

[prosodic.livejournal.com]

I know, right?

[mysirensong.livejournal.com]

This shit makes me so angry. They want people to stop getting dogs from backyard breeders but then they make you bend over backwards to get a damn dog -- but the backyard breeders will let ANYONE *buy* a dog so OF COURSE they stay in business.

And, yes, your way makes PERFECT sense. We crated Bailey for the first year or so -- she's now perfectly independent for up to 8 or 9 hours at a time (uncrated) and she's gone a little longer when we haven't been able to get back for some odd reason. She's still a co-dependent dog in some ways -- a Labrador thing -- but she survived having working parents, even as a 5 week old puppy. It was MUCH harder on ME than it was on her!

[prosodic.livejournal.com]

Well, we still have another shot at some dogs being cared for at a juvenile detention center, so all is not lost. I just don't understand why this is more difficult than becoming a foster parent. It's almost like we're trying to adopt a child or something.

[katzies.livejournal.com]

This is crazy. I'm sure you're not just going to get the dog, drop her off at home and then leave for 5 hours. It's going to take some adjusting but I'm sure after a little while she'll be perfectly fine by herself for a little while - especially if you spend plenty of time with her when you're at home!