One of our new(er) foster families wrote to us about the training weekend that through support of the public, we ran over Easter. The weekend continues to influence our mission to provide our dogs with a safe, loving home with adequate boundaries. 

John, Raj and Nadin wrote to us shortly after the event with a description on how Cherry benefited from the training. 

Hello Katherine, Monica and Linda,

Thank you so much for the opportunity for Raj, Nadin and I to attend the dog training session on Good Friday. Already it has been tremendously helpful with our foster dogs. 

As you know, we were caring for Cherry over Easter. Although a lovely girl, she is very rambunctious and was testing our limits. We were feeling somewhat at a loss to know how to exert some control over her extraordinary extrovert behaviour. However that changed after a day with Grant 'the Paw Man' Teeboon. We learnt effective techniques to stop her jumping and pulling on the leash. Really useful hints, like how and when to expose dogs to their fears, will certainly come in handy with rescue dogs - especially those dogs that have nervous tendencies as a result of previous mistreatment.   

Equipping foster careers with the tools to manage difficult dogs will help ensure that the animals can be trained quickly and re-homed smoothy. That is good news for all involved, particularly the dogs, who with a lot of love and positive training, will go on to bring much joy to their new owners.

Once again, thank you for arranging this training. It's a worthwhile initiative that will stand our family in good stead to be effective foster careers. 

Best regards,

John, Raj and Nadin.

Last week Grilld offered to donate a family meal to a foster carer who needed a pick me up. I immediately thought of Linda, who has personally matched all the dogs to their forever homes for the last 3 years!

Along with letters of thanks from foster carers, there was a special note with a lick from Jackson. A very naughty foster that stayed with Linda's family before moving to SA. 

Licks back to Jackson!

Linda and her family have fostered COUNTLESS dogs and we wouldn't be able to do everything without her calm influence. She is passionate about proper dog ownership and joined Lab Rescue to learn more about dog training. 

A big thank you to Grill'd for donating the meal. I hope Linda and her family felt appreciated for all they do for us. 

Below is Linda and her husband at Grilld!

Have you benefited from something Linda has done? Please join me in thanking Linda in the comments below!

Hi Monica

The Thank You dinner was awesome! As you can see we had a bit of fun all being out together :D and are all going to the movies together tonight. My family felt really appreciated!! They particularly liked the lick from Jackson ;-).

Thanks to the Grill’d team for offering Lab Rescue a special dinner and thank you for inviting us to enjoy it.

We loved your hand written notes of thanks from many people involved in Lab Rescue and who’ve adopted from us in the past. Have you found Katherine’s yet ;-), she assures me she wrote one, LOL!!!

I must admit it was a welcome pick me up after having to say farewell to magnificent Milo that morning, I’ll miss him.

Many thanks

Linda & George, Ellen Owen & Jamie, Gus Kaeli & Jazz

Behind each dog on the web-site sits a whole story. The (usually) unknown story of the background the dogs came from, the volunteers and professionals who care for the dogs in the pounds, the dog transporter network that runs across Australia, the massive amount of unseen communication, administration, IT expertise and support, the vet care “donated” at almost cost price and finally the homes and families who welcome the foster dogs in for as long as it takes. Each carer also usually has a supportive partner and children and pets whose lives are often bent around the needs of the Labrador rescue operation.

One of the things we are so grateful for at Lab Rescue is the donation and support we get from the public. I want to take some time out to thank the generous donations of Casey, Janice, Alison, Karen and the Austen’s who made our recent training day over Easter possible. Your donation has helped me become better equipped as a foster carer to train ‘difficult dogs’ like Anna.

As a small token of my thanks, I want to share with you my recent experience as a foster carer at the training day. 

On Good Friday I headed out to Katherine’s place with Anna (classified as difficult dog) secured in the back seat. We had consulted with Grant re Anna and Abbie (one of the girls rescued from the infamous pig farm ) months before so I was looking forward to meeting him. I was also looking forward to meeting the other carers in person. 

Like many similar not for profit organisations, we know each other only by phone calls; usually to swap dogs or supplies around. We meet for fleeting moments at dog drop off/pick up times. Meeting for a day to share experiences and getting to know each other was a huge bonus. Many foster carers brought along their partners too who again are often an overlooked part of the lab rescue story. 

Grant provided us with the specific information based in years of personal experience but also international research around dog behaviour. Much of it we knew or guessed at based on our own experiences but it was great to hear it presented logically and in a way that connected all the pieces together rather than having to sort through the jigsaw of our own observations. 

Also present at the day were Katherine’s own dogs, the last of the pig farm survivor girls (still not ready for adoption), Anna (not ready for general adoption after 14 weeks so now adopted by us) and a couple of other difficult dogs who are in long term care with us due to ongoing work on a number of issues the dogs have been left with due to previous poor experiences.

It is very safe to say that not only did this day make a significant contribution to the capacity of the foster carers, this one day also allowed several of our “difficult” dogs to make significant progress. Let me use Anna to illustrate. Anna is (now) a gorgeous gleaming healthy looking 6 year old chocolate lab. She didn’t always look like that. When she came into care she was significantly overweight, her coat was dry, brittle and a nasty tawny light brown colour instead of a dark gleaming chocolate. This was due to the high level of stress she had been living under.

Anna has been used to breed many litters of puppies from, earning a high income return for at least 5 different owners before being sold to the people who eventually surrendered her to us. Her highly fearful behaviour of any strangers and especially men, tells its own story. Although a gentle loving dog who has fitted in beautifully to our family, it has been very difficult to get Anna to interact calmly with people. She usually panic barks and/or growls and tries her best to hide. She sits shaking, peering sideways at the “scary people” who have “invaded” her home hoping they will soon go away and she will be safe. As you can see, not the easiest dog to present to would be adopters!

At the seminar however, Anna, always beside me on lead found herself sitting next to a whole range of people who knew how to deal with a scared dog and after the first few hours, she trotted along next to me without caring WHO was on her other side. She allowed women and MEN!!! To give her treats, without crawling on the ground. In the “dog social” paddock at break times, although Anna IS very dog social, her stress level was so high, she hung along the fence line or followed me wherever I went and ignored the wonderful chance to run and play, all the other dogs indulged in.

When I made a point of leaving her to get some lunch, (peering nervously around the corner to see how she’d cope) it was fantastic to see her head over to Monica and seek her out as her safety net. 

What amazing progress for this lovely dog in just one day! Grant made a difference to the knowledge base of the carers. He gave us food for thought around some of his ideas and techniques. Sharing stories and experiences with other carers also gave us an expanded knowledge base. The organised safe proximity of so many people and dogs has made a difference to Anna, Kayla, Tasha etc it has given their owners, carers renewed hope for their eventual total rehabilitation. 

We owe a debt of thanks to Grant and Deb, Katherine, Monica for organising the event. The tips shared in this event will stay with us throughout our many more foster dogs. 

Just A Minute With Gill

How long have you been fostering with Lab Rescue?

I am a total novice having only been with Lab Rescue 4 months. Its a steep learning curve with lots of support so I very quickly felt part of the Lab Rescue community. 

 

Why do you foster with Lab Rescue?

Primarily I love dogs, and I want to help dogs who have had bad beginnings, to have a chance at a better home.  We always had Labs and Lab X's (both pedigree and rescue) growing up. We had 2 female Labs who both passed away last year. I feel its time to give back to the dogs who gave us so much love.  I  know the temperament of Labradors more than any other breeds and so while I have fostered other dogs, its an easier match for me which I think makes it better for the dogs too.  

 

Why do you love labs?

Where do you start? From their clumsy oversized paws to their soft cute ears - they are very physically attractive. But as we all know their temperaments are so amazing, fun, naughty and uncompromising love all in one bundle..... 

 

How do you bear to say goodbye to all your fosters?

Well this has been my big issue and my steepest learning curve!

I really bond with my fosters because I do care about them. I will have any foster back which does not fit happily into a home with no hesitation.  My home feels so empty again without them and I also notice how my dog Moose also misses them so much too.

 

Who's been your most memorable dog?

What a question ...after 4 months and 5 dogs...its got to be Bear....just a huge heart and desperate for love...which he has found now...lucky boy...but they are all memorable for their own unique personalities.

Since fostering, what have you learnt about Labradors?

An ability to adapt and to learn...I always thought Labs were a bit well hhmmm dumb (!) I have so completely changed my view ...they are not always motivated by the same thing, but find that motivator and you find the dog! The other things is that I was a bit unsure of male dogs, particularly male intact dogs ( I was a bit intimidated). Thanks to Bear I now feel very confident and comfortable with managing either sex.

 

Why are you looking forward to the training day?

Thanks to the support of Lab rescue and my family I feel so privileged to be able to look after foster dogs, but my role is to help them successfully find new homes which has to be based in part in my ability to help them overcome behavioural issues which may impact a re homing. So I want to be the best I can be to help them to be the best they can be for their new owners and their new better lives.

Hi Everyone! Sorry I haven't been posting for a while, it's been crazy here at Lab Rescue! Stay tuned for some great new stories on the blog over the next couple of days, but for now I wanted to share with you something special. ;)

You may have seen Alex advertised on our website in the available dogs section. He came to us as a very little pup and we thought he may be a lab cross. He's now a little bit more grown up, and doesn't look like a lab at all. We're completely biased and love out labs, but even we have to admit Alex is a charmer. He looks like a kelpie cross and shares lots of labbie traits. I could go on, but John - Alex's current foster carer sent me a rather sweet update. 

Foster Carer Training Day

We are running a foster carer training day for our carers. Our foster carers do an amazing job, assessing new labs from the pounds and starting basic dog training. They are often the first people to teach a dog how to wait for their food, how to walk on a lead or to not toilet inside. As most of us know, labs are so enthusiastic to learn but sometimes struggle with focus!

Like all rescue groups, we get some labs who need significantly more work before rehoming. For example, Frances one of our foster carers is currently looking after Anna. Frances is Anna's fourth home, Anna's previous homes have left her terrified of people, specifically men. Frances is working through some exercises teaching Anna how to trust again. It's a slow and sometimes frustrating process. 

Katherine is currently looking after Kayla who came from a puppy farm. Kayla was kept in a pig crate and knew nothing about humans or living in a home. She's petrified of coming inside the house. Katherine (and Katherine's dogs!) have been working with Kayla to encourage her to come inside the house. It's been a few months now and Kayla's spent a few nights inside the house. Slow progress, but we think it's VERY worthwhile.

This training day will encourage foster carers like Katherine and Frances. It will equip other carers to confidently assess dog behaviour to better match labs to their future homes. 

Sponsor a Carer

We need your help to make this day happen. By sponsoring a foster carer you'll be equipping them to train (and save!) up to 20 dogs a year. We have over 30 carers and they are all invited to the event. We are trying to cover the costs of the trainer (Grant), food, accommodation for interstate carers. 

Over the next couple of weeks I'll be giving you a chance to sponsor a foster carer. I'll introduce you to each of our carers who are coming to the event and you can help make this day possible. 

Sponsor Monica

First up is Monica! We need to raise $100 for Monica to go to the Foster Carer Training Day. Monica likes to tell a story or two about the fosters she's had, welcome Monica!

How long have you been fostering with Lab Rescue?
I joined Lab Rescue as a foster carer in March last year. 

Why do you foster?
I originally wanted to foster because my husband and I wanted to adopt a dog. I was nervous about what sort of dog would suit us. I had always wanted a lab because I had dog sat one when I was a teenager.  But apart from the occasional dog sitting, I didn't know anything about dogs. I was worried that we'd commit to a dog and then realise that we couldn't train it, or couldn't exercise it enough. I found it really hard to fill out the section of the Lab Rescue application that asks what type of dog you want. I didn't know whether we would suit an active dog or a lazy dog!

So Katherine convinced me to try fostering. I think after rehoming two dogs I was hooked. It's such a satisfying feeling to know that these dogs have found perfect homes that match their personality. I foster dogs that are so cheeky and naughty and I get so frustrated! I keep thinking surely no-one will want to keep this dog! But then a family comes along who want a dog they can laugh at. They are such a perfect match. It's like something out a soppy romantic comedy... but for dogs!

Who was your first foster dog?
My first dog's name was Winston. He was a 5-8 year old gold male. He was a big dog, about 40kg. He had the beautiful blocky lab head and big paws. I remember being so worried about leaving him at home while I was at work. My first day at work I rushed back home and was really worried when I couldn't see him waiting for me at the front gate. I thought he had escaped! 

I'd run around the backyard calling his name. Finally I found him in a the shade of the house curled into a ball sleeping. He was the most laid back, relaxed lab I'd ever met. He had a perfect heel and fantastic food manners. Winston was a great first dog to foster. He ended up going to a home with a young couple. 

How do you say goodbye to your foster dogs?
I actually find it quite easy to say goodbye. When Winston went to his home I had tissues in my pocket thinking I'd be really upset. But Winston wasn't concerned in the slightest, he just jumped straight into the car without a second thought. I think it also helps that I know that Winston wasn't suited to our home, but he was perfect match for his new family. That's similar to most of my fosters. I often take in the young, crazy puppies who would drive me insane if I permanently adopted them. Fostering allows me to enjoy the dogs for awhile before introducing them to their amazing new lives. 

Plus I get a lot of encouragement finding out how the dogs are going in their new homes. It's ironically satisfying and addictive. Satisfying to know that that particular dog has found a home, but addictive to save another dog!

Who has been your most memorable foster dog?
Bella. Easily Bella. Bella was a stunning lab. She was small, only about 28 kg with really white fur. It was a really light cream colour with dark tips on her ears and tail. Bella would crawl under our bed at night and sleep there. It was so strange because she had her own bed setup next to ours. For some reason it just wasn't good enough. Bella, like most labs would thrive on attention. If I was sleeping she would jump up onto the bed and if you ignored her she would slowly wiggle her way up to you. You'd open your eyes to find her about three centimetres away from your nose. Her tail would then start to thump rumbling the whole bed!

Unfortunately she didn't make it. Bella was unpredictably dog aggressive. I had to muzzle her every time we went outside because she would just go ballistic at seeing another dog. She ended up biting another lab's nose. It was unprovoked and we had no idea why it happened. The dogs had met previously with no issues, and the event occurred through a gap in the fence. This was after weeks of desensitisation exercises. Katherine and I had to put her to sleep. Afterwards we heard that Goldie Rescue had a similar dog who would have unpredictable aggressive streaks. The vet who put the goldie to sleep was so surprised that it was aggressive that he did a post mortem on the goldie. There was a brain tumor which was just behind the eyes, obviously causing the dog wild mood swings. It would have been fatal in the dog. 

I have no idea whether this was Bella's problem or if she had some sort of trauma in her past. I am confident that Lab Rescue did the right thing however. Wherever Bella is now she's no longer muzzled, no longer distressed by other dogs and is at peace. 

What has been your most satisfying dog to rehome?
I think the day after saying goodbye to Bella I was at Katherine's house. She turned to me and begged me to take another dog. She had no-where else to put it and hated to give it to me so soon after Bella, but had no choice. Surprising myself, I agreed.  I was actually going to take two dogs, one, Champ, was going to a new home that day, the other was Alex my new foster. Champ's meet and greet was happening at my house in a few hours.

Champ's new owner was almost 70 and recently lost two of his labs to cancer. He lived on 40 acres and was terribly lonely without a canine companion. Dogs were everything to this guy. He would move his bed closer to the fire in winter just so his dogs could sleep on the bed and keep warm. When he came over and saw Champ and Alex he fell in love. He had tears in his eyes and begged to take both dogs despite the fact he didn't have enough room in his car! I suspect he cuddled the dogs on his lap the whole way home. 

As he left, crying again, he gave me the biggest bear hug saying thank you. 

Do you want to support and encourage Monica by donating to Lab Rescue? Direct Deposit your donation into the account below. Please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for a receipt. If you also pledge your support in a comment below you go in a draw to win a Lab Rescue Mug!

Labrador Rescue Inc
Defence Credit Union
BSB: 803-205 
Account: 2077 9092

Everybody meet Louise! She's recently fostered Evie and Oscar. She came onboard just in time for Christmas and has been helping us out a fair bit by fostering, offering vet advice and help with the Sydney Pet Expo.

Louise describes her experience fostering in an email to me this week, thanks Louse!

I suppose it's about time I wrote something about myself! My name is Louise (or Lou as most people call me) and I am one of the newest foster carers. I am a vet (it goes without saying that I love all animals!) and I live on acreage near Richmond in NSW, with plenty or room for dogs! Labs have been my favourite dog breed for over 13 years, ever since we got our beautiful lab Taiha. We had 3 labs for 10 years, but sadly in July last year, we lost our beautiful Max, just 6 weeks after we had to put our old crossbreed dog to sleep. So it was a quiet household for about 6 months with just 2 labradors that soon became even more spoilt, as I was so upset about losing the other 2 dogs. Chanel and Taiha now think they can make themselves comfy on my bed whenever they feel like it!

I have always been a huge animal lover and have for many years been involved with foster caring cats and kittens from the Animal Welfare League, as I have always wanted to make a difference for animals in need. I had never foster cared any dogs until joining lab rescue though, probably because we always thought that 4 dogs was enough. But when we were down to only 2 dogs, I decided that I wanted to use that extra room to help dogs that needed some love. So I contacted Lab Rescue and I'm so glad I did! Our first foster dog I fell in love with very quickly. Oscar- the blind chocolate lab- is such a darling that we have decided to keep him because I couldn't bare to send him to a new place to adjust again to new surroundings. Unfortunately I was told by the eye specialist last week that Oscar's cataracts are almost certainly not removable. I was a bit sad that my wish to have his eyesight restored could never happen. But being blind doesn't stop Oscar for one second and he loves going for runs with me and going swimming.

My 2 old labradors are so easy going and loving that being a foster carer has been no problem so far. Except for dogs that don't like cats- they are the only problem (we have 10!). After only a few months with lab rescue I have already experienced so much happiness and joy seeing the foster dogs and how happy they can become when they are shown the love that they deserve. I parted with Evie today, the first labrador I have had to let go to a new home. It was really hard saying good bye to such a beautiful girl, but she provided us with so much joy and entertainment while she was with us it is satisfying knowing that she is now going to a loving new home. When I dropped her at the airport I shed a few tears and the lady who worked at the transport company told me that I am doing such a good job finding dogs new homes. And it's so true. My younger sister was so upset to see Evie leave that she said she doesn't want any more foster dogs because it's too hard to part with them. I agree that it's hard to say good bye, but in the end we have to put our own emotions aside and keep doing what we are doing because the dogs need us to. It's far too easy to turn a blind eye to sad  things like dogs that are dumped and are without homes, but it takes a strong person to see what needs to be done and do it, even if it means you become attached to the lovable creatures and shed a tear or 2 along the way. I know that I will always want to keep the dogs that I foster care because most labradors are just so lovable, but I'm going to try to continue being strong like I was today even if it's upsetting, because I will continue to remember that all the foster carers are doing such a wonderful thing and we should be proud!

It has always been my dream to one day have my own animal shelter, and perhaps now that I'm a vet I will have a combined animal shelter and vet clinic. But until I have the funds and the space to do that I will be satisfied by helping any animals I can that I come across at work, and by helping Labrador Rescue, which is such a worthy cause. Hats off to Katherine and to everyone else who is involved in some way with Labrador Rescue. The world needs more loving people like us!   :P

I think Louise has captured foster carer's feelings extremely well. We are all sad saying goodbye, but there's ALWAYS another one needing care. And we use the happy endings stories and photos as comfort, knowing that these dogs have just been given an amazing second chance of life.

Keep it up Louise, I'm sending another dog your way soon!

Come meet our cuddly dogs and their foster carers this weekend at Canberra's RSPCA Adoption Drive!

Chloe came to us from an overwhelmed family in Sydney. They had a young child and couldn't handle Chloe's energetic personality. Poor Chloe went from being a prized puppy to living life tied up in a backyard, all in 9 short months. Gill has recently taken her in and her dog Moose is teaching her about how amazing life is at Gill's house. Gill's been doing some calming exercises with Chloe, teaching her when to settle down. They've also been working on toilet training.

We think Gill's a SUPER foster carer, balancing (the relatively new the family) Moose, a birthday boy and his friends AND a joyful energetic new puppy!

Gill sent us an update today with some hilarious photos attached. 

Dear All

I am on the sofa with my cup of coffee and Chloe at my feet, but still keeping an eye on Moose the destroyer chewing another toy outside. (Sorry Belinda your lovely two toys hit the dust this morning and one of ours...) Yes what a blissful normal picture this represents, we are getting there and its only day 2. The sun is shining and its a beautiful morning for the dogs, and I thought I would share part of the fun we have had getting here.

Last night was an experience. Having had a cat nap Chloe was full of bounce again. However she really loves the big cushion. So we popped her on a lead and made her sit on the cushion while we ignored her and Moose and watched a film. She was soon fast asleep again and did not budge until we got up to go to bed.  Thats when the fun really started. Normally Moose tumbles into bed in the laundry eager for his bedtime treat and never stirs again until the morning.  Hhmmm well we tried that once, then twice, then lost count...an hour later after the dogs were howling into the night, I thought we had lost Chloe at one point as she semed totally AWOL, we heard a massive thump and it was not the dog door...the dogs were partying good and proper. Having tried to be calm and ignore them I lost my rag and shouted at both of them. They sat in their beds shamefaced, panting and happy while I stomped off in my nightie. Not before I barricaded up the front gates with anything to hand to make sure Chloe was not going to escape. By this stage William had stolen my side of the bed and so I was left with the spare single mattress on the floor (Another story behind that.). I lay there for probably about half and hour and to my disbelief there was silence...eventually I fell asleep but even when waking at 6 there was still no sound! I had half expected one dog to be missing, but no two waggy tails greeted us for their morning walk...though we think Moose looked a bit worse for wear!

So this morning the two dogs have played tug of war - with Moose sitting down to try and win, but not always. She has been alot more confident and assertive with him, hackles up at times and he has responded with growls. I am sure they will sort it out but one thing is for sure she has more energy and go than him! Trying to go through the doggy door two at a time is the funniest thing I have seen for a long time.

Toilet training is not going so great. As she has been drinking alot she has been peeing alot too. I have closed off all my carpeted area and while she knows the place in the garedn to go, (she even looks at me for praise as she pees there,) its still alot less effort to go wherever she happens to be standing. I am up for any tips but I have now set my phone to beep every 30 mins so I take her out regularly.

Well its now afternoon and beautifully quiet again. However this email has taken me the best part of the day to get off. Had one interruption after another. My son's 11th birthday today and boys just don't get not playing with dogs. Both dogs are now exhausted and asleep at my feet. I have  been taking lots of opportunities to give her special tummy scratchies when she is calm and sitting or lying down as I hope this encourages her to like quiet time too. At this moment she has her nose an inch from my foot, I can feel her breath on it but I hope the smell does not make her feel sick !

Anyway got to get on with the birthday cake etc, nana and great nana are on their way!

Best wishes

Gill

Gill we all think you are fantastic. If Chloe could talk, she would say how fun life is with your family and explain how thankful she is that you and William are taking care of her while she looks for her forever family. 

Finally I've attached some pics that Gill managed to snap of Moose and Chloe playing. She's a bright little cookie, and I dare say she's keeping Moose on his toes!

Chloe (at the front) resting. You can see Moose at the back going to pick up a toy. 

"Ooooh! Playtime!" Says Chloe.

And it's ON!

I think Moose feels like he has a bit to prove here, it was HIS toy!

Moose tries a new strategy. He sits down. Apparently it's worked in the past. 

But Chloe's worked out that she can stand ontop of him, and twist it just the right way...

Poor Moose, maybe next time buddy!

We're so lucky at Lab Rescue to have such talented people using their gifts to support us. Late last year a lady contacted us about a painting she had created. 

Hi

About a week ago we got an email from someone asking how expensive it was to have a lab. I though this would be a great opportunity to write a blog post on the expected costs of labradors. 

I've only owned a lab for 9 months, before then I'd never owned a dog. My hubby and I are still learning what to put aside for the dogs so there was no way I could write an article based on my own experience. So instead, I asked a few foster carers with dogs of their own to tell their stories. 

Some foster carers don't own their own labs, some own golden retrievers, some curlies some wolfhound crosses. But they are all relatively big dogs with similar common health issues.

So firstly I'll introduce everyone. 

Kim - Kim is a holiday foster carer, helping out when we're really busy in the holidays. Kim's recently adopted Bronson to befriend her lab Ella. 

Linda - Most of you will already know Linda, she's the one who matches dogs with people. Linda owns a Brittany, a Curly Coated Retriever and a tabby cat, all who have seen many fosters over the years. Linda's passionate about responsible dog ownership and loves reading and sharing her dog training tips.

Kylie - If you have ever adopted a dog off us, you would have recieved a congratulations email. Kylie finalises all our adoptions and sorts out our paperwork. She's adotped two labs off us, Bella and Zippah who joined Sammy J and Emma, Kylie's other labs. She also owns two rabbits and a cat. I think it's fair to say Kylie knows a thing or two about the costs and benefits of keeping animals!

Frances - Frances is one of our more experienced foster carers. She's had many through her doors and has lots of stories to tell. She and her family all love dogs, you just have to hear her strategy of walking three dogs at one time! Frances has a cocker spaniel who teaches fosters manners, and sadly has recently said goodbye to her beloved goldie. Frances also has a cat.

Karen - Karen's a foster carer we pinched from Golden Retriever Rescue! She has a 9 year old goldie and a gorgeous king charles spaniel. Like Frances, Karen has been with lab rescue for a while, fostering many dogs. She's always a sucker for a good dog story and loves to hear how her fosters are going in their new homes.

Carole - Carole is our WA rep who adopted Roxxi and flew her all the way from Canberra to Perth. After spending all that money transporting Roxxi, Carole quickly found out she had an ectopic urethrea. Despite all that, Carole's family love Roxxi to bits and think every cent is worth it. Carole helps out by responding to emails in our email box. She's often everyone's first contact with Lab Rescue. 

Shalini - Shalini is a foster carer and event organiser for Lab Rescue. She's got two boofy lab boys Lynx and Viper and if she had her way, she'd have a lot more! Since Shalini's joined Lab Rescue late last year she's organised a stand at the pet expo, rehomed half a dozen labs, made countless trips around Sydney and Canberra and various phone calls. Shalini's passionate about rescuing labradors and has a real soft heart for them.  

Food

How much do you spend on food every week? How many dogs does that cover? What is it that you buy them?

Kim: We buy the biggest bags of dog food, which last about a month or so - $100 a bag? I must admit I don't keep close track of how long it lasts although with our new lovely Bronson we are certainly going through the food. Extras would be $10-15 per wk on top of the dry food, max.  

Linda: Our Pet Barn bill came just under $900 (generally food, toys & grooming needs for 3 dogs & cat) which adds up to about $12/week/dog. Food varies from low end Bonnie or Supercoat to high end Eukanuba or Nutro

Kylie: We have Royal Canine (Obesity) for our oldies $140 for a 20kilo bag, with joint formula but Supercoat $20 10 kilo (I think) for the Jnrs. With bones and chicken wings, carcasses I would say similar to Linda around $12-14 a week per dog.

Frances: I use Bonnie Lite as i have oldies and buy a 20 kilo bag at about $42 I think which last 3 dogs (and sometimes a sneaky cat) about 3 weeks. I add a large bone, treats etc and would agree it would average out at about $8 to $10 a week.

I add Omega fish oil capsules (3 X2000) per day  and 1X glucosamine tablet per day for any dog over 7 years of age or in poor condition plus a splash of sunflower oil per day for all ages. I buy the tablets in woolworths in jars of 200 each. Approx $40 ish dollars a jar.

Karen: Per year I'd spend about $500 on Science Diet for Heidi my 9 year old goldie. Treats will probably add up to $500 per year too. I give her bones when I go to work each day. 

Carole: We buy big bag of weight control eukanuba. I'm not sure how long last for but costs around 120. I guess I'll probably go through at least four a year.

Shalini: I spend about $25 a week on my two boys. That covers canned dog food and dry pedigree biscuits.

Toys!

Do you buy toys for your dogs? How much do you spend, say per year? What is it they like to play with?

Kim: Yes we do! Especially when they are pups, or if their favourite 'breaks' (i.e chewed to bits). We spend maybe, $20 per year? I suppose most years they get nothing new, really, they have heaps of toys. They love to play with tennis balls! Kmart sells packs of 6 cheap, and we got some bigger, squeaky ones from PetStock. Also fans of the tug of war rope, and soft toys to carry around.

Linda: My dogs like to play with rope toys, kongs, larger sized balls, squeakies. Our toys are included in the Pet Barn bill, under $900 a year. 

Kylie: Toys.. tennis balls, anything that squeeks. I usually buy them from the cheap shops and they last as long as the expensive ones. Kongs have survived but they are not interested in them unless they have food in them! Clam kids pools are an annual buy $15 from big W.. they all love splashing around in them anytime of the day.

Frances: I bought a shell for paddling from Bunnings for $18 dollars recently. Noticed last week they had them on sale for $12! 

Karen: Heidi likes playing with the tug of war toys like the Kong Wubba. We probably spend about $50 a year on toys. 

Carole: Roxxi loves the squeaky chickens, we probably spend about $40 a year. 

Shalini: My boys love anything with stuffing in it! So we go through about $100 a year on stuffed toys. 

Medical Expenses

Do you have medical insurance for your dogs? What's the largest vet bill you've had for your dog/s? How much do you spend per year as a minimum at the vets?

Kim: No insurance. 

When we lost our lab Satchmo to hemangio sarcoma (sp?) new years day a year ago, we dropped $1400 at the emergency vet just in one night on all the tests trying to figure out what was wrong with him. Then there were extra costs for the final, horrible chest xray, the cost of putting him to sleep, and disposal. I don't know how much that was, we just handed over the credit card distraught in tears.

Being big dogs, the cost of vaccinations and such (based on weight) is not cheap. We would budget around $500-600 for the yearly checkups and jabs? I think? I know it's a lot but again it's not something I fret over. We're not made of money by any means but the yearly checkup and jabs is just a must do. If we're going to the coast, I think it's about $70 for a few doses of Frontline for the ticks. That stuff IS expensive.

Linda: Last year we spend $325 at the vet, that covers two dogs and a cat. 

I think you would need to spend at least $300 a year to keep a dog C5 vaccinated, free of heartworm and intestinal worms and fleas/ticks.

I don’t have pet insurance for current dogs but will for next dog from 8 weeks!

Gus had a $240 vet bill this month (for teeth/ear clean/nail clip), has had a $1000 emergency vet bill and a $1200 vet bill for mast cell tumour removal in the last 2 years.

Kylie: Vet bills for 3 dogs had been around $1500 for the year. Then again our oldies have daily anti inflammatory at a fair cost but it makes a huge difference to their mobility and happiness. (our rabbit has just hit $1800 in 6 weeks after 2 surgeries!) The largest bill we got from the Vet was for our 14 year old lab who had spleen cancer 4 years ago. All up the operation and the 6 months on chemo was roughly $10k. BUT she is still with us and has been a great help for cancer research in Labs. The bill was payable as we went so after the initial operation it was payments here and there over the 6 months.

Frances:  Our dogs get annual check up, C5 and annual heart worm injection. Then add monthly Frontline for flea protection. Logan's cancer investigation and then euthanizing cost close to $1800

Karen: I think something that people who are getting dog of any age need to realise that a large vet bill could come at anytime. eg. when my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was 3yo, she had OCD in her shoulder (extremely unusual for her breed) - the operation and associated treatment cost atleast $2000.  Without the operation, she would have been in a lot of pain.  As Linda said, pet insurance is a good idea and I will definitely get it in the future...

My breakdown is:

Annual Vaccination & Heartworm - $200

2011 Vet Bill (covers a lump removal, skin irritation, yucky eye) - $1,000

Allwormer - $50

Advantix/Frontline - $40

Carole: No pet insurance, sigh! 

So far since adopting roxxi 2 years ago we have spent $ 6500 on knee reconstruction and associated xrays and costs. We have also spent approx $5500 on trying to determine why she leaks all the time which we discovered she had when she arrived – there is still no answer so we will probably be up for at least another $2000-4000 to discover what it is and fix it if possible.

These amounts are in addition to the usual vaaccinations, worming etc – she also is on catrophen injections and is also on sashas blend. 

This is on top of the $400 adoption and the $550 air transport cost to get her to Perth.

Shalini: I have pet insurance, it costs me about $15 a week. The largest bill I've ever paid was about $1,000. The minimum I'd pay in a year is about $200.

Other Expenses 

Have you had to modify your backyard for your dogs? (Fosters don't count!) Have your dogs ever destroyed something you had to fix/replace? How much do you spend per year on holiday arrangements for your dogs?

Kim: Our dogs haven't really done much damage. We've done a bit of fence patching in the past. We've picked past rentals and our current (own) home based in part on their dog friendliness! 

If we can't take the dogs with us, we use pups4Fun pet sitting. They come and walk, feed, water, check mail, take up bins, water plants, etc etc - that is $40 per 30 mins visit for two dogs ($65 for 60 mins), though we usually need to pay a holiday surcharge on top. We generally don't leave them for more than 3 days in these cases, any more and I ask my brother to actually house/dog sit for us (well, I always ask him to do it in the first instance, so I can save money!). So, pet sitting might be $150 a year, give or take, if we really need it.

Gus pushed through three palings of wooden fence, easy to fix. My dogs are quite easy on the garden but they’re not Labs! Kaeli likes to dig but that has very little impact and doesn’t bother us. Already had sandpit for the kids, Kaeli encouraged to dig there but prefers bug hunting in the grass! We did build a large new deck with weatherproof roof with the dogs needs in mind, as well as ours.

Kaeli chewed the pedal off my sewing machine but that was easily replaced!

Kylie: We take our animals with us to visit family but also have family animal sit if we need to go on an extended trip. We have hired animal friendly houses by the water a few times on average $200 - $250 a night depending on where it is and we have shared with other people to keep costs down. There are loads on http://www.stayz.com.au/pet-friendly-accommodation

They have destroyed beds and washing, shrubs but nothing like a lounge or big ticket items.  Leads and collars last many years even with washing them (as long as they can’t chew them off). Initially maybe $30 per dog and then a tag for $20. We have had the same leads for years and they still look like new. We do put them away each time so no teeth can chew so am sure than makes a difference. Guess we have been lucky too!

Anything else? 

Kim: There are usually unexpected vet visits. Ear infections, weird lumps, etc we get checked out.

Set up costs if you haven't owned a dog before or getting a second one - collar, lead, ID tag, dog poo bags, dog bed, registration. You can save money though, e.g. We use ice cream containers instead of dog bowls! If you buy a pup I suppose there is desexing, microchipping...

There is no getting around the fact that owning labs is not cheap. You HAVE to expect some major vet bills in your future: dog gets hit by car, dog needs a knee replacement, dog gets cancer, dog gets chronic illness...all awful things but if the vet assesses there's a good chance for recovery / a good quality of life, you have to be willing to spend the money, or honestly don't get a dog in the first place. I'm pretty harsh about that I think. A work colleague just spent around $5000 on her lab getting his leg amputated because of cancer, plus the treatment, and now he needs some tooth extractions for an abcess - as she said, 'he gives us more than $5000 worth of love a year, and as long as he has a good quality of life the money doesn't matter'

Linda: Bedding can be something that needs regular replacement!

Membership of an obedience club can be excellent both for learning training techniques and having access to off leash exercise areas. Often just over $100 per year.

I find dogs very high maintenance money and time wise, much more so than cats, but worth it.

Kylie: We bought expensive beds, around $130 after trying MANY – Kazoo brand. They are soft and the outside is washable which is fantastic! All the puppies love them and choose them over others we have. The extra large can fit 2 no worries.

Towels for washing on days like today. Prob $30 per dog per year. We wash them constantly with swimming and walking. The cheap ones really don’t last unfortunately.

Christmas pressies $10 per bag/bones just for fun. Dare I say reindeer antlers at $3 each! hehehe

Frances: Collars generally last about half a lifetime and leads last a lifetime or more. I keep the knots out of the leads and make sure they are dry before putting them away.

At least 2 tags per dog in a lifetime as the metal wears through approx$10 each engraved.

Add in a car harness per dog for safety in traveling. Probably about $45 each but it's been a while since I bought them. They last a lifetime too.

Bedding for us is the trampolines since Logan ate everything else. Large Goldie size or Goldie plus springer plus cat if a cold night was over $120. Medium for springer plus cat and lab if cold night about $80??? Add in comfort mat which clips to trampoline for older dogs, medium mat was about $60 plus. Cheaper mats which just sit on the top of the trampoline rather than attach can be got from $2 shops. Not much padding however.

Add feed bowls and LARGE stable water containers even a lab trying to swim in can't knock over $20 for both tops.

LOL crikey it does add up!

Karen: The only other thing I would add is bedding, we've spend around $100 on that. 

Carole: I can't think of anything else to add. 

Shalini: Maybe a couple of other token items:

Dog bed- $25 each

Collar- $15

Kennel- pointless but why not $200.00

Dog door in glass panel- $900.00

Conclusion

Phew what blog post! It all looks a little daunting when you add it all up doesn't it? Remember this is just a couple of experiences, yours will be different depending on your lifestyle and the health of your dog. 

One question I didn't ask the foster carers, was the question of worth. Are dogs worth all of this? 

Undoubtedly we think so. We keep loving them despite the hole in our wallets. There's no 'discount dogs' at Lab Rescue. Even if you did manage to get a dog for free, the costs of upkeep with a lab can be quite severe. It's just another thing that needs considering. 

I hope this helps everyone in preparation for their new dogs! Big thanks to all the foster carers who shared their experiences. If you would like to ask a question about anything mentioned above, feel free to leave a comment. 

About a year ago Frances, one of our foster carers, picked up Sasha from Yass. Only a day after picking up Sash, Frances was called up to help as part of the SES for the Queensland Floods. 

Frances' neice Annie was at home and helped look after Sasha. Apparently she texted Frances saying -

There's a Hippo in the House!

Sasha was 42 kilos and drastically overweight! Frances and Annie had to work hard to get the weight off. Frances is the Michelle Briggs of the canine world! 

Sasha was adopted early last year by a couple who later adopted Coco. They live in South Australia and rumour has it, the girls have been water skiing! We knew she loved the water, but didn't realise how much!

Here's an update from Sash and Coco's owners. 

Hi everyone at Lab Rescue, and Happy 2012!!

So sorry for our late update to you all, but I've attached a photo depicting the love affair we are having with the very special Coco and gorgeous Sasha we recently adopted!

There are no words to describe how much we love them, or how much the girls have enriched our lives.

Sasha's lost 11kgs since we brought her home in August - and now looks (and runs) like a 3 year old! Coco's skin and hair condition have both improved out of sight - she's now a shiny, delicious chocolate girl!!

The girls love to swim in the river, adore their walks, love chasing their ball, and let's not forget their food! But mostly, they love us, and would trade it all off for their 'Dad' in the picture. Even the cats have grown to love (ok, tolerate) them!!

Thanks to Linda for matching us all up so well, and to Katherine for arranging their interstate trips to get to us! 

Lab Rescue is an amazing organisation, that we highly recommend and adopting Sasha and Coco is without doubt, one of Jonathon's and my best decisions ever!!  

As a foster carer, I often take for granted how amazing my dog is. She puts up with a parade of dogs who stay with us. She either makes friends with them, or finds places to hide away from them! And finally, she has to say goodbye to them. 

She really does miss them after they leave. She will stand at the door or the gate and look out onto the street. No amount of comfort reassures her and I can't explain to her that they are only ever here for a little while. Dorrie (my dog) has put up with rude puppies, dog aggressive fosters, resource guarders and attention seekers. Dorrie's very tolerant of the dogs. She doesn't necessarily tell them off (unless they are REALLY getting to her) she'll just look at me going, "can you please stop them from doing that?". Thankfully she's never picked up kennel cough, but she has started digging which I swear she learnt from someone else. 

Part of me feels guilty that I've taken the best dog that Labrador Rescue has ever saved and kept her for myself! (although I may be a little biased!) But I like to think that she's the perfect foster sister, to anyone who needs a temporary home. 

Our dogs play a large part in taking in fosters. They are the ones who first meet the dogs, and they help us asses how the new foster is going to react around other dogs. They are all patient and fantastic dogs because of the work they do. So I thought I'd do a tribute post on our blog, to all the dogs owned by foster carers!

Katherine and I took just our dogs out for a walk around Mt Stromlo and a swim and Uriarra Crossing today. Luckily my dad was there taking pictures. I think they enjoyed their 'me' time, don't you?