I will always have a lab and a golden in my life.
This is (hopefully) a-ways off in the future yet, but I always find myself thinking ahead!
Guinness (my lab) is 12 years old-and grumpy, so no new dogs while he is still with me-he's surprisingly good with puppies, but monster puppy is enough puppy for 1 household! He's healthy and spunky right now (knock on wood!), so I don't see needing to make this decision anytime in the near future.

I always thought my next dog would be an older (4-6yr) black lab. I know that older black dogs are the last to be adopted, and I love labs!
I belong to a facebook group for one of our local lab rescues. Lately they are really putting out a lot of calls for foster homes to help out. So, now I'm thinking that maybe instead of adopting I could become a foster home.
My issue with that is obviously that my own pets safety is paramount! Obviously any foster dog would need to be good with dogs but also with cats. This rescue does mostly shelter pulls, so I'm not sure that they have any information about the majority of their dogs before bringing them into rescue.
Like I said, this is a while off in the future, but would love to hear people's experiences and how they work with the rescue groups about choosing a rescue that fits your house.
Or would adopting an older black dog that would otherwise maybe never get a forever home be the way to go?

__________________
Bear 6/2000-5/27/2012

We are kind of in that situation ourselves. We have a 15 year old Golden mix and a 1 year old GR. Jesse, our old girl just wants to be left alone, although she is in reasonably good health and is fine with Tayla, our year old, if she is just calm. That just dosen't happy often. Tayla loves Jesse and wants to play with her. She gives her toys and is constantly in her face which causes Jesse to actually hiss at her. Tayla seems to take this as an invitation to ramp up her efforts to play. We were thinking of getting another dog after the first of the year, maybe April or May that would be about 3 or 4 - still energetic, but able to relax and turn it off sometimes. Our choices were to foster or adopt. It's a tough decision. I know with adoption we can be picky about personality, etc. Fostering not so much.

__________________
Barb, Rick and Tayla (STAR Puppy)



Cheyenne (CGC) and Jesse (CGC) who will be always loved and never forgotten.

Bless your huge heart! I fostered for a rescue for four years, puppies and adult dogs, and loved it. It wasn't always 'easy' but it was so rewarding! If by chance I got a foster that just was not working out, had needs that I couldn't meet, then the rescue would move the dog to a new foster home. The 'advantage' to fostering, if you are hoping at some point to add another permanent family member, is that you get to know the dog, before you make the commitment for life and if it is not the right one for you, you get to help someone else's family adopt the dog that is right for them.
I ultimately adopted two unadoptable, 'special needs' adult shelter dogs, one is a black lab mix, and yes, older dogs and black dogs (adult or puppy) are at the highest 'risk' of not being adopted, the other is a golden mix and I could not be happier with them - they are amazing. Not all shelter dogs or rescues come with 'baggage' or health issues, the vast majority need love, training, and a permanent place in someone's heart and home. But they are capable of becoming loving loyal and devoted friends and companions - they truly 'know' and are thankful for the chance at a second chance.

__________________



Until there are none, rescue one.

I never knew that about black dogs until we fostered and ultimately adopted Cheyenne. She was all black and incredibly beautiful. It's sad.

__________________
Barb, Rick and Tayla (STAR Puppy)



Cheyenne (CGC) and Jesse (CGC) who will be always loved and never forgotten.