Best Practices While Fostering - Leaving New & Old Dog Alone?

[Bizeebee]

We just picked up a returned 3yo girl to foster and I was wondering if people had some 'best practice' tips for having a foster/new hound with your perma-hound (ours is a 4yo boy). We've fostered before but it was before we had our guy.

 

Neither can be crated - she pees blood it's so stressful and we just never did with him - and our house is too open concept for separation with gates. Since this is day 1 we have them both muzzled but hanging out together with limited freedom in the house and I can keep an eye/ear on them with a nanny cam while I'm at work.

 

Does that seem like a good idea? They clearly don't love the muzzles but both laid down to snooze about 3min after I left so it's not that bad. It's also a fringe benefit to know she can't get into/chew much of anything with the muzzle on.

 

Or is the muzzling overkill? They've done fine together so far when we were there, except for one snarky moment which I think was more communication than anything. But I'd hate to take any chances with either of them; ours is the poster child for the thin skinned greyhound.

 

Is there a point where they can graduate to no muzzles while we're gone? Or is it just best practice to do it for the 10ish days she'll be with us?

 

Any tips/tricks are welcomed. Any female tips as well - we're used to boys!

[palmettobug]

I just got a new boy 2 weeks ago, I'm still muzzling them during the day when I'm at work. They have only had a few snarks that I have witnessed, it was "I'm laying on this bed, get lost!", but I don't have a camera set up to see what they are doing during the day. They do share food and treats and walk together nicely, but I'm not taking any chances. The new guy, Gino, tolerates my cats to a degree, but he has had a few snarks and lunges at the cats when they intrude in his personal space, so that's another check in the muzzle column.

[Bizeebee]

I just got a new boy 2 weeks ago, I'm still muzzling them during the day when I'm at work. They have only had a few snarks that I have witnessed, it was "I'm laying on this bed, get lost!", but I don't have a camera set up to see what they are doing during the day. They do share food and treats and walk together nicely, but I'm not taking any chances. The new guy, Gino, tolerates my cats to a degree, but he has had a few snarks and lunges at the cats when they intrude in his personal space, so that's another check in the muzzle column.

If you're interested in a relatively easy/cheap camera setup, we use an old smartphone and the free app Manything. Basically the old phone is the camera and you can monitor them (and even talk to them) live with your current phone or a computer.

[Remolacha]

I would keep the muzzles on when you are gone for a while longer. If it is obvious they are getting along, you can stop, but at first it is just a good idea, as you say, it also keeps her out of things, as well. Sorry to be so vague on the timeline, but it really does vary, each situation is different

[dante2zoe]

I have always muzzled mine when in the car and when we are not home. Better safe than sorry. Plus, the muzzle tells my guys that they are going to be on their own for a while and they promptly just chill out. A muzzle with a leash means a car ride and they go bonkers.

 

Just my two cents.

 

Congrats on fostering! My *fosters* have yet to leave the house, lol.

[MaryJane]

Ii would keep the muzzles on because 10 days is not long enough to know the dog. The reason that I say this is that the worst that can happen without muzzles is that one of the dogs could get attacked and hurt badly and the worst that can happen with the muzzles is that they are uncomfortable (chance that muzzle could get hung up on something like a martingale collar).

[HeyRunDog]

It depends a lot on the individual dog. The greyhound charity I adopted my hound from keep them in pairs in their kennels without muzzles.

[Greys4Us]

After having almost 700 greyhounds come through our house over a 15 year period, I can only say MUZZLE MUZZLE MUZZLE. And do not worry about for how long. As long as the entire time you have two or more dogs together (if you cannot baby gate and separate at times. Muzzles are used at the tracks for a reason and the idea that the dogs hate it or are not happy with one on is only our feelings transferred on to them. You never know what will trigger a fight or a tussle. We never had any dog have to go to the vet for stitches or had any problems. We never had a foster involved in a fight because our foster homes used muzzles. Once in a home an adopter can decide at what point muzzles are no longer needed. But to get a dog from the track to a home involves good fostering. You are doing a good job to ask the right question.

[BatterseaBrindl]

Yup...muzzles.

[palmettobug]

They act like they hate the muzzles, wiping them on my legs, a stranger's legs, the bed, the couch, the floor, the wall, on and on...but I'd rather them be uncomfortable than injured or worse.

[krissy]

I crate or muzzle all fosters while I am gone for safety. Though frankly, even with my own dogs the only one who ever got to be loose and unmuzzled was Summit. Kili has graduated out of her crate but wears a muzzle, and Kenna we only leave out for short absences (muzzled).

[Bizeebee]

They act like they hate the muzzles, wiping them on my legs, a stranger's legs, the bed, the couch, the floor, the wall, on and on...but I'd rather them be uncomfortable than injured or worse.

Oh ya, as soon as I put them on they're both head butting me like giant kitty-cats to get them off. But we're going on hour three of them dead asleep on the cam.

[cleptogrey]

Crate or muzzle. I tend towards crating since dogs with muzzled seem to scratch walls and I am neurotic about the condition of my walls. 

[sobesmom]

Use your judgement.  Err on the side of safety.  If she's only there for a few days, fine, muzzle.  If she's going to be there longer, I'd phase them out.