Aw, Eileen, I'm sorry about your lab. Was that Snowy? Even when they are elderly and/or ill, it's still hard to let them go.

You're doing a good thing, though, being a foster "mom" for the big dogs though, many people are afraid of them or have no room, so sometimes they just have no where to go.

He does look like a love of a dog. Hug him up for me.

Annie

Yes, Annie. Snowy. It was not a happy time.

This boy has settled down after a few days and acts like he's always been here. He was following me every minute the first two days but has relaxed and wanders around and sleeps a lot. He's not good on a leash though he appears to have had some leash training. I will practice with him in the backyard for a while before we hit the street. I don't want to be dragged down the street. He knows sit and lie down and takes treats gently. He comes to me and plops his enormous head in my lap for love. He's a good boy. Not sure how he ended up in a shelter but I think he was ignored and bored and left outside and escaped. He was brought to the shelter with a long piece of very heavy chain.

He's very easy going now that he's settled in here.

That's one handsome dog!

Titus, his rescue name, is available for adoption in California through Big Dawgs Rescue.

He is very mellow now that he isn't stressed and feeling needy. He wanted LOTS of petting, rubbing and hugs at first.

E

Here is a link that might be useful: Rescue Site

Awwwww. I love his face. I wish we could adopt him, but we're a bit too far away, and we'd need a dog that wouldn't eat cats for breakfast. He may be great with cats; it's something to learn about him, I guess. He looks like a lab, sort of, with a mastiff head. Is that normal for that kind of mastiff?

I'm so sorry about your loss of your loved one. Fostering is so difficult to do. Ask me and my 7 cats how I know? lol.

Sally

I don't know if he's cat friendly, but not many cats are dog friendly so I don't think any are going to stick around to find out.

I used to have a Rat Terrier who was a horrible cat terrorizer. And then she met the cats at the riding facility where Alice took lessons. These were tough cats! They didn't any crap from anyone or anything and just stood their ground and hissed a little. My rotten little cat chaser was very confused. I was very amused.

This guy is a big lover. He is a door dasher and escape artist which seems to be his only bad habit. I'm sure that's how he ended up at the shelter. He was probably tied up and left alone and escaped. That he isn't neutered yet is no help, I'm sure. He will be neutered before he goes to a permanent home. He is a very good indoor dog, though I haven't left him alone in the house and probably will not. I crate him at night and he is very good about that. I had to leave him for a few hours and crated him then and he was fine. I have a fairly large secure dog run that he can stay in if I'm going to be gone for day trip. My yard has a pool and I'd rather not worry about him falling in.

Mostly he sits next to me and nudges me for a rub now and then.

About those 7 cats? Is there a 12 step program for that? ;)

Those first two pictures look very scary to me - it might help to omit those in the ads. Cane Corso Mastiffs have killed small children in the past. I hope you are very careful with him. If he is not well trained, I think it will be fairly difficult to find another owner for him. I hope you have done research on this breed, as the information I have found is quite unnerving. This breed is not meant to be a house pet and is considered by some to be more dangerous than a pit bull. However, if you want to keep your neighbors at bay (and you might!), then it would be a good choice!

Lars

He's smiling, Lars! He's very good natured as far as I can tell. I'm not afraid of him at all. I've pushed him aside when he blocks my way. I've bathed him with no trouble. He's very tolerant and easy going. I haven't any visitors and he doesn't seem to notice the mailman's trip to the porch. I will certainly place him in the yard if anyone comes to visit. I've been told that at the shelter he was indifferent to puppies and small dogs and they were unsure about aggression with big dogs. So I am playing it safe and keeping him contained for now. He will go to another home soon. He is very quiet and just lounges about the house and patio. If he is Cane Corso, which is hard to know, they are fine if properly socialized. He doesn't seem to have had a traumatic history. He has no flinches or twitches. I don't think he has any Pit Bull.

The Rat Terrier rescue I had was a nasty little thing. She would growl at me when I entered the room where she slept on Alice's bed. And other times too. Chased the mailman and barked constantly. I found a new home for her in the country with an elderly man. I handed him the leash and ran for the car! ;) Actually she was well loved by him and his family and all was well when I did a follow up.

Maybe you got lucky and he was raised benevolently! I am just always very cautious because I got bitten several times as a teenager minding my own business.

I used to have a Chihuahua that was rather nasty and would growl and snarl at nearly everyone but me. She didn't chase cars like some of our other dogs, however. My favorite dog was a Toy Manchester, who got run over by a motorcycle who appeared to have hit her on purpose. My other favorite was a dachshund, who was shot by my brother Mike because she killed one of his piglets. When I was seven, I had a hunting dog that accidentally hanged herself, and so I've not had good luck with dogs and have only had cats since adulthood. Now I am allergic to cats and do not even have those!

Lars

LOL on that cat chaser, Eileen. Terriers are a bit too active for my taste, and Bud just got bitten by a Jack Russell terrier a couple of weeks ago, so now he's afraid of little dogs. My stepmother has a completely undisciplined Jack Russell/pug mix which does nothing but run in circles and bark. If he gets out or off his leash, he runs and does not come when he's called.

Elery's chihuahua, though, was the only dog that ever bit me. More than once. He also chased my Dead Cat From Hell, or tried to. She stood her ground and she had all her claws. He was 13 and old and she'd slap the snot out of him regularly and she drew blood. Darned old fool, he never learned not to bark at her, although he always lost the battle.

Cooper likes cats though, and it's a good thing my barn cat likes him. He was Dad's cat and when Stepmother moved into the apartment she could only take one pet. She took the dog and the cat stays at the farm and keeps rabbits out of my garden in the summer time and the mouse population under control the rest of the time.

It's funny, no matter how many times I say "NO MORE PETS" I still end up with them. (grin)

Annie

Terriers are just ornery. I've only ever had the one. And she was plenty. Maybe there are more mellow ones but this one was a nut. She adored the kids, though. I re-homed her not because I couldn't deal with her but because my neighbor hated the barking even though she was inside except for potty breaks and walks. I got tired of him showing up on my porch during football season. The irony is that a few years ago his wife and kids brought home a teeny little Maltese mix who yaps. Not as manic as my yapper but still. He adores that little dog.

It's the usually little dogs that bite, it seems. I was biten by a large white dog while on a walk in Phoenix though. It was out on a lawn with a family when I walked by. Someone tossed a ball in my direction and instead of going for the ball, the dog went for me. Bit me hard on the leg through my leans and left a very large bruise.

Lars, you have had a terrible time with dogs. I'd actually like a cat on a permanent basis some day. They do make me itch though so I'm not sure.

Annie, did you ever learn what became of Dead Cat from Hell? As for Cooper, I am very fond of Collie breeds, but not the fur!

I have been going through the sit, stay, heel drill with this monster dog. He is fine in the back yard but I doubt I will chance walking him on the street. He weighs as much as I do and he is a confirmed cat chaser. I also have very bad knees so walking more than a few blocks is out of the question. I can bicycle though. For miles. But perhaps his new owner will benefit from the practice.

The photo will show the scale of his paws next to my hand.

There is someone interested in Big Dog. He has been posted by the rescue group on Craigslist with my report on his behavior and my photos. She screens adopters very well, she says. And another person who is hoping a friend will take him in.

He has settled in nicely here and has been super friendly and happy to meet anyone who has come to the house including my neighbor's rambunctious six year old with whom he snuggled in a chair. He is quiet and minds but I know better than to leave anything yummy on the kitchen counter. He has some separation anxiety but is fine if he doesn't actually see me leave. I sneak out the back door after putting him in his crate. :) I only crate him at night or for very short trips to the store and back, an hour or two. Otherwise he has the run of the house and backyard.

I can't walk him but my neighbor has walked him a few times. He has had basic obedience training and still acts fairly young.

Mostly he hangs out by my chair while I work and either comes for an ear rub now and then or makes cartoon snore noises while he sleeps.

I keep the rescue person informed of his behavior with any new situation. He's a good dog. His very few issues are certainly workable.

Eileen

Usually big dogs are gentle giants. He looks like a big lover boy. Wow, those paws are huge! I hope he does find a good home. Did you know black dogs are the last to be adopted because of silly superstitions? Elvira, my mini Dachshund, is black and I think she is more beautiful than the brown ones.

And speaking of small dogs, they're the ones you have to watch out for and I know from experience. I had a Chihuahua and Cairn terrier mix that was a real B!tch in every sense of the word. She had a real attitude problem. She use nip me when I tried to bath her or groom her or do anything to her. She even tried to take on a German Shepard that came on our property when we first moved here. She was only 8 pounds soaking wet. That GS just kept picking her up by the neck and back and tossing her aside but she wouldn't get the message. Finally the GS left and I could grab her and take her to the vet. She looked like a patch work quilt after she was sewed up and it took 2 weeks of around clock care till she healed. First time she was outside after the attack, she tried to take on a horse. She wasn't the brightest bulb in lamp! But she lived for 18.5 years, ornary and stubborn till the end.

Sorry about your lab, Snowy. DH says no more dogs after Elvira. I might do Dachshund foster care instead.

Good luck.
Clare

Here is a link that might be useful: Black Dog syndrome

Oh, what a beauty! It looks like he might still have some growing to do- those are serious paws!! It sounds like you have some interest in him, but if you do end up attempting leash training, you might want to look into an Easy Walk Harness and a Kong leash- they have lovely big padded handles, and I couldn't be without one.

Eileen, I think you're fabulous for fostering the big guy. Good luck in finding him a permanent home, I hope it works out!
I'm currently looking for a home for my mother's yorkie mix. He's 9 yrs old, calm, quiet, trained, loving and HATES other dogs.
My mother passed away a couple of weeks ago and we were totally unprepared for this eventuality. I can't keep him, he's a companion and I'm not around. Outside isn't an option, we have coyotes that have come into the yard and attacked DD's dogs, despite the fence.
I feel so guilty. He's being boarded now, going on week 4. I may be forced to talk to a rescue organization to find the right home.

compumom - sorry to hear about your mom. I just had a one year anniversary of mine passing. Wish you the best. In regards to her dog, have you tried Craigslist. Be honest and list all his good and not so good traits and that he need's a retired person or some one around all the time. Also I think a rescue organization might be a good way to go. Your local ASPCA could give you names of some.
Good luck.
Clare

Ellen, I would think a Yorkie mix would be easy to place. They are small, cute, don't shed, and are hypoallergenic. Their little bitty poops are inoffensive. I can't say any of those things about this guy! Boarding can get expensive.

Clare, I am aware of the problem with placing black animals. People are so silly. For me he is a great choice as a lot of my wardrobe is black and the hair won't show. It's boring but easy. I am fashion indifferent. :)

He has been here a week and half now and has earned the name Houdini. He found the weak spot in the fence hidden by vines between my neighbors and I and wiggled through it. I came out on the patio looking for him and saw his huge head emerge from the creeping fig on the fence. Sigh. Thankfully the hole leads to a gated and locked side yard with no way out in either direction. He did cause some consternation with the neighbors last night. They have three kids, two of whom are lively youngish sons who play and attraction Big Dog's attention. They also have a wee little Maltese mix. He crashed through the hole last night and barked at the little Maltese. I could hear someone saying "There's a dog in there!" They know about him and that he is a foster and friendly and I told the mom he had discovered the hole a few days ago.

There is someone who wants to see if he will get along with her other dog. He is dog friendly. And very people friendly. But she is two hours away and doesn't want to come all this way with her big dog. I can appreciate this as not all dogs are good in the car. My Lab was AWFUL. She would never settle in for the ride but wanted to go back and forth between front and back seat and she panted and drooled everywhere. No fun to take her on road trips at all. She was a big girl at over 100 pounds. And I don't drive. The rescue person is not available for transport help. I can pay someone to drive me there with Houdini, maybe. I'm waiting to see what the interested party says about driving here.

I can't keep him for a number of reasons. I can't walk him. He is too strong. I am unsteady because my knees have really failed me in the past year. I had to chase him and bring him back and my knees still hurt from the 12 block walk more than a week ago. I can ride a bicycle but my walking is limited to the small amount of shopping I do. And I want to move out of this house at some point in the next year or two.

He is sweet and friendly and funny. Mostly he hangs out next to me and rests up for the next belly rub. He is a very well behaved indoor dog. He quietly goes in his crate at night. He didn't like being in the dog run and barked a lot. :( But occasionally he will have to go there so I can leave to shop etc.

E

He's beautiful. I do agree with Lars though, look at his head and jaws - there's definitely some pit or other such breed mixed in there. He needs to be with a male owner who is experienced with such breeds. He could pull down any woman trying to walk him. Two of my female neighbors have been injured walking their large dogs - one broke her foot and one hit her head and suffered a concussion. Twenty-pound Odo can pull very hard. At least I can pick him up.

Dogs differentiate between male and female too - when push comes to shove, they will respond better to a male human than a female. I would not have that dog around small children.

There is an epidemic of dog bites in this country. Over 4.5 million dog bite victims per year with about 350,000 emergency room visits a year - mostly young children and mostly bitten in the face by dogs they know. Un-neutered male dogs bite the most.

Yes, small dogs bite too but they can't kill or maim an adult.

It's not popular to talk about this since everyone loves dogs. But it's the ignorance and silence that is helping those dog bite figures grow.

Anyway, that dog will find a home - many folks like larger dogs and he is a beauty.

Ellen, I'm sorry to hear about your mom. I haven't had time to call you about the windows but I will try after work.

As for the Yorkie, rescues will always take a purebred dog and probably place them fairly quickly. At least he can go to a foster home instead of being boarded.

Gina, my experience of pits is that most are overwhelmingly submissive with people, even small people. So I don't think that even if he is part pit, it's immediate cause for alarm given how well he's doing so far. But you have to watch out for those bony headed breeds. An overzealous friendly hello could probably give you a concussion. I know a lady who got a tooth knocked out by a well meaning Dalmatian! I am not objective on the issue of big dogs (:-D) but I'd rather be locked in a crate with my 98 pound malamute than be locked in a yard with my neighbor's teacup Yorkie. Those little fangs hurt!!

I don't think he has any Pitbull. He doesn't have any of that wide Pitbull grin and his body looks very different. He is tall with long straight legs.

I'm hoping the woman who expressed interest will follow through. I think he'll be happier with a dog pal to play with.

E

Houdini will be going to his new home. The dad is coming to pick him up in a few hours. They have two young teens and a 5 year old German Shepherd who is lonely after their other dog died. And I hope they also have a sturdy fence. :)

A parting portrait of Houdini, my sweet faced escape artist. He went to a new home with a family today. I hope they have a sturdy fence and remember to close the door. :)

Be a good boy, big fella.

E

But Jessica, I can punt kick a Yorkie.

:-)

Wow, he is a beauty!!!
His paws are massive, he'd be pulling you wherever you want to go for sure.

I'm glad you got a good home for him. Are they going to keep in touch with you? He certainly adapted (adopted) you right away. Always by your side. How sweet.

It's been a few days now, do you miss him??

You are pretty amazing to have done that; his new family seems like a good fit.

Yeah, Eileen, you are amazing to have fostered Houdini. I loved him...just not a good fit with my family. I hope that he is loved by his new family as much as you loved him.

His new family kindly sent a photo of him with his new "sister." Apparently he wears her out with wanting to play but all is well. Her name is Princess. I think they are calling him Titus.

I do miss his big old dog self. He loves love. I may foster another after I do bit of travel this summer. First I need to repair the fence.

Eileen