Input needed
Today I had a call with a potential adopter for my first ever foster dog, Ash. This lady responded to a post I’d made on Nextdoor. In the post it listed the progress we’ve made, what type of home he’d do best in etc. At the end of the call she said she had to think about it and talk with her son and she’d get back to me.
There were a couple concerns I had during the call. She is in her 60’s, retired and her adult son lives with her. She said her son does all the outings and walks with her dogs but didn’t really elaborate. From her comment on the Nextdoor post, I could see she lives in a great neighborhood in my city with nice houses, so I was hopeful. She said she already had 2 big dogs which is fine and preferred over small dogs due to Ash’s play drive. But then she said that she had a cat (I’d stated cats are probably not a good idea due to Ash’s play/chase drive). She thought a cat would be fine because her dogs don’t have free roam of the house at all. They spend all their time outside, and are kenneled while in the house. Since today is a windy cold day she said the dogs wouldn’t be going outside today at all.
I know this is how some people prefer to do things. My house would be much cleaner if my dogs stayed kenneled and couldn’t freely roam inside, but this does not seem like a fun life for a dog. What about in the winter? While Ash has been with me he’s eaten meals in the kennel, decompressed and napped in it. He’s even gone in there himself with treats and toys but I would never keep him in it all day. He sleeps in my bed, is allowed on furniture, and only goes in the backyard to play and go potty. Should I stop being so picky or is this a valid reason to continue looking for his forever home?