My fiancé and I foster failed on our first ever foster - a female “terrier mix” named Mouse who just turned 2. Both of us grew up with dogs and we have a few cats of our own already which she is still learning to cohabitate with. (They’re honestly more upset about having to share their space with her and keep starting fights through the baby gates we have set up.)

She just finished a 7 week behavior-training and obedience course and today was her first vet visit outside of seeing the shelter vet while we were fostering her. And let’s just say it didn’t go quite as I had hoped.

We have had her since late Oct2025, and have done so much work and seen so much progress, but when the vet said that they were not able to do anything with her without her lunging at the staff it broke my heart.

She’s already on some meds, and the vet gave us a cocktail to pre-dose with ahead of the next appointment where hopefully they will be able to do more. Neither my fiancé nor I have ever had a reactive dog or fear-aggressive dog before and I just feel like I’m failing her because she isn’t able to have the same easy-going visit I know other dogs can have.

We knew with what little history we have for her that it wasn’t going to be easy, but I’m still just so sad and disheartened. I want to be able to give her the life she deserves because she is genuinely so sweet the majority of the time, she just scares really easily and gets nervous with new people and new situations. I don’t know how I can best help her outside of what we are already doing.

First Time Reactive Dog Owners