I vote for fostering. You are expert enough to assess the type of home the dog may need if they don’t work out – and that’s a win-win for you, and for the dog! I’ve fostered 5 – three stayed for good. The other two were also perfectly good dogs, just ultimately wouldn’t work out household-wise. They both found great homes!
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Fostering a senior sounds like a wonderful plan. I’d love to do the same once our cat herd passes on. A senior not having a stable home breaks my heart.
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This is honestly what I want to suggest to my mom if (please no, her dog is only 2) there is a next time. I understand “but I won’t have them for long”, but it could just be that you make that dog’s last years the best years of its life and that may be just as rewarding.
Having read one of your earlier posts about a family that was also interested in Colton and agree you may have saved a child and family terrible trauma. I know the story didn’t end the way we all hoped for the two of you, but you were a guardian angel for that family. Fate will find a way to reward you for that and it may be that it gives the above foster more years than you think.
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I have no personal experience fostering, so feel free to ignore me. But a friend of mine who is in her late 50s, has an elderly father with some medical conditions living with her, and some teen children that she has half custody of. She also has a cat and two blood hounds (one elderly, one middle aged but with seizures). Last year she started fostering for a german shepherd rescue. She had experience with GS and was well set up for them, despite all the other complications of her life.
She was really really really good about being a foster and kept saying she didn’t want to have another dog. But at some point, she did decide she wanted another dog, and that was around the time the foster she was working with started to implode. But she actively looked around the network until she found a dog she though might be a good for foster fail for her.
And well, she called it. Her intentional foster fail has wound up being perfect for her and her blood hounds and family.
Again, I don’t have actual experience fostering, but I think most of the time when a foster family wants to keep a pet, the rescues agree. Because the foster families have been vetted and they know they’re good for the animals. Sure, they might loose a foster family, but I would think, with good rescues, a foster family saying “hey, I want this animal to be a foster fail and stay with me because I know it works with my household” is going to take precedence over non-fosters putting in applications.
If you think you can, go ahead and maybe try to foster. Be open that your goal is to have a foster fail. I would hope good rescues would encourage taht.
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I was reading a bit about Bouviers and they sound difficult. We’ve had GSDs, which can be complicated but Bouviers intimidate me. You were brave for getting one and I’m so sorry there was something wrong because it sounded like you did everything right but something was inherently wrong. That happens more often than breeders want to admit. It also sounded like a lot of work. Puppies really are a lot of work. We forget until we get the next one, lol!
It really sounds like you’d like to share your life with a dog. How much does breed or size matter? I understand you’re recovering from chemo. Are you wiped out or doing okay? Are you strong enough to walk a large dog or do you need a smaller dog? What if you offered to foster small dogs at your local shelter? Would that fill the need or just frustrate you? Do you have a cat that might not appreciate a small dog in the house?
I’m sorry for the personal questions. They’re just some thoughts thrown out for you. I’ve read about your journey and you have a lot of love and knowledge to offer a lucky dog.
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Colton was my 6th Bouv. They were wonderful dogs, sometimes I had two at a time. They were always with me, most of the time off leash. They were loose in the arena when I was riding, or in the barn doing chores Took them with me on hacks cross country and even on roads. There was one I had to be careful with strangers but had no problem keeping him or the people save.
I have been on this farm for 43 years, alone except for the 18 years I had a partner. Though they never bit or attacked anyone, I found out that there were a good deterrent. Hydro meter readers or delivery personnel apparently talked about them, feared but respected them.
I had known 2 Bouvs before I got mine. They were protective and very loyal to their owner without ever showing any signs of agression. Though they enjoyed their scratches and belly rubs they were quite self assured and independent. That was what I admired.
Now regarding my health. I still take 7 classes of weight training, strength and resistance, cardio and pilates classes. I am holding my own though there are many people much younger than I am in the classes. I do miss those daily long walks I had with Colton but can’t seem to make myself walk alone.
Horses are out 24/7 right now, three of them, two of my own and one boarder. Soon they will come in over night but I like doing barn chores. They are well behaved and easy to handle.
Just came back from my visit with Oncologist. Recent CT scan shows no sign of recurrence of cancer or metastisis and will have to continure with Chemo for another year during which I will be followed with blood work and CT scans,
Just one little snag, recent CT showed pancreatic cyst and may have to see GI specialist. Also have bone degenertion in hips and lumbar spine… They recommend I take Vitamin D and C supplements.
I do get periods of loneliness but love my home, my trees and love watching the clouds, I hope I die here and not in a nursing home.
Have adjusted to being dogless for now and appreciate how clean my house is all of a sudden.
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What a beautiful place! It sounds like that’s really your breed of dog. You just got unlucky with one.
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Your farm is beautiful 
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Same re: the Lonely
Unlike you, my dogowner years ended long ago, when DH was still alive.
Cats are my speed these days.
Major Kudos for managing that beautiful farm on your own.
My paltry 5ac looks somewhere between Inhabited by a Crone & Abandoned.
Yardwork has gotten Just.Too.Much.
I’m sorely in need of major tree removal for the property
I was fortunate to have a friend with a chainsaw take down some of the junk trees blocking the side sliders to my indoor. But a lot more is needed.
Moths in the pocketbook say that’s not happening soon. 
Still, like you, barn chores for my 3 are my Peace & get credit for keeping me physically active & in decent shape.
My 5yrs of chemo ended in 2021 & scans since are clear.
Wishing you the same!
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I have been dog less since 2002-ish when my last dog passed. My life style, health and where I live just doesn’t bode well for a happy dog. I also have taken up some traveling. So like 2DogsFarm…I’ve gone to the cats. I do have to have some furry creature in the house 
.
I miss dogs…I miss training but currently can fulfill that with the horse. Maybe when the horse is gone, I will change my mind. There will be one less big time sink to take me away from home.
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You can train cats…
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I know. However, that is more patience than I possess. Current cat I got from a shelter at 7 yrs old. She doesn’t seem very interested. Now with a kitten…oh, yes.
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You can try…
Though my adopted senior Stripes was 10 & so food-motivated he learned to Sit & Sit Up when he begged for food from my plate.
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One of my barn cats does a high five whenever he sees me. His name is L’Orange and I speak to him in French. Also had a cat named Fritz and I spoke German with him.
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