If you are a dog lover, and your New Year’s resolution is to make this world a better place, here is the perfect thing for you to do.
Fostering a shelter pet from a local shelter or rescue group will brighten your life, and bring hope to an animal that truly needs it.
Defining Dog Foster Care
What exactly does it mean to foster a dog? Well, it’s the same as fostering a child. You are providing a temporary home to a homeless animal with the intention of nurturing them until they can be transferred to their forever home. Fostering a dog is an important part of the animal rescue scene. It’s a great experience for both you and the dog. Let’s look at the reasons why.
Why Should You Foster A Dog?
Dogs that come from shelters are frequently injured or abused. Having them enter your home and be in a safe and loving environment can be a truly magical experience for them.
Another important reason to foster a dog is to help save a life. Each dog placed in foster care reduces the number of dogs euthanized each year. Fostering a dog also frees up space in the shelter for another animal.
Many people are pleasantly surprised at how positive they feel about the experience of fostering a dog.
Fostering dogs can enrich your life by watching them grow from scared or skittish young animals to more relaxed and calm members of the family.
Some foster families are coming to terms with the loss of pets. Fostering a dog allows you to reconnect with an animal in need of your love.
Do you have children? They’re likely to enjoy the experience of your family fostering a dog!
Don’t have enough time in your schedule to care for a foster dog full-time? Consider this. You could always schedule a few days to pick up a foster child.
Consider scheduling a playdate with your at-home dog to give the shelter dog a break from his surroundings.
Which Dogs Need Foster Care The Most?
It’s an easy answer. The dogs that require the most assistance are the ones with special needs.
- Those recovering from sickness
- Dogs who are recovering from surgery
- Dogs who are underweight
- Dogs that have been abused or neglected
- Displaced dogs
- Puppies that are young and nursing
- Dogs that are in need of better training
- Senior dogs that will feel more comfortable at home
- Puppies that require more socialization
- Any dog living in an overcrowded shelter
- Dogs that have spent too much time in the shelter
Considerations Before Fostering
Your Home
Fostering a dog is a great idea, but it’s not something that will work for everyone. Before determining whether or not you would be able to foster a dog, take into account the following points.
Consider your living space. This could be a frustrating situation for you if you’re considering fostering a puppy and your house is full of breakable objects and light-colored furniture. What if the dog isn’t trained to use the potty? Ouch!
Are there any other animals in your home? Will your new guest get along with your cat or other dog? To keep your foster dog segregated until they feel comfortable, experts advise setting up a private area that is exclusively theirs.
Will the circumstances be comfortable for every member of your family? Recall that you must have an area outside where your new buddy is free to exercise.
Your Schedule
The truth is that a large number of foster dogs come from less than ideal circumstances. Some are recovering from illness, some are too young to take care of themselves, and still others struggle with socialization.
There’s one thing all of these scenarios have in common: improvement takes time.
Is it feasible for you to dedicate the necessary time and effort to taking care of a foster dog? The answer to this question is unique to you.
Having said that, you might be fortunate enough to have family members who are willing to assist you. Bringing a foster dog home and keeping him or her confined to a crate all day is not a smart idea.
Your Finances
Remember that you will have to pay for the dog’s food while you are fostering them.
To keep your puppy entertained, you might also need a crate, puppy pads, and toys if you have one.
To ensure that they don’t gnaw on your expensive shoes, make sure to always have an abundance of chew toys on hand.
Do You Have The Patience?
When dealing with older dogs, victims of abuse or neglect, or boisterous puppies, you will undoubtedly need to have some patience in addition to being ready for a dog that has special needs or issues.
Your younger dog probably needs some basic obedience training because they aren’t potty trained all the way.
Neglected dogs may require more love and care from you, which they may initially find offensive.
Patience and perseverance are essential for all of these reasons.
Preparing To Foster A Dog
Before taking a foster dog home, you might have to get the staff at the shelter to approve you as qualified.
Here are a few different ways you should get your life ready for your new friend before you bring them home.
Your whole family should take part in dog fostering, so make sure that everyone is prepared and eager to provide an adopted dog with a loving home.
Additionally, make sure that everyone is aware that eventually it will be time to return the dog to its forever home.
When determining how much time you can devote to your foster dog, use common sense.
Don’t push yourself too hard at first. Like with doggie sitting, you might want to start with brief periods of time spent observing the dog.
Make arrangements for your dog’s housing before bringing him or her home. Restricting them to a single space, like the kitchen or living room, is a smart idea.
The dog needs to spend time with you and your family, so don’t put it in a bedroom or other isolated area!
Use baby gates to restrict access to specific areas of your house. Restricting the dog to a single room helps prevent accidents that may arise from the dog’s stress in an unfamiliar setting.
To keep the dog feeling secure and comfortable during times when you must be away from home, you might want to keep him in a crate.
Caring For Your Foster Dog
Recognize that it will take the dog about a day to get used to his new surroundings.
But before the dog actually becomes accustomed to your house, it will take a lot longer. Make sure you keep a careful eye on the dog’s behavior.
Remember that it might take up to a month for the dog and you to truly bond, so set reasonable expectations at first.
Recall that the dog you are adopting may have experienced trauma. It’s your responsibility to show him that people can be dependable and kind.
Feeding Your Foster Dog
It’s crucial to provide your foster dog with premium dog food. This is especially crucial for dogs that are ill, injured, or were discovered to be stray.
Select a dog food that includes whole, unprocessed grains and vegetables as well as a source of whole meat as one of the first two ingredients, advises the Whole Dog Journal.
Meat byproducts, artificial coloring or preservatives, sweeteners, propylene glycol, and corn should not be found in dog food.
Make sure to feed your foster dog at the same time every day by creating a regular feeding schedule.
In order to prevent fights over food, feed any other dogs you may have in a different room.
Exercising Your Foster Dog
Your foster dog requires daily exercise. Most foster dogs should ideally get two 30-minute walks each day.
If your foster dog is a small dog, he or she might require a longer walk. Dogs who exercise frequently are less likely to misbehave, such as by barking or chewing.
Transitioning To Adoption
What happens if you develop an uncontrollable love for your dog? Because they have formed such a close bond with their new foster friend, some pet foster parents find it impossible to let them go. There are requirements at some shelters to adopt your foster dog.
But nothing would be more happy than a loving adoption to wrap up the story for a foster dog and its new family.