10 Things Every Dog Foster Needs to Know

In these crazy coronavirus times, animal lovers across the country have stepped up to foster dogs and ease the burden on shelters and rescues. To all you selfless folks out there who have opened your homes to dogs in need, thank you! 

 Whether you’re an experienced dog owner or a first-time foster caregiver, it’ll make life easier for everyone if you’re prepared. Here are 10 things every human should know before bringing home a foster pup. 

1. Assemble the Basics

You’ll need:

• Dog food. Don’t overthink it. Buy a quality brand and follow the directions on the bag.

• Clean, fresh water. Make sure it’s always available in a suitable sized bowl.

• Collar with ID tags, a leash, and a harness. Dogs coming directly from a shelter are a high flight risk. Your foster pup should always wear a collar with an ID tag (yes, even at home). Leash your dog whenever the front door opens to prevent bolting. Consider a Martingale collar, which dogs cannot back out of. If your dog pulls on walks, try a front clip harness. Do not let your foster dog off-leash when on walks! 

• Treats. Pet stores sell every imaginable type of dog treat, but most dogs are quite happy with plain boiled chicken, string cheese, or sliced turkey meat.

• Vinegar or enzyme cleaner. Be prepared for potty accidents. The transition to a foster home can be stressful even for dogs who are already house trained.   

2. Dog-Proof Your Home

• Get a crate, x-pen, or baby gates. If you have a puppy, are struggling with potty training, or have a young dog who chews everything, confine them to a smaller area when you cannot directly monitor them. Crates are also a good option for shy dogs who need a quiet, safe space. Never shove a dog straight into a crate; follow these steps to crate train properly.

• Check your house for poisonous house and backyard plants.

• Keep foods that are poisonous to dogs out of reach.

• Stash your stash: marijuana is highly toxic to dogs.

3. Make Sure You Have All Shelter and Vet Contacts

• Before you accept your foster dog, read the shelter’s foster contract thoroughly.

• Make sure you have the shelter’s phone number(s) and vet contacts.

• Find out in advance who to call and what to do in an emergency during off-hours.

4. Let Go If It’s a Bad Match

Fostering can sometimes be a challenge, but you are neither expected nor obligated to keep a dog that is unsafe in your home. If you have safety concerns involving your children or other pets, know that you can and should return the dog without shame or guilt. Pass along new information to include in the dog’s shelter profile (“not good with cats” “does not like children”) so potential adopters can make an informed choice. 

5. Allow Time to Decompress

It may take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a few months for your rescue dog’s personality to emerge fully. Foster dogs have likely experienced trauma,  whether they were surrendered by a family they loved or were abandoned and living as a stray on the streets. Life in a shelter is noisy, scary, and lonely. They have no idea who you are and how they ended up at your house.

For the first few days your foster dog may sleep a lot, appear depressed or agitated, ignore all food and treats, not poop, or resist walks - all very normal. Your dog will not starve to death if they don’t eat or eat very little for the first few days. Just keep offering food and make sure they have access to water. It’s also okay if they don’t want to go on walks or play or snuggle. Building trust takes patience and time. For shy or nervous dogs, practice asking for consent before interacting.

6. Expect Potty Accidents

Your new foster dog may have at least one potty accident. Even dogs who were previously house-trained may forget their training due to the stress and confusion of being in a new home. Consider yourself lucky if your foster dog never has an accident. If you foster a puppy or a stray dog who hasn’t lived in a home before, plan on potty training from scratch.

• If possible, roll up all your rugs temporarily.

• Use vinegar or enzyme cleaner to clean up accidents thoroughly.

• Use a belly band (lined with incontinence pads) for male dogs that mark inside.

• Follow the tips at Housetraining 101 (it’s not just for puppies!).

7. Train Your Foster Dog

• Keep training force-free. Studies show that positive-reinforcement dog training is more effective and successful than dominance training and punishment. Force-free training does not rely on human dominance/dog submission or the debunked theory that you must be the “pack leader.”

• Manage the environment to avoid unwanted behaviors. Management is not training, but it prevents your dog from habitually practicing bad behaviors. For example, keep your dog on a leash when greeting people until she learns not to jump up. In some cases, management is the fastest fix. It may be simpler to put the kitchen trash out of reach than to train your new foster dog to ignore it.

• Keep it fun. Training should be enjoyable for both you and your dog. If you get frustrated or your dog starts ignoring you, take a break and try again later. A few short training sessions throughout the day (2–5 minutes each) will be far more effective than one overlong lesson.

8. Practice Alone Time

 Because eventually most of us will head back to work, your foster dog should get used to being alone. Here are some simple steps to prepare your new friend for life after the pandemic.

• Practice leaving your foster dog alone for short periods of time, varying and slowly increasing the amount of time you are away.

• Before leaving the house, set up a camera (or a Zoom meeting on your laptop) and watch from outside the closed door. If your foster dog shows signs of distress, come back inside before panic sets in.

• Understand that you can't cause or prevent separation anxiety. If you suspect your foster dog has an anxiety disorder, let the shelter know and educate yourself. 

9. Help Find a Forever Home

The ultimate goal for every dog in foster care is to find a loving, permanent home. Here are some ways you can help.

• Post pictures, videos, and updates about your foster dog on social media.

• Have your dog wear an “adopt me” vest on walks.

• Send pictures and updates to the shelter so they can keep the dog’s profile current.

• Prepare to be emotional and possibly conflicted when your foster pup does get adopted. Saying goodbye can be heartbreakingly bittersweet, but know that you have made a difference and saved the life of a homeless dog. Then get another foster.

10. Fall in Love?

 Finally, it’s always possible you may fall madly in love with your foster dog and decide this is the perfect match for you and your family. If so, congratulations — you are officially a foster fail. Everyone wins!