what does it mean to foster a dog?

  • A foster is a person who works with a rescue to provide temporary housing, care and love for a dog.

  • A foster is like a temporary owner.

  • Fostering is FREE. Rescues provide all necessary supplies and cover medical bills.

  • Are you going on vacation? Rescues find a place for your foster dog to go!

  • To foster is to save a life: rescues cannot save a dog unless there is a place for the dog to go.

  • The more fosters, the more dogs that are saved!

  • Find a local rescue or shelter.

  • Ask questions about their process and their foster support— make sure the rescue feels like a good fit for you.

  • Complete the foster application.

  • Talk with the rescue about the best type of dog for you to foster: size, age, gender, needs. Rescues can pair you with a dog based on your experience and lifestyle!

  • Once a dog is decided (YAY), the rescue will help you prepare and will provide supplies.

  • The rescue will network on social media to help get your foster dog adopted into their forever home.

How do I foster?

LENGTH OF foster TIME?

There are so many foster options!

  • Foster Field Trip: talk with your local shelter and take a shelter dog out for the day!

  • Temporary Foster: take care of a current foster dog while their foster parents are on vacation- this is especially needed during summer months and holidays.

  • Foster- to- Adopt: the best option if you are interested in adopting a dog but want to get to know them first.

  • Foster until adopted: you care for a dog until they find their forever home.

the 3- 3- 3 rule

for new dogs in your home

  • 3 DAYS TO DECOMPRESS.

    A new environment can be scary! For the first three days, keep your new dog in a quiet, separate space from other animals and people. Allow your new dog to sleep, eat and sniff with limited exposure to others to get accustom to their new surroundings and decompress from stress.

  • 3 WEEKS TO ADJUST.

    Your new dog is learning about their new home— new routines, new smells, new expectations. This is the learning and trust building stage. Now is the time for slow introductions to new people and new animals (go at the dog’s pace). Behavioral challenges might arise during this period. Train using positive reinforcement- treats, praise and play to build trust and confidence. Keep a routine and keep expectations consistent.

  • 3 MONTHS TO SETTLE IN.

    Bonding and trust starts to pay off as your new dog starts to settle into their new home. Continue to maintain positive reinforcement and routines. Provide gradual exposure to new experiences. Continue to be patient with progress.

INTERESTED IN

ADOPTING A DOG?

first, CONSIDER…

FINANCES:

In 2024, the average yearly cost of a dog is $4,512

AND there can be additional costs and surprise medical bills.

Some breeds need to be groomed regularly.

Some breeds are more prone to health problems.

Some dogs need more training.

SAFETY:

From the moment of adoption, it is the owner’s responsibility to provide safe experiences for their new dog and members of the household.

If needed, separate dog from kids and animals in the house.

Watch and learn your dog’s body language. Safety is priority.

MOVING:

Before moving into a home or before adopting a dog, check for any restrictions.

If there are issues, look up local laws to protect dogs and owners.

Talk to local rescues about a short or long term foster while you find a solution.

Even family dogs are killed in shelters.

BEHAVIORAL ISSUES:

Dogs are not born knowing sit, stay, fetch, etc.

Dogs naturally want to plese and learn.

All dog need:

Confidence + Trust.

Positive Reinforcement + Praise.

Consistency + Patience.

There are free online training resources.

Ask a local rescue about training options. The more the owner puts into training, the more success they will see. And yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks.

TIME:

Can you provide a 10 min sniff walk? A 5 min game of fetch?

Solo enrichment? A lick mat?

A dog would rather be in your home than shaking on a concrete floor.

In the shelter, dogs spend between 1 week to 8 months IN their kennel before going outside. This is due to too many dogs and not enough shelter workers.