Hampton Roads Dogs For Adoption: Many Shelters and Rescues NEED Fosters

While it can be very challenging, knowing that you saved an animal from euthanasia and helped it find its forever home will give you endless joy. Fostering animals has numerous benefits for everyone involved:

1. It saves adoptable animals from probable death at an overcrowded shelter.

2. It removes animals from a traumatic shelter environment and gives them a happy home to live in (and be trained) while they await their forever home.

3. It gives the foster parent the benefits of having a pet without the long-term commitment (or gives their pet a playmate).

4. It allows the foster family to learn the animal’s personality so they can help the forever family determine whether it’s a good fit for them (animals don’t behave like themselves in shelters—how would you act in jail?).

5. It allows the foster family to screen applicants and ensure that the pet is going to a good home.

6. If you plan to adopt a dog in the future, it gives the foster parent incredible insight into what they do or don’t want in their own pet.

Like any foster parent, you have a special task ahead of you. You have to guide, teach, help, and love this dog, without becoming its special one-and-only person. You have to be ready to spend time and energy and love on this dog, and yet be able to give it up when the right family comes along.

If everything works out right, someday not too far in the future, there'll be a lump in your throat and maybe even tears in your eyes as you watch your foster dog eagerly leave your home and loving care for a new life with a new family. It’s so easy to get attached, even after just a few days or weeks. Be aware that it is going to be hard letting them go, even though you know they are going to a good place. Prepare to feel very sad every time you ‘lose’ a foster baby. But also remember that you have made a difference in this dog’s life.

But before that day comes, you've got work to do! Very few dogs land in rescue without a few minor quirks or problems-hey, if they were perfect, they probably wouldn't have landed in rescue! The less you know about the dog, the more you'll need to do to increase the chances of a happy placement.

The first thing you need to do is to make sure the foster dog is housetrained. Even if you were told by a previous owner that the dog never makes a mistake and is perfectly housetrained, be a skeptic! Dogs that didn't get much socialization often learn not to soil the house they live in, but they never had a chance to generalize to other houses or buildings. The first week or s0 that you have a foster dog treat it as if it were an eight week old puppy. Constant supervision when the dog is loose in the house and crated or otherwise confined to their bed when it isn't possible to supervise.

During this first week or so, don't push any other training issues, if possible. Let the foster dog settle in and get oriented. Carefully referee interaction between the foster dog and your own dogs. If the foster dog is not in good health, postpone serious training and testing until the dog is well on the road to recovery - consult with a vet.

After the first week or so, start working on basic commands. Make sure the foster dog knows how to walk nicely on a leash, sit and down on command, and come when called. If you add in stays, most pet owners would consider this a well trained dog! Also work on the problems that are least acceptable to most pet homes: destructive chewing and jumping up on people.

As you work with this foster dog, be alert to things that may be TRIGGERS for fear or aggression. Common triggers are holding a rolled up newspaper or magazine and tapping it on one hand); calling the dog in a loud (angry sounding) voice; shuffling feet toward the dog (dogs interpret it as an attempt to kick); holding any long object, such as a yardstick or leash; bending over the dog, especially if the dog is lying down; suddenly raising a hand (for instance, as if you were waving to a friend across the street); suddenly reaching out, especially towards the dog's head; being near or picking up the dogs food dish; taking away a toy that the dog is chewing on; taking away an object that the dog has stolen (like a sock or a piece of garbage); leaning over the dog as you put it in a down.

Don't avoid triggers; in fact, you should test for them. If the dog reacts to something, this shows you an area that you need to defuse, for the dog's peace of mind and the safety of the adoptive family. If you discover a trigger, you need to assess how strong the dog's reaction is and whether you feel capable of de-fusing it. Unless you are an experienced dog handler or trainer, don't try defusing your foster dog's reactions by yourself, You should always have an experienced dog trainer, dog handler or person experienced with the particular breed of your foster dog to assist you. Attempting to defuse certain dog reactions on your own may result in harm to you or your foster dog. This may also affect your selection of an adoptive family.

There are some other things that you should learn about vour foster dog:

how this dog reacts to children of different ages (from babe in arms to teenagers)
how this dog reacts to cats
how this dog reacts to birds (ducks or pigeons) outside
is there any difference in how this dog reacts to men or women?
is this dog more likely to be irritable or cranky after more exercise than usual?
how does this dog react to having it's usual activity level curtailed for a day or two?
how does this dog react to being given a pill? (you can test by using a pill sized bit of hot dog or cheese; open the dog's mouth and push it down as if it were a pill; repeat the test later)