My wife and I are diligent about walking all of our dogs, including the fosters. Twice a day, we take anywhere between 2-4 dogs out for a walk depending on the number of fosters we currently have living with us. Our neighbors know us, and everyone has questions about why we have so many dogs and different dogs at any given time. The questions I get the most are “Why do you foster?” and “Is it hard to give away a dog you have committed so much time to?”
Walking all of the foster dogs!
This is what I believe
Not every dog can manage shelter life.
Just like humans, animals have personalities and feelings, too. They can be happy, have anxiety, be scared, and even lonely. Not every dog can adapt to the shelter atmosphere and each dog will react differently. It can be difficult for an adopter to get a good read on how the dog will be in their own home.
My first dog I adopted, Jack, was a risky adoption. He was returned twice to the shelter because he never had the training necessary to be socialized around children and was not getting the needed training at the shelter. Because of this, it was nearly impossible to adopt him. Requirements at the shelter included Jack Russell experience and no children. When I saw this little guy in the cage, he was heart-broken from his experiences. He did not even lift his head to greet me nor make any noise as all the other dogs barked with my presence. I fell in love with him instantly. We worked on the right training and he became the best friend a man could ever have. He absolutely loved children after the appropriate socialization and training. But it took time in a home for him to adapt and an experienced dog owner like myself to help him succeed. Many adopters simply cannot or will not take this risk when adopting a shelter dog.
By fostering dogs like Jack, I am able to help future adopters see how great family members these dogs can be. Fostering allows the potential adopter to see how the dog reacts in a similar environment to their own home. With other dogs, children, and even the behavior on walks.
Jack, chilling out with one of his favorite toys.
Fosters can have specific needs that are difficult for a shelter to provide.
Fostering gives those dogs who did not get a fair shake in life the chance they need at finding that furever home. Dogs may have special medical needs, socialization needs, and training needs that are difficult to meet within the shelter. Basic training needs are one reason dogs are returned back to the shelter.
Specialty breeds are finding their way into shelters because of breeding laws. These dogs are appealing to adopters but, may have serious training requirements. These abandoned dogs may have spent years of their life with limited socialization and training. My wife and I have fostered puppy mill dogs whose names were only the numbers tattooed in their ears used to identify them. By fostering and providing basic training, these dogs have a chance at the good life.
Basic potty training is a huge advantage to being adopted and not returned. Honestly, even old dogs can learn new tricks as my wife and I were able to successfully potty train a 12-year-old male Shih Tzu who lived his entire life caged. In a shelter, the experience may improve with conditions and medical attention, but the basic training needs will likely need to be addressed. As a foster, you naturally work on several of the training needs that may not be met within a shelter.
Fostering is Fulfilling.
When I let a foster go, there are usually some tears. Maybe lots of tears. My wife and I have put a significant effort forth in preparing for this day. The tears are never for sadness. The feelings I have are truly of joy, happiness, and gratification. Fosters can spend several months in your home before being adopted and you will witness an astonishing transformation across the first few months.
There is a rule that every foster should know: The 3 Days, 3 Weeks, 3 Month Rule The rule is a general guideline on how dogs will adapt to a new space, family, and environment. Now every dog is unique, but we use this rule to identify behaviors that help us introduce new training throughout the transition into foster care.
Roughly, during the first 3 days, we give the new dog lots of space. We do not force attention, apply any pressures with training, or test boundaries. After the first 3 weeks, the dog will start to get familiar with our routines, personalities, and activities. When do we go for a walk, when do we feed meals, what activities merit the reward of a treat, etc. At this point, we start focusing on the training. We can start identifying behavior issues and focus on the individual dog training regime. Finally, after 3 months this foster dad (ME!) starts to see the fruits of his labor. At this point, most dogs are potty trained, can recognize their own name, are sharing their personalities, and most if not, all bad habits have been eliminated.
This is my time to reflect and feel accomplished. I know I have done what was needed to be done to give these dogs a second chance. The day of their adoption is the apex of my gratification. Like a proud father at graduation, my little ones are moving onto the next chapter in their personal journey, writing the pages as they go.
Private School Pups (PSP) was created to fill a very important gap in the adoption cycle. We are a charity that provides grants for training and education to fosters and adopters of rescues from location shelters that require a need for guided and/or professional training. I have learned so much from being a part of and experiencing the training of other dogs. PSP can provide the funds necessary to take a chance on the dog that no one else is willing to take a chance by providing monetary funding, and recommendations of trainers necessary to give a fighting chance. This is why I helped start Private School Pups and why I am a foster dad.
- Michael Smith