Fostering?

ABajaninCork

I've been approached by a local rescue and asked to consider fostering dogs such as rescue puppy mill dogs, etc.

I obviously need to chat with my husband before I come to a decision, but was wondering if any fosterers could share their experiences with me.

We already have a (very spoiled!) dog who has to be taken into consideration. Is there anything else that I should cover?

TIA

Nody

The heart break of giving them up? Late night rushing in to the vet when they did something stupid? Additional cost obviously for eating etc.

But seriously; if you can please do; it's among the best way you can support them to give them a new life and while you'll ask yourself why every so often they make up for it. As you already have a dog also make sure and work with him on how he'll react; every dog and situation will potentially be different in reactions. Does he have a preference for example for adult dogs or puppies (which can be annoying by having to much energy) or does he want a high energy dog to run around and play with?

anniehoo

First off, well done for even considering it. So many rescues are crying out for fosterers at the minute.

I've done it twice and really really loved it. I wont say it was easy in terms of emotional attachment or some of the requirements you might need to do for the dog though.

Christmas 2012 I intended to only foster for 2 weeks while i was on hols. I fostered an elderly Maltese via a rescue who was surrendered to the pound. I ended up keeping her for 7mths until she passed away last summer (2 days after my cat). She had an awful lot of medical requirements which required many MANY vet visits. She had a condition which meant she peed a lot, was half blind, almost deaf, had a heart murmur,mammary masses...the lot. She was stubborn as anything but completely adorable, but would've tested the patience of a saint. She was a huge amount of work and more than I expected but I loved every minute of it. She only weighed 2.5kg and somedays it felt like a wolfhound had peed in the house :pac:

Christmas just gone I fostered a gorgeous female Whippet....and i fell.in.love!!!! I nearly turned the car around on the way to bringing her back to the shelter I got so attached, so be prepared to fall head over heels without intending to. She was no bother at all to foster. I loved having her around and bringing her for walks,cuddling up on the couch etc. It took about a week, but she was even fine with my cat. He wasn't forced to interact with her and had his safe areas to go to, but he was so curious about her he couldn't stay away. So, if you introduce your current animals slowly you should be ok.

Be careful with any medical conditions too. Mange can be a big issue with rescue dogs, so always check to find out the health status (although you should be told) before you foster.You don't want to unwittingly pass on something to your own dog. I was annoyed as the shelter I got the Whippet from didnt tell me if she was spayed (she wasn't) or what Vax's she had until i asked. So do ask all of these questions along with whether food and bedding will be provided (I didn't get it with my first foster but did with the second).

One VERY important thing is to ask what medical backup is there. Most rescues/shelters have certain vets they only use as they have an account with them so would prefer you to use them which is fair enough. I did A LOT of driving from Blanchardstown to Naas because of this, but it was good to know I always had medical back up if needed.

Overall it's an amazingly rewarding experience.Many get very attached and become "Failed Fosterers" a term you'll hear a lot once you get into it. I almost did myself....both times.

VonVix

Good advice here. And remember, besides the dog you may foster itself, you need to keep in mind if your home environment is suitable, is there furniture you don't want damaged (like leather couches), or wooden floors you wouldn't want peed on? Are you prepared for trying to minimize the chance of any potential damage that may be done (chewing, etc.) and where you might keep a foster in your home?

Along with your husband (who you need to be 100% on the same page with), your current dog is the most important person in your home. You need to be aware with how comfortable s/he is around strange dogs of different shapes/sizes/ages.

ABajaninCork

Thanks for all your thoughts. I did chat briefly with my husband about it when he got home. It's as I thought - He says if we got a puppy to foster, he would probably refuse to hand it back!!

OTOH - If we got to foster for example a dog whose owner had to go into hospital and couldn't look after it, then he'd be happy with that as the animal had a home to go back to.

You have to be dispassionate to do this I think, and we'd find it very hard to take the emotion out especially if the dog had been mistreated. That's only for starters. There's also our dog who's happy to mix with other dogs when walking. He loves visiting my SiL who has a Shih Tzu as well and the two are like brothers as there's only 3 weeks between them. Our neighbours have a Bichon Frise bitch who he loves to visit, but isn't quite so hospitable when she comes to us! He has lots of doggy friends, but can be a bit funny when the spotlight's not on him, and will retire upstairs to sulk. My dog's a bit of a showman...

The furniture won't be too much of a show stopper as we have tiled floors, so not too much aggro to keep clean. (I've had plenty of practice with the dog and the cat before him )

I guess we need to talk a bit more about it and have a really good think.

Thanks again for the input. Keep it coming!

borderlinemeath

It can be very hard to give the dogs up. The longer you have the foster, the more attached you become.

You can't expect the foster to behave the same as your own dog, it may hoover it's food, it may not. It may guard it's food, so be prepared for separate feeding. Similarly it may take a while for the foster to adjust to the night time routine and may not sleep through the night (be prepared to almost have a puppy in the house again)

House accidents are par for the course, you may get a foster than has lived a completely outdoor life and needs house training from scratch. Last year I had two sisters who were totally attached to each other and needed full training as they had been used for breeding and never been indoors. It was one of the hardest things to do as when one 'performed' and was rewarded, the other expected likewise, and would almost lose the will to live if separated.

Your own dog will need a bit of one to one as well, special treats and cuddles and extra access to restricted areas work with mine. Anything past the kitchen door is off limits to visitors so they know that they have their own place to go and chill out if they want.

As Anniehoo says, make sure you have full veterinary back up. I'm lucky in that I tend to just foster for the local rescue and most fosters go through 2 local vet practices. They know me so there's never a problem, even the other night I had a dog that the rescue hadn't assessed as it had been a complete escapologist and kept getting away from finders, so I brought it to the vets to get her checked out, microchipped, vacc'd etc. I got her sorted on behalf of the rescue and on their account which was great. But it's something that does need clarification. Most rescues will also provide things like beds/collars/leads/food but again, it may need clarification. It's all well and good to say you'll supply the food and end up fostering a giant breed with an intolerance to all but the most expensive food that costs you more than you can actually afford

anniehoo

ABajaninCork wrote: »

You have to be dispassionate to do this I think,

I prefer the word "realistic" myself

Granted fostering isn't for everyone but it's not always a long term commitment, sure I only did it for 2 and half weeks last month. Okaaay....okaay it was enough time to make me fall head over heels :pac: but wasn't it a million times better than her sitting in a kennel by herself for the holidays?!

Always remember it's for the best interests of the dog longterm and that way you can stay "realistic" about it.

With Star the Whippet, she got so much attention and love,experienced lots of different situations and meant I was able to give a very thorough description of her personality that was hugely beneficial when giving her back. I was able to tell them her likes/dislikes, whether she got on with children or other dogs/cats. Whether she was house trained or needed work, what food she liked, what she was scared of etc These are all so difficult to assess in a stressful and scary kennel/pound environment.

Rescues just don't have the time to do this and rely on fosterers to provide this incredibly valuable info to judge what forever home they can be placed in. I just kept saying to myself "it's all about her needs and what's best for her".

Don't underestimate the influence you can have in a dogs life....even if it's as short as a week.

Rescues also always need weekend fosterers. Many dogs are in the transition period between Ireland and the UK or another European country. I had a Mastiff type dog for one night last summer who I transported to the airport on his way to his forever home in Sweden. Both of us had great craic for the 24hrs I had him. So I suppose I've fostered 3 times now if you count him.

So, while yes, I won't lie emotional attachment is an issue, just remember all of the benefits a dog can gain from being in a loving and secure environment with people who understand what a dog needs.

Any decent rescue will homecheck you first too and only place dogs that they feel you are able for also, so don't feel you are going to be landed with any oul dog that comes along. They will only let you foster a dog they feel best suits everyone.

To be honest, I'm quite selfish about the whole thing now. I can't have a dog fulltime so fostering suits me down to the ground. I get a short term "doggy fix", the dog benefits and the rescue benefits. Win win as far as I'm concerned.I'll be doing it again this Christmas without a shadow of a doubt

At the end of of the day...if you become a "failed fosterer", well that's not the end of the world now is it?

nala2012

I've fostered dogs twice and a kitten too. First dog i fostered was tough. My dog is so laid back and knows how to chill when in the house. My foster was a terrier and didn't know how to relax and peed in the house a lot! I loved him but didn't think once about keeping him. This year was different experience and i first had a gorgeous german shepherd pup but he had home lined up so only had him couple nights, considering he was only 3 months he was great! Was a bit worried about what my next one would be like. I had choice of who i wanted to take so i picked a scruffy terrier that had literally just been spayed. She was super and i really considered keeping her, the only thing that stoped me was that i wouldn't be able to foster again if i did! It also helped that i met the new owners and they seemed great and kept in touch. The kitten from a dog rescue too and was great fun. You get loads of satisfaction and love from fostering but there is also frustration and sometimes heart break so be prepared!

njs030

I've fostered 8/9 different dogs over a few years and it's definitely worth doing but be prepared for some heartache and stress on occasion!

To be honest I find the puppies easiest to give up as by the time they are healed (mentally or physically) they are making the most of being puppies and driving me insane!

The one I think of most often is an old black lab who was found wandering in a forest injured and terrified.The first night he made himself as small as possible in a corner of the room and squealed when I approached....eventually he allowed me to touch him and after a few hours he lay his head on my knee and went to sleep, knowing he trusted me was amazing!! As time went on he became more sociable and relaxed until a few months later the vet changed his assessment from an old dog to a five year old!!
I did his home check and took him there myself, I'll never forget walking out the door and him trustingly following me.....and hearing him howl when he realised I was going. His new person called me a few mins later to let me know he was fine though!!

Honestly if you can manage to do it there's very little more rewarding but letting go is hard-we have a wall of foster dog photos in the hallway and it occasionally brings tears to my eyes!!

Inexile

I foster regularly and while I get attached to some more than others I never really mind giving them up. Why? Because I always know theres another coming around the corner. My advise is to set your limits.

If you are only happy taking dogs of a certain size, age or sex then tell the rescue that you will only take these dogs. Insist on the dog being vaccinated, wormed and deflea'd before it comes to you. Get a crate if you don't have one spare.

My best advice is try it. You are not committed to the dog for life and you as dog lovers you will enjoy helping another soul on its way to forever home.

I think fosterers are worth their weight in gold - which is probably why Im not doing too well on losing the Christmas excess

Oh as for limits mine is one dog at a time which is why Im currently fostering 3! But that's only a temporary situation....

sotisme

Ahh it's amazing! In the past few years I have fostered aprx. 18 kittens, 2 puppies, and a greyhound. All have been a joy to take care of!

If it's your first time, I would highly recommend kittens. They are "naturally" toilet trained which will save you the extra hours of work spent trying to toilet train young pups (however, if you have the time, young pups can be the most rewarding foster patients!). Kittens are usually very gentle (once they're not completely feral) and, like pups, are generally easy to feed as they love their food.

If you decide to foster kittens, I cannot emphasise enough how much better it is to get >2 kittens. A single kitten will be more than likely bored, and maybe even scared (new surroundings) when on its own (you can't be there the whole time), whereas when they have sibiling companionship this thought goes out the window:p:p

I'm just finished my morning routiene of getting up slightly earlier, heading down to my 2 stunning kittens, cleaning out the XXL crate that they sleep in (you'd fit 20 kittens in it, hehe), and then spending about 10 minutes individual time cuddling each. When I get home I let them run around the house for about an hour, then cuddle them lots for the rest of the evening. They're great company to have, aren't very demanding and are a great little attraction to entertain guests, while at the same time, socialise them.

Don't feel guilty for not spending as much time with them as you like, sure in a shelter, they would receive almost zero interaction, so even if you're only playing with them for 10 minutes a day, it's a big difference. I'm out from 8am to 4pm some days but I know that with fresh food, water, plenty of (safe!!) toys, fresh litter, a large run, and each other; that they'll be perfectly fine until I'm back.

I hope this helps, I would write more if I had the time, but feel free to ask questions! All in all, I really hope you go ahead with it! Remember, you'll be saving lives!:D

Fitzg

I have fostered a ten week old puppy and two baby kittens.
I also talked to a few ex-fosterers before I got into it. I was worried about getting attached and heart-broken or just plain old deciding to keep them all!!
The puppy was so sweet. He got sick while I was fostering him and so I had to keep him an extra week. I was fostering for an organisation that provided the food and covered the vets costs. I was out of work for the three weeks that he was staying and it was really wonderfully rewarding. He grew so much in those three weeks. The pudding! my heart does a little squish of love when I look at photos of him. I was apprehensive about the day I had to hand him back but it was actually fine and I felt really proud of his healthy status when I took him back and the vets were delighted with him. Somehow I was so busy preparing myself for the inevitable sadness and loss that it came as a surprise to discover how good it felt to see him go to a new home. I don't know who adopted him but I know the area he's in and whenever I pass through I'm always scanning dogs to see if I spot him.
I also fostered two teeny weeny kittens - 5 days to 8 weeks. That was an unimaginable experience. Again I'd recommend it. I had super help from a great friend who was their other mother. I couldn't have done it alone and it also helped hugely to have her emotional support along with all the practical support such as enabling me to get a few hours sleep and work and get to and from the vets with them. I kept one kitten who is now a beautiful cat and the joy of my heart