The Essential Guide to Fostering a Dog

Considering fostering a dog? It can be a fulfilling way to make a huge impact for shelter animals.

Dog foster parents provide a temporary home for pets in need. Instead of spending their time in a shelter, which can be stressful for some pets, dogs in foster care are placed in a positive home environment where they receive love, care, and basic training and socialization that will boost their chances of eventually transitioning into a loving, permanent home.

How Does Fostering a Dog Work?

Fostering a dog means temporarily welcoming a dog into your home while they wait to be adopted. Dog foster care has benefits for foster pets, animal shelters and rescues, and other homeless pets:

• Foster pet parents give shelter dogs a safe, loving environment away from the shelter.

• Foster parents report back to the shelter or rescue about the dog’s personality and behavior, which is often different outside of the shelter environment. Shelters can then use that info to find the best adopters for that dog.

• Fostering a pet opens up space at shelter and rescue organizations, allowing them to help more animals—potentially even saving at-risk pets from humane euthanization.

Some animals stay in their foster homes for a short time, while others might need a few weeks or months until they’re matched with the right adopter. But even one- or two-night stays are beneficial, allowing the dog to get a break from the shelter, where they’re just one of many animals, and enjoy some one-on-one time with a caretaker in a quieter setting.

Though it may not be intentional, many foster dogs also end up staying at their temporary home for good. These “foster fails” happen when a foster family decides their new friend is meant for them and adopts them.

Dog Foster Parent Responsibilities

Dog foster parent responsibilities cover basic care needs you’d provide for your own pet, just in a temporary capacity. This includes everyday responsibilities like:

• Feeding

• Grooming

• Exercise

• Administering medications and/or supplements

• Vet visits

Foster parents also help the dog adjust to a home environment. This may mean spending extra time helping the pup feel more comfortable around other pets and people, or learning basic skills like how to walk on a leash—basically anything to make sure the dog has the best chance of adoption.

Additional requirements for foster homes for dogs vary between organizations. Rescue groups may depend on foster volunteers for help with the adoption process, including reviewing applications, promoting the pet on social media, and attending adoption events.

Financial responsibilities vary, too. At some rescues, like AHeinz 57 Pet Rescue & Transport in De Soto, Iowa, supplies like food, medicine, dog crates, training treats, bowls, bedding, toys, and even professional dog training for more challenging cases are provided to foster parents.

But other organizations may not have those resources to offer. If you’re considering opening your home to foster dogs but not sure if you can cover the pet’s financial needs during their stay, ask the rescue if it can provide supplies.

Many foster organizations offer special services to foster parents, too. At Dallas Animal Services (DAS), for example, staff work to ensure veterinary help and are available for any foster questions or healthcare needs. They provide access to veterinary care via video calls as well as at the shelter clinic, making it as easy as possible for foster families to keep up with monthly boosters of vaccines, preventatives, and any necessary exams or consultations.

Bringing a Foster Dog Home

Dogs in foster homes need a safe and comfortable space, especially when leaving a stressful shelter environment.

Sarah Sheek, assistant general manager of Dallas Animal Services, recommends taking some time to set up your space in advance. Think about how you’ll bring your foster pup home and what supplies you’ll need. Make sure you have a separate space where they can acclimate, food and water bowls, a secure crate, and a comfy bed for them to call their own.

Veterinarians also recommend these other tips and tricks to help your foster dog settle in and be happier:

• Feed the same food your dog was fed at the shelter, if possible. if your dog needs a diet change, talk to your veterinarian about starting probiotics like FortiFlora® or Proviable® to help protect your dog’s digestive system.

• Get into a consistent daily routine. Just like people, dogs like to know what to expect during their day, which helps decrease anxiety of the unknown.

• Spend 15 minutes a day teaching a new trick or command.

• Take your dog on a walk twice a day.

• Start using an enrichment bowl during meals and interactive food puzzle toys during downtime.

• Plan some time each day for your dog to spend alone and calm in their safe space and to have special treats.

• Use a calming pheromone diffuser like Adaptil® to reduce anxiety. If needed, ask your vet about antianxiety supplements designed to promote balanced behavior, such as Purina® Calming Care®, Zylkene®, and Solliquin®.

If you have other pets, determine where they’ll be when your new dog arrives. Shelter staff generally recommend holding off on introductions until the new foster pet has had time to settle in. Introducing new dogs can be overwhelming when your foster first arrives. Once they’ve had time to decompress in their own private area of your home, they may be more receptive to other furry friends.

Sheek offers some tips for first-time fosters that can help in those first few days and weeks with your new foster dog.

1. Be patient—with them and yourself. Every pet adjusts to being out of the shelter at their own pace. There’ll be a learning curve for you, too, as you learn about their personality.

2. Ask questions. Connect with other dog foster parents or rescue staff for advice. Volunteer events or online support groups for fosters can help you navigate the fostering process.

3. Keep an open mind. Fostering is a learning experience. Don’t let the fear of not knowing something keep you from getting started.

Should I Foster a Dog?

Before you decide to become a dog foster parent, it’s important to make sure that you’ll be able to take good care of your foster animal. Ask yourself these questions:

• Does my landlord or HOA allow dogs?

• Can I afford to provide everything a dog needs, apart from what the shelter or rescue is providing?

• Do I have enough time to take care of a dog? This means time spent on walks, training,  play time, and snuggle time.

• Do I have enough space in my home and the right environment to provide my foster dog with a safe, quiet place to decompress and have independent time?

Many foster organizations can be flexible when it comes to your lifestyle, considering factors like whether you have other pets or kids, so they can pair you with dogs who are suited to you.

But there is one essential thing that a foster parent has to be able to do: Love and let go. Dog foster parents need to be able to get to know the animal well enough to share details that’ll help them find the best fit in a forever home. But getting to know a dog—and then sending them along to an adopter’s loving home—can be an emotionally difficult task.

“It will fill your heart with joy one minute, and break your heart the next when you send them to their new home,” says Amy Heinz, founder and director of AHeinz57 Rescue. “But then the next one shows up needing you just as much and your heart is filled once again.”

While bittersweet, the primary goal for fostering a dog is always to help them find their eventual forever home. If you’re hoping to find a pet that’ll be a permanent member of your family, adoption or volunteering in a different capacity might be a better fit.

How To Foster a Dog

So, you’re thinking, “Sounds great! I’m in—but how do I foster dogs?” The sign-up process varies between organizations, but your best bet is to contact your local animal rescue organization. They’ll be able to tell you what requirements you’ll need to meet, and how to fill out their foster application.

Requirements vary between programs, but at minimum, the pet needs to live inside. Prospective foster parents may need to attend formal training or orientation sessions before getting approval to take animals home.

Sheek encourages foster hopefuls to consider what kind of foster pet would fit best in their life, and then visit an adoption center to talk with a staff member. Perhaps you’re looking for a couch potato, or maybe you’d be best with a running buddy. Share your needs with the shelter so they can place a foster pet with you that’ll be a good fit with your lifestyle.