The Beginner’s Guide To A Fostered Dog

So you’ve decided to foster a dog. Congratulations, you’ve done the right thing. Foster dogs are often ignored. People tend just to go for puppies instead of older dogs who have had previous owners. Looking after a dog is actually fairly simple when you know what to do. There are a few things you need to do differently with a foster dog though.

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Give It Space -While not all foster dogs come from bad homes, some have. They may not be very trusting of humans and very shy to be affectionate. It’s important that as soon as you take it back to your home you give it space. Let it acclimatise to their new environment. At least to settle in enough to not be scared of a new place.

Get It Treated – Ideally you may want to do this on your first visit to the vet. If the dog hasn’t had any injections required to prevent infections and the like, get it done as soon as possible. If the dog has had the shots already, it should say that on any paperwork you receive from the shelter. You also need to treat the dog for fleas immediately. While most shelters do their best to be flea-free, sometimes it can’t be helped because of the influx of dogs they get and how easily fleas spread. To protect yourself and the dog, use a de-fleaing agent like Advantage flea treatment.

Feed It Right – Any old dog food won’t really cut it. A dog’s mood and health are determined partly by its nutrition. That doesn’t mean to say you have to pamper them with specialised cooked dinners every night. Just make sure you do a little research on the best wet and dry dog foods you can get. It’s very important to mention that dogs are carnivorous. Some people like to make their dogs fit their dietary lifestyle choices as being a vegan or vegetarian. This is not good for your dog. Dogs need to eat meat. The telltale signs of dog malnutrition are a dry nose and a dull, patchy coat of fur. If you notice either of these things on your dog, you may be feeding it wrong.

Keep It Hydrated – This is a no-brainer. Every dog needs water. You need to be mindful of a lot of things with dog hydration though. Say for instance you’ve gone out for a walk on a very hot day with your dog. After a while, your dog is panting and is starting to overheat. Did you bring a bottle of water with you? If not, your dog may be in trouble without anything to drink. Keeping them hydrated won’t be your only task on a hot day too. Keeping them cool is another thing. A good way to keep them cool is to soak a bandana in cold water and tie it loosely around their neck.

Give It Time To Like You – As already explained, some foster dogs may not be very trusting of humans. Dogs are smart though, they can learn. If they learn that you’re nice, they’ll start to trust you more. What’s important is that you don’t try to rush the process. You need to make sure the dog is given enough space and time to come to that conclusion yourself. You may want to play fetch immediately after bringing your foster dog home, but there’s not any guarantee the dog will feel the same way. It could take weeks or maybe even months for your foster dog to fully warm up to you. All you need to be is patient, and eventually you will develop a trust relationship.

Keep It Fit – Dogs need exercise. So do you. As long as you’ve got a relatively young dog, it’ll be able to keep up with you on a morning run for instance. Dogs are a great friend to runners. They help runners keep pace and provide a partner of sorts. They also help incentivise continuing to run. If the dog can keep going, so can you. Be aware, smaller dogs like Chihuahuas may not be able to keep up with you. Older dogs can’t really keep up with you. If you’re an older person yourself, running might not be your thing anyway. A brisk walk will keep the both of you fit. Games of fetch are also good for keeping your dog fit if you can’t walk or run alongside it. Throw the ball as far as you can, and your dog will go speeding after it to retrieve it.

Get It Spayed – Puppies are nice, but you don’t want your dog impregnating or being impregnated every time you let it off the leash at the park. Getting a dog spayed is a fairly simple procedure and requires only a minimal amount of recovery time. For the hassle it’ll save you, it’s well worth doing. Getting a dog spayed is also likely to impact behaviour to some degree. Male dogs will see a decreased chance of aggression and over excitement after being spayed.

Let It Socialise – While sometimes you might be enough company your dog needs, sometimes you need them to be around other dogs to teach it social and behavioural skills. While the park is a good place to meet other dogs and their owners, it’s good to try sticking to friends who have dogs instead. Easy and frequent access to another dog means your dog will acclimate to other dogs quicker and easier in the future. It might make it possible in the future to get yourself another dog and introduce them to the other one without there being much tension.

Getting a foster dog isn’t easy. Fostering is vitally important; many dogs are just left at shelters, and they can stay there for years with no real owner to interact with. It can be incredibly rewarding to have a dog. You get to have a friend to come home to every night. Plus, you can always count on the loyalty of a dog who loves you. No matter what.