BRINGING HOME A FOSTER DOG
Transitioning from shelter life to home life takes a minute. Here are some tips to give your new foster dog the space and time they need to successfully decompress and transition to life with you in your home.
The Dog Foster Handbook
The Dog Foster Handbook is a very detailed guide that walks you through the fostering process step by step.
Dog Foster Q&A Session Videos
FOSTER CARE VIDEOS
Transitioning Your Foster Dog From Shelter To Home
Canine General Medical and Mobility Issues
Maximizing the Health and Comfort of Senior Dogs
Post-Parvovirus Puppies in APA! Foster Homes
FOSTER BEHAVIOR VIDEOS
FOSTER MEDICAL VIDEOS
FOSTER ADOPTION VIDEOS
The 3-3-3 rule will help you guide your new foster's transition and set everyone up for success!
The 3-3-3 rule represents the phases of a rescue dog or common milestones a new dog or puppy will go through roughly 3 days, 3 weeks, and then 3 months after being brought home from a shelter. Your foster will need time to adjust to unfamiliar surroundings, unfamiliar people, unfamiliar animals, new schedules, and new rules while settling into their new foster home.
Give your new pup a calm place to relax, and access to food and water.
Being in the shelter can be really stressful for your foster, so the first thing you want to do is give your foster dog a calm place to relax, access to food and water, and a few toys to help them relax.
Would you like a Foster Mentor?
APA! is lucky to have a network of foster volunteers that will make themselves available to our fosters to provide information, support and hands-on assistance when needed.
For General Mentor Support, email APA! Dog Foster Mentors (dog-adoption-mentor@austinpetsalive.org)
For support with your Distemper positive or Distemper Watch dog, email APA! Distemper Angels (distemper-angels@austinpetsalive.org)
For support with your Maternity and/or Neonatal dog(s), email APA! Dog Foster Maternity & Neonatal Mentors (dog-foster-neonatal@austinpetsalive.org)
If you'd like to become a mentor, we'd love to have you! Email any one of those groups and let them know you'd like to help.
Isolate your foster dog from your other resident pets for at least the first week.
Isolating your foster from your new pets will:
Give the foster pet time to decompress without added social pressure from resident animals
Give the resident animals time to adjust to a new dog in the household
Limit your pets' exposure to any potential shelter germs or undiagnosed illnesses your foster may bring with them
My foster pet isn't being social.
Give it time. Dogs can sometimes take a few weeks or more to get used to their new residence, especially if they need socializing. Don't try to force them to interact with you by grabbing them or forcibly holding them. Treats are a great way to get your dog to open up. If your dog likes treats try putting some out when you come into the room. Toys are also a great way to bond with your foster. Teaching your foster to associate you with treats and toys is a great way to get your foster to come our of their shell.