Adoption Information
At Foster Tales, we take pride in our comprehensive and transparent adoption process, designed to ensure the best match between our rescue dogs and their potential forever homes. We believe in openness about each dog's personality, including their quirks and the commitment required to welcome them into your life. By fostering our dogs, we live with them, learn their behaviors, preferences, and needs, allowing us to share a detailed portrait with prospective adopters.
Our adoption journey unfolds in several thoughtful steps:
- A quick introductory phone call (call/text 661-364-8844) to understand your expectations and answer any initial questions.
- A virtual meet-and-greet with the dog, giving you a firsthand look at their personality and how they interact in a home setting.
- An application process paired with a virtual home check, ensuring your home is a safe and suitable environment.
- Pre-adoption counseling to discuss the responsibilities of pet ownership, the specific needs of your chosen dog, and how to address any potential challenges.
- Finally, an in-person meeting and adoption, where you'll officially welcome your new family member home.
This process ensures not just a successful adoption but a harmonious, lifelong bond between you and your new companion.
Call or text 661-364-8844 or complete the adoption application to start the process.
Adoption Basics
Items to buy.
Our dogs all come with collars, leashes, a toy, at least two meals of current food, and medical records. Wondering what kind of items we recommend you purchase before adopting? We've got you covered.
Here is our recommended shopping list for new adopters:
- Appropriately sized crate. All of our fosters are in the process of being crate trained, and you will want to continue to use this important tool when away or asleep.
- Durable chew toys like antlers and Benebones. Dogs who have appropriate outlets for chewing chew less of your belongings! We also recommend COW HOOVES! The dogs love them.
- Enrichment toys like Kongs and lick mats. Freeze peanut butter or wet food on these items for an engaging and soothing treat.
- Slow feeder bowl (not for flat-nosed dogs). Freeze some wet food in your slow feeder bowl and add kibble and other food items at dinner time for a more satisfying meal. Feed your newly adopted pup in the crate.
- Travel crate or restraint/safety item for the car. Don't travel with loose dogs. We recommend you use a soft travel crate to transport your newly adopted canine. There are alternatively other types of restraints for the car and safety items available on the market.
- Training treats. These will come in handy as you show your newly adopted dog the rules of the house. They also are great for brief training sessions to exercise your dog's mind.
- Dog food. Shop Local! Shop small. The best recommendation we can give is to buy your dog food from your local, independently owned pet food store.
& last, but not least,
- Secure a trainer or reserve a spot in a dog obedience class. You won't regret it. This is the best way to ensure a successful adoption: work with a professional. Foster Tales will provide support to you, but nothing is better than having a professional in person to work with.
What to be prepared for.
They have a saying in dog rescue: the first three days, three weeks, and three months. If you follow best practices, you will see vast improvement within the first few days of adoption. After three weeks of routine, your dog will continue to blossom and get the hang of house rules. After three months, you won't believe you ever lived without your precious canine.
That being said, adopting a new best friend doesn't come with its challenges. Things won't go perfectly; your precious pup will even make mistakes. But with the right methods, we can limit these mistakes and adjust behavior to fit your lifestyle.
Expect to spend the first few days primarily on the dog. Does that mean you must be around the dog constantly for the first few days? No. In addition to other activities, you need to perform away training, where you gradually introduce the dog to being alone in the crate.
When you adopt from Foster Tales, you will receive pre-adoption counseling from a trainer to give you a guide for success.
For our feline lovers…
Although many of our dogs test 'cat safe,' most of them have never lived with one. This means you need to plan to work with your newly adopted dog on leash indoors around the cat and be prepared to use both corrections and positive reinforcement. With time and patience, comes success. However, we require you to never leave your cat and dog alone together while you are away or sleeping. It is best to always use caution.
Create a lifelong bond through training.
Training is a must in partnerships between humans and dogs. Not highly specialized or time intensive training--just simple pet training reviewing sit, stay, come, and down does the trick. Training allows you to connect and communicate effectively with your dog throughout its life. Basic 15 minute training sessions once a day can work wonders by positively driving engagement and burning through unused energy.
How should you begin training your dog? With a professional, of course! Enroll in obedience classes or schedule a session from a professional dog trainer before you bring your newly adopted dog home.
