Remember, foster dogs are coming from the county and city shelter system. The shelters are loud scary places and many of our rescues have been there for several weeks. Many are scared and exhausted from their time there. They may be underweight, they may have injuries, and many of them have been recently spayed or neutered. They need to time to decompress from their traumatic stay. Your home gives them that safe space.

The first few days your foster may sleep several hours, not want to eat, or not want to go outside. Many of our rescues have not been housebroken and may not have lived inside a house before. They need time and patience to learn the rules of your house. A consistent schedule, space to rest and get away from other pets and noise, and lots of love and attention will help them tremendously. Crate training is a great way to accomplish this. That gives them their own safe space to relax, and it helps with getting them on a housebreaking schedule.

Don’t expect your pack and your new rescue to get along after the first meeting. Always introduce your rescue to your pack one-on-one and in a neutral space, such as your yard. Remove all toys, treats and food from common areas to reduce resource guarding, which is a common cause of dog aggression. Feed your rescue separate from your pack in the crate. If they have special dietary needs or medications, it will be provided along with instructions.

Please always keep your rescue on a leash when you’re in an insecure area such as the front yard or a backyard that is not completely fenced. Small dogs can get out under fencing and certain large breeds are able to jump fences. Our rescues come with a collar and ID tag that shows our contact information. Please leave it on your foster at all times.

If your rescue appears to be ill, please contact Foster Tales ASAP at 661-364-8844. Foster Tales will be able to guide you if it is a minor illness or will provide veterinarian care if needed. Our rescues are all up to date on their vaccines and are given flea and tick medication.

If they need to be neutered or spayed, make sure you follow the directions given by the vet when you pick up your rescue. After surgery, rescues are usually groggy, they may have accidents in the house, and will need to be in a cone for a few days until they heal.

If you have an issue with dog aggression, either dog-on-dog or with a person, contact Foster Tales at 661-364-8844 immediately to discuss the situation and receive guidance. Not all foster households are a good fit for a particular rescue or may require some training to resolve a situation. Keeping a close eye on your pack and the new rescue may prevent most dog-on-dog issues. Be mindful that dogs new to an environment may lash out and bite if scared. If you have children in the house introduce them slowly and make sure they understand to be respectful towards any rescue and their personal space.

Try to teach your rescue basic commands such as sit, stay, down, and leave it. These are some basic commands that all dogs should learn and will help with their transition to a new permanent family.

Thank you for helping Foster Tales find new forever families for our shelter pets!