Fostering a dog

[Vicky]

As I delve more into researching the Malinois, I have seen that a good suggestion seems to apply to be a foster home in order to get a good handle on the dog's character without making a long term commitment. I mean I can say I love the Mali all I want on the internet, but buying the dog and handling it can be a different story so I believe this is a very responsible thing to do before making that big decision.

So, what is applying to be a foster home like? Do rescues sometimes have "deal breakers" where they will refuse to give a dog to a certain home? How long do you foster for? Do you get to choose the age or other specifications? Feel free to add any other opinions or experiences. They are welcomed!

[Emoore]

You foster for as long as it takes for the dog to get adopted. That can be anywhere from a month for a young, healthy adoptable dogs, up to *years* for an older dog with special needs. Often a foster family will take an 8 or 9 year old dog and "foster" him/her until death.

If you're not comfortable with that you can be a temp foster first. Those usually just foster a dog short-time while the regular foster is out of town. Temp fosters are a lifesaver for foster families when they need to go visit Grandma or want to take a vacation.

A reputable rescue will let you choose what age, gender, etc you are comfortable with. They should let you choose the requirements for your foster dog. They should have someone experienced to answer your questions and help you through your first few fostering experiences.

Yes, most rescues do have deal breakers. I'm not going to tell you what they are. No offense, but I don't know you from Adam and if I tell you what a rescue does and doesn't want to hear, how do I know you won't just repeat what I said?

Great idea being a foster, by the way. I've been fostering for nearly 10 years and it's very rewarding!

[sit,stay]

Every rescue is different and, although there might be some generalized common themes, each has their own requirements.

My best advice is to contact the specific rescue(s) and ask them what their policies and procedures are. When I was coordinating a foster program, I was not too interested in dealing with prospective foster homes who looked at fostering as a way to "test drive" individual dogs as potential forever adoptions. It took a lot of effort to get a new foster home up and running, and I wasn't thrilled at the idea of putting all that effort into it, knowing that it wasn't expected to be a long term fostering relationship. Of course, that being said, it still happened at times.

I do think, however, that fostering before committing to a breed in general can be a wonderful way to get a handle on the general breed characteristics and some hands on experience with a breed. That kind of experience can be invaluable and sure would eliminate some of the surprises that can cause an owner to give up on a dog they weren't prepared for. But that is different from only wanting to foster a dog to see if you want to own that dog.

Anyway, contact different rescues and ask them what their polices are. You want to concentrate on those organizations that have a support system in place for their foster homes. You want an organization that will look at the entirety of your circumstance and place the best suited foster with you. Not the dog that needs a foster home the quickest or the one you want the most, but the one that fits your home and life style the best. Ask who pays for what. And you absolutely want an organization that has an adoption network (some form of exposure that gets the adoptable dogs in front of potential adopters on a regular basis).

Be prepared to have a home visit and reference checks. You are going to be asked to prove everything you put on your application.

Good luck! I think fostering is one of the most rewarding experiences possible.
Sheilah

[BowWowMeow]

It's great that you are considering fostering!

Are you looking into fostering for these folks? ABMC Belgian Malinois Rescue - Rescued Belgian Malinois

I would like to eventually adopt a sister for Rafi through them, although the cat friendly mals are few and far between (Rafi is fabulous with cats).

Responsible rescues do try very hard to make a good match between foster homes and foster dogs so the deal breaker could change from dog to dog.

I'd say mals tend to spend longer in rescue than gsds because they take a bigger commitment and more experienced handler than a lot of gsds. Some of the ABMC dogs have been in their foster homes for quite a while.

If you are a new dog owner then I would be sure you request an easy dog. I have ended up with fosters that were too much for their original foster home and that kind of experience tends to turn people off.

[Vicky]

Thank you guys. As always, very helpful!

I could see a rescue being turned off by someone fostering because they want to get a handle on that breed. My question would be then, if that was my reasoning, would a rescue allow me to foster? Because that would be my main reason for wanting to foster. I also wouldn't mind an extended "stay" with a foster dog, but if I was in charge of funding all of the dog's needs, then I'm not sure I would be as willing if it wasn't my dog. I kind of feel horrible saying that, but it's true.

This is also just a feeler thread. I'm not sure if I'll definitely do it but I never know. Maybe this will turn out to be the ideal situation for me. I would have no problem providing references and/or allowing a home check.

EDIT: Just saw your post BowWowMeow! Yes they are who I was looking at!

[MustLoveGSDs]

Originally Posted by Vicky

I could see a rescue being turned off by someone fostering because they want to get a handle on that breed. My question would be then, if that was my reasoning, would a rescue allow me to foster? Because that would be my main reason for wanting to foster.

I think you will be happy to find out that purebred rescues WELCOME this type of mentality with open arms! A GREAT way to figure out if a certain breed is right for your lifestyle is to foster! It is a chance to live and work with the breed without actually having to commit to it just yet. In 2009 I was Doberman-less and really wanted to know what it was like living with and owning a Doberman. The only interaction I had had with the breed was through my jobs as a dog daycare counselor or meeting them at dog events. I contacted a local Doberman rescue group, sent an email of interest explaining who I was, what I was about, and my interest in the Doberman breed and not long after that I begun fostering Dobermans and handling them at events. I decided the breed was definitely right for me and in May of 2010 I purchased my very first Doberman puppy and he has been AMAZING. I am still very involved in Doberman rescue.

There is a need for purebred rescue because these breeds end up in shelters in the first place due to any average joe buying one from a BYB who will sell to anyone who has the cash regardless if they have experience with the breed and are equipped to handle them or not. Purebred rescues are operated by dedicated individuals who understand the breed they champion and fight for, what they truly need to thrive, and they should be more than happy to help educate anyone interested in their breed.

Originally Posted by Vicky

I also wouldn't mind an extended "stay" with a foster dog, but if I was in charge of funding all of the dog's needs, then I'm not sure I would be as willing if it wasn't my dog. I kind of feel horrible saying that, but it's true.

Now this you might run into problems with because the point of fostering is to help the dog on its way to adoption. If the rescue keeps getting approved applicants who are interested in your foster dog but you keep saying no the rescue will need you to make a decision of adopt the dog yourself or adopt it out because they do not want to upset good homes. You could foster dogs that need to go through heartworm treatment or have other issues that might you required to foster them for an extended amount of time before they are ready for adoption, but generally foster dogs need to get adopted so more dogs can be saved.

[Vicky]

That was a different, refreshing perspective. Thanks!

How do fostering situations work care wise? Who pays for food, medication, vet visits, etc.? That was what I meant when I said that completely paying for all of a dog's needs just to send it off to another home is a bit of a turn off. But I understand that is it important in helping the dog find a home.

[MustLoveGSDs]

Originally Posted by Vicky

That was a different, refreshing perspective. Thanks!

How do fostering situations work care wise? Who pays for food, medication, vet visits, etc.? That was what I meant when I said that completely paying for all of a dog's needs just to send it off to another home is a bit of a turn off. But I understand that is it important in helping the dog find a home.

No prob!

I will echo what others have stated about every rescue operating differently. Now, from my experience of being involved in the rescue community for 6 years now I can tell you that I have never been with a rescue org or seen one that has required the foster parent to pay for medicals. Vetting and preventions should be totally covered by the rescue. Some will have an account on file at the vets they use and others will have you pay but you can fill out a reimbursement form and get the money back. Some rescues have food available to give to foster homes but most will make you pay for the dog food yourself. That is the only expense you generally should incur, aside from toys and whatever you want to buy the foster dog. Most rescues will also be able to provide a crate so you do not have to buy one if you need one.

You will just have to get in contact with the specific rescue organization you are interested in and find out how they operate I think it's also a good idea to attend events they are at so you can meet some of the volunteers in person and get a feel for things, see if they are the kind of people you want to associate yourself with. I have quit 3 groups so far due to ethics(lack of), politics, and poor attitudes.

[Emoore]

At the rescue I work with, you can tell them you want to do a "foster-to-adopt" which basically means you want to foster as a road to adoption. They'll try to send you dogs that match the criteria for dogs you want to adopt, though at times you might be asked to foster one that's not exactly what you're looking for if they need to get one out of a shelter.


My rescue pays for all medical bills, including heart worm prevention. Foster homes pay for food and toys. Food and toys are tax-deductible. If you don't want to buy a leash, collar, or crate you can usually borrow one from somebody else at the rescue.

Again, every rescue is different.

[JakodaCD OA]

Have you checked out
ABMC Belgian Malinois Rescue - Rescued Belgian Malinois