Today’s guest blogger, Jessica Shipman is a bargain hunter, food lover, and software engineer figuring out how to be a pet parent for the first time. She shares her journey on Beagles & Bargains.
Throw a Foster Dog a Bone
I decided to foster my first dog, Ralph, about a month ago when a local rescue got a sudden rush of dogs from several different hoarding situations. I didn’t quite know what I was getting myself into, but it’s been an amazingly rewarding experience and I have learned quite a lot.
I first considered fostering because I was curious about adding a second dog to our family in the future. I thought that I might be able to see if we could handle two dogs all while helping out a dog searching for his or her forever home.
And while all of that has happened and despite having rescued Luna several years before, I have learned a lot about bringing a new (foster) dog home over the past month.
Here are some of the most important lessons I’ve learned (some the hard way)
- Ask questions up front and remember there are no dumb questions.
Some key things to ask about:
- What will you be responsible for as a foster?
- How long will you be expected to foster? What if you need to go out of town or stop fostering?
- What happens in the event of an emergency?
- Consider your own pets.
Ask yourself “What type of pets do they typically get along with or have issues with?”
When it’s time to introduce your pets to your foster pet, be sure to do it on neutral ground, so your pets don’t feel protective, and without any stimulus that could cause a fight.
- Clean up, clean up, EVERYWHERE.
Your current pets might not chew on electrical cords or steal your shoes, but that doesn’t mean your foster pet won’t. Better to be safe than sorry, trust me.
- Take high quality photos.
This makes a huge difference in getting your foster pet adopted. Capture them looking happy and healthy and share those photos with the rescue so they can update any adoption listings.
- Treat your foster like a part of the family.
He or she may not be a permanent part, but the love and care you show your foster will help them once they do find their forever home.
And Ralph says make sure to get them a Jones Natural Chew!
Update and Giveaway
Thanks, Jessica, for great foster dog tips! We’ll be doing a series of guest posts on Thursdays for awhile, while I’m in treatment. I’ve been dizzy. A lot. It makes typing a little difficult. But blogging friends, like Jessica at Beagles and Bargains, have volunteered to step in occasionally and fill the blogging gap. I can’t express my thanks enough!
And don’t forget to enter the Soft Blend Chicken Taffy giveaway! Tweeting daily increases your chances to win, you know. So do it. Do it now. Ralph says so. And Ralph is cute. You’ll want to do what he says. He’s an expert.
Spreading the good chews …
Flea
