Foster guidelines.

The FAQs for foster parents.

I’m a new foster parent. What’s the single most important thing I should know?

Understand decompression. Decompression means that a dog needs to actually recover from being in a shelter. That’s right: Recover. Shelters are noisy, chaotic, and stressful for dogs. The longer a dog has been in the shelter, the more traumatized she can be.

Having a regular routine and a quiet environment can really help a dog overcome shelter trauma and get back to being a dog again. This typically takes a minimum of two weeks.

These two resources provide tips on how to help your foster dog decompress:

What should I do to prepare before my foster dog arrives at my home?

Preparing your home before your foster dog arrives means you can spend more time with the dog once he gets there. Sleeping, feeding, and introductions to other pets should be structured and planned. See additional Q&As below for more on introductions.

Think about the dog’s various “stations.” Decide where the dog will:

  • EAT. Make sure the dog has a safe, quiet and—if possible—private place to eat, especially if you have other pets. Feed the dog in the same spot in your house at every meal. You may also feed the dog in his crate (see more about crate training below) which teaches him that good things happen there.

  • DRINK. Ditto. Make sure that the dog has access to fresh water at all times. There should be water bowls both indoors and outdoors.

  • SLEEP. Your dog should be able to sleep in a place where he feels safe. This should ideally be in a crate the first few weeks, but it could also be a nice cushy dog bed or even a pile of blankets arranged into a comfy nest. Don’t let the dog sleep in a human bed with kids or other pets, as this can make the dog possessive of people. Since this is a foster dog, we need to set her up for success once she’s adopted.

  • PEE & POOP. Know where the dog is allowed to relieve himself on your property, and be prepared to praise him when he gets it right.

  • PLAY. If you have a backyard, the dog should associate that space with comfort and fun. The backyard is also a good place to train your dog, but training should happen indoors, too.

What’s the first thing I should do when the dog arrives at my home?

Our friends at Redfin highlighted Outta the Cage in Adopting a Shelter Pet: Expert Advice to Prepare Your Home for Your New Furry Friend, and featured one of our most critical tips in integrating your new dog:

Don't bring your new dog home without first taking your dog for a walk. Sounds simple, right? A nice long walk has psychological as well as physical benefits for your new furry friend. Your pup will arrive home calmer, happier, and ready to integrate into your pack.  

Taking the dog on a walk around your neighborhood not only lets the dog burn off steam—many shelter dogs are stuck in their cages for months!—it allows for much needed exercise and sensory stimulation. Make sure the dog pees (and, ideally, poops) on the walk, which will reduce the chance of accidents when you get home.

More importantly, walking the dog first establishes a connection with the person at the end of the leash. The dog will see you as her guide to the neighborhood. That initial trust will translate well when you take the dog onto your property.

How do I initially show my dog around my home?

The dog should be on a leash during its initial entry into your house. This is because he will feel safer with you on the other end of the leash. Plus, he might have unknown triggers—for example, statues, grandfather clocks, and new people can make dogs nervous. The leash provides security for both the dog and humans.

How should I introduce the dog to my family?

The dog will probably be excited—sometimes TOO excited!—to meet everybody. The key is for everyone in the family to be seated on a couch, chair, step, or on the ground. Wait for the dog to approach each person—not the other way around—and allow her smell everyone. Smell is their strongest sense, and they will befriend each human based on smell.

If the dog seems happy and relaxed, your family members can feel free to pet the dog UNDER her chin since hands above the head can be scary for under-socialized dogs. As the dog relaxes and gets more curious, feel free to drop the leash (but leave it on) and allow the dog to explore without trailing her. She’ll need a bit of time to learn her way around.

Learn more:

What if I have other pets? How do I introduce a new dog into the pack?

Two words: Neutral. Territory. The worst thing you can do is take a new dog into a home with an existing dog and hope for the best. Most trainers recommend walking the dogs together first, and then initially separate them in the home for a period of time.

There are lots of proven tips on how to introduce a new dog to other pets in the home. Rather than repeat them all here, take a look at these resources for additional guidance:

What food guidelines do you recommend?

Typically, meals will be given twice a day in the same location and outside the line of sight or hearing of other pets in the house. Even feeding the dog in a hallway or bathroom, and separating him from commotion and noise, will make sure the dog can relax and enjoy his meal.

Am I responsible for the foster dog’s veterinary care?

If you’re an Outta the Cage foster, we will handle routine veterinary care. But find an emergency veterinarian before you bring your foster dog home. We hope you don’t need one, but if there’s an emergency, you won’t have the time or focus to evaluate a vet. Find an emergency clinic convenient to your home and enter their number in your phone, just in case.

Should I try crate training?

We strongly recommend crate training, as it not only presents a comfortable place to sleep, but a safe space for the dog to go when you need to sequester her or when she needs a break.

Most people think crate training is for housebreaking a dog. While it can be useful for preventing accidents, a crate can serve as a refuge for a dog, bringing her back to primitive habits of sleeping in caves, under dense brush or other enclosed, protected spaces. The more fearful the dog, the more important crate training is, but any dog will benefit from crate training.

Put soft, comfortable bedding in the crate and leave the door wide open. Don’t force the dog into the crate, but throw some yummy treats in to encourage the dog to enter the crate in a positive way. Leave the crate door open so the dog can come and go. This means the association is comfort and safety, not punishment. Never force the dog into the crate.

Trust us, crate training is worth the extra time and discipline. When the gardener, pool service, or UPS driver shows up, the crate will be an invaluable tool.

Here are a few more resources to check out:

I can’t wait to play fetch with my foster dog! When can I start?

Wait at least 3 weeks before you introduce balls, toys, or stuffed animals. Yes, really. (And if you never do it, that’s perfectly fine with us.)

Most dogs like playing with toys. But introducing tennis balls and stuffed hedgehog toys can actually set the dog up for failure. Most shelter dogs haven’t seen a ball or toy for a long time. Once they see one again, they can become overly excited, and might feel entitled to it. Games like tug o’ war set up an adversarial relationship between the dog and its human.

Many dogs “claim” their toys as their property, inviting a behavior called “resource guarding.” Dogs must understand that toys are the HUMAN’S property, and can be given and taken away. This should be a gradual process that happens only after the dog has acknowledged that you are the Pack Leader.

If your foster dog is showing possessive behavior, check out this resource: 5 Strategies for Handling a Highly Possessive Dog.

Can I take my foster dog to a dog park?

We are not fans of dog parks since they can overstimulate dogs. Neighborhood walks or leash hikes should be enough exercise for your dog, and will reinforce her connection with you as its Pack Leader. Dog parks and other unstructured play can actually exacerbate bad behavior.

If you know for a fact that your dog is dog-friendly, and you really, really want to take your dog to the dog park, our rule is to wait a week for every week your dog has been in the shelter. So if your dog was in the shelter for 6 weeks, wait 6 weeks before taking it to the dog park. Make the first day a weekday when the park is less crowded.

What’s the best way to play with my foster dog?

You’ll know. As your dog relaxes and becomes more comfortable, she will try to engage you in play. That might look like stretching or bowing in front of you, or even running toward you to get you to chase her. The dog might get “the zoomies” in your house to burn off energy (don’t worry, she’s not possessed!).

As dogs calibrate what’s acceptable play, the dog might get “mouthy.” That doesn’t mean she wants to bite you; it’s typically a way for her to connect with you. Be sure to discourage mouthiness since the dog might try to “test” how far she can go. In general, avoid allowing the dog to escalate its energy level during play.

Oh, and by the way, we’re big fans of bones and chew toys. They actually engage the dog’s brain. You can give your foster dog a bone. Leave it in his crate so he can relax in his safe place, then leave him alone to enjoy his bone.

There are also food puzzles, snuffle mats, DIY agility, or even car rides to make sure your dog is engaged and entertained. When in doubt, get the leash out and take a long walk.

When can I introduce the foster dog to my [fill-in-the-blank] - boyfriend, niece, uncle, neighbor, etc.?

Try to wait a full 3 weeks. This will ensure that you establish yourself as the Pack Leader and the dog will take its cues from you.

Never let the dog greet a stranger at the door, as it could try to “protect” you. Always let the dog meet guests—especially children—when the dog is on a leash and can greet the “stranger” in a controlled setting. If the dog has displayed nervousness or aggression, crate the dog or confine it to a comfortable room with the TV on and a nice chew bone when you have guests over.

How long can I foster the dog?

If you’re an Outta the Cage foster, we’ve probably agreed on an initial foster timeframe. That timeframe could decrease if, for some reason, the dog is not a match with your family. In that case, we will come get the dog, but please be aware we usually need a week or two to find another place for the dog to go before we can take her back. If we don’t have enough time to find the dog another foster or adopter, our only option might be boarding.

You might also decide you would like to keep the dog longer than the initial agreement. Maybe you like having the dog around while you work from home, or you appreciate the additional exercise with your morning and evening walks. That’s fine. Just let us know. And remember, as the dog’s foster, you have first dibs on her if you decide to adopt her.

Know that we will constantly market the dog for her forever family, so we might call to notify you that the dog has a possible adopter. In those cases, we might come and pick the dog up for a day to do introductions and home checks. But we’ll never take the dog away without letting you say goodbye.

How can I help Outta the Cage with finding the foster dog a forever family?

Fostering is by far the best way to get information about a dog that can be useful when finding her a forever family. YOU are the reason the dog got a second chance. Now we can use your help marketing the dog for its forever family. Here are four ways to help:

  1. Send us fun videos. Videos should feature the dog in your home or yard, ideally doing something funny or sweet. Show the dog’s personality, even if the dog is just sleeping and snoring like a freight train! Pictures with kids, with other pets, or catching the dog in the act of doing something funny get lots of online interest. Roly-polies and zoomie videos are always popular.

  2. Post pictures and videos to your own social media account. One of the difficult things in rescue is that rescues often end up sharing dogs with other busy rescues who are in no position to take more dogs. But your friends could be potential adopters (and then you’d be able to visit your foster dog on a regular basis). Or your friends might have interested friends. We call this the “relationship ripple effect” and it saves lives.

  3. Attend adoption events. Adoption events are great opportunities to get your foster dog seen by people looking for a new dog. You might know of adoption events in your area or we can recommend some.  Let us know if you’re interested in this and we can give you some cute “Adopt Me!” apparel.

  4. Fill out our Foster Feedback Form. This will usually be done at the end of your foster’s stay, and it’s an invaluable way for us—or the dog’s new family—to get detailed information about the dog’s likes, dislikes, and behaviors.

Don’t worry about screening or evaluating an adopter. We’ll take care of that, but we might involve you with your permission.

I read all this, but I might forget stuff. What if I have questions?

No problem. Emailing us at GetEm@outtathecage.org is the best way to contact us since multiple volunteers have access to our email and can help you out. If you have one of our volunteer’s phone numbers, don’t hesitate to call or text.

Additional Resources

The shelter animal rescue community is great about sharing information. Check out these foster-related manuals: