The Joys of Fostering
By Stephanie Moore, KBTF Rescue Director
When you agree to foster a dog, it’s like Forest Gump and his box of chocolates: you never know what you will get. You may be the dog’s last chance at life, at knowing and trusting a human, and at feeling loved. Foster parents are the bridge between a rescue’s old life and the promise of a new and wonderful life in a “forever” home. Their job is to help the Kerry through the stress of leaving their old life, be it a good one or a bad one, and being ready to move on to a new life. The foster family will help evaluate the personality and behavior of the Kerry to help modify things that might need changing and to try to ensure that the rescue will ultimately be matched with just the right family for him or her. And more importantly to provide love, compassion, and safety for the rescue until his or her new home is found.
I have over the years fostered many Kerries as they wait for their new adoptive parents to be found and ready to give them a forever home. Every time has ended up being a joy although some foster Kerries have needed more attention and love than others. Here’s a couple of tips I use in every foster situation. When fostering, I try to implement these three things: partnership, patience, and perseverance. Fostering is not always easy and requires a commitment by the foster parent. When fostering, I begin by establishing a partnership between the dog and myself. With patience and perseverance, the goal is to facilitate a noticeable change.
You and the dog need to form a partnership as you patiently establish trust. The dog does not know you, and you do not know the dog. Do not expect that the dog knows even the most obvious things. For example, do not automatically expect that the dog knows its name, accepts or likes pats, knows basic commands, is housebroken, has been fed on a regular basis, or has ever lived indoors. Take baby steps. The dog is confused, scared and unsure of his fate. His or her life has dramatically been changed! Even if the dog had a terrible life before he or she came to you as your foster dog, it was the only life the dog knew and it was familiar. All he/she knew is gone and something new and unfamiliar has taken its place. Take it slowly and make lots of observations. Begin to address the areas of need. Praise accomplishments no matter how big or small. Praise is such an integral piece of the puzzle. Praise is important because now he or she feels that they are doing something “right.” It is all about taking baby steps when fostering.
Joy is achieved when an accomplishment has been met. It may be something as simple as a tail untucked, a wagging tail, eye contact, accepting treats, to walking on a leash, pottying outside, decrease in jumping, extinguishing guarding behaviors and aggression. Foster parents are committed to make a positive change in the dog’s life.
Here are the ingredients for a happy ending: Praise. Praise. Praise and more praise. Patience. Patience and more patience. Perseverance. And as foster families look back on a successfully placed rescue into its new home, a feeling of great pleasure and happiness as well as excitement is generated especially when fosters reflect back to where the dog began and where he is now.
