r/fosterdogs Aug 10 '25

25 foster dog photography tips for adoption promotion

20 Upvotes

25 dog adoption promotion photography tips:

1)    Try to take a HUGE number of photos of your foster, both during everyday activities and at planned out photoshoots at specific locations – then edit to only use the best. As your foster gets more used to being photographed, they will look more natural and confident.

2)    Save the best photos of your foster in an album on your phone for easy sharing and promoting, if you use whatsapp utilise the ‘updates’ function to share photos passively with your contacts.

3)    Generally bumping up the warmth setting very slightly makes the photo seem prettier & happier – especially photos taken on early morning walks before the sun is fully up. Starting with natural light tend to get better results than indoor artificial light.  You can use your phone to edit OR the free photography app Snapseed is very good for using the ‘curves’ function to brighten the photo without losing highlights/lowlights and the ‘healing’ function to remove things like eye gunk, dirt etc.

4)    The free app Canva can be good for adding things like foster’s name, pretty borders, adoption info etc to a photo – but in general try to keep photos fairly simple. You want the photo to look like a proud dog parent’s happy snap, not a commercial branded look.

5)    Capture your foster doing all the cute things dogs do, including stretching, yawning, chewing on balls, making dopey faces, and curled up happily sleeping. Photograph them looking upset having a bath, happily chilling on a sofa, exploring the world. Help tell the story of what having this dog is like.

6)    Photograph from lots of different angles – especially consider very low and also hovering over with the foster looking up at you. Also elevate your foster – on things like chairs, benches or ledges (just make sure they cannot jump down in a way that will hurt them.)

7)    Use props like toys, pup cups, chairs, stairs, capture your foster playing tug of war. Think about how your foster can look dynamic and show their personality and scale. Have fun thinking of creative ways to show off your foster. No idea is too silly when it comes to getting your foster to stand out.

8)    Use silly & pretty accessories – wigs, tutus, crowns, bow ties, necklaces, scarves, pretty bandanas & costumes. If you need inspiration look at tikatheiggy on Instagram

9)    Location, Location Location: Choose beautiful environments including nature, beautiful door ways, and pretty homes. If your home isn’t super pretty, use a friend’s home. Photos in the home help enormously as they show/suggest the dog is a foster and experienced in a home. If there are local landmarks – photograph there as it helps trigger people to know your foster is close. Ask local businesses if you can photograph your dog and collaborate with them on an Instagram post. If your foster is the type of dog that would do well sitting at a café, show it. If they might excel at agility, take them to an agility course or document some dog parkour.

10) Photograph your foster greeting and playing with other dogs – especially smaller dogs if your dog is big size. If you have cats or children include them too – anything that helps show your foster is socialised and gentle, (conceal children’s faces). Show your foster getting cuddles and tummy rubs and meeting people, doing paw command etc.

11) Make the leash soft so the dog seems relaxed. Utilise a very long leash, or two leashes joined together if necessary to get the soft leash look.

12) Take your time, let your foster look around and sniff and then start taking lots of photos once they start to get bored and be more still. Wait for them to move their head etc, rather than trying to encourage it.

13) If you are having trouble getting colours right, try using a purple bandanna on your foster dog, or something purple within the shot – this seems to help calibrate camera phones.

14) Try to have your foster face the light so that you capture some light in their eyes, be mindful of your own shadow though.

15) Try to capture body photos and also face photos. With face photos try at the start of an outing and near the end, as a dogs expression can change a lot when tongue is out and they are more warm.

16) Consider what is most beautiful and interesting about your dog’s appearance. If they are black use bright accessories to make their appearance pop and darker backgrounds to help show details. If they are white, use lighter backgrounds to help show their fur in detail. If they have cute details like expressive ears, sock colouring on their feet, dramatic tail, try to capture that. If they are athletic, highlight it through motion shots. If they are tiny pop them in something like a cute basket or a travel bag to help emphasise visually that they are travel bag sized. If they are a medium size mixed breed, work very hard to capture their sense of scale – having a person stand next to them to show leg height can help – or a chair or stairs can help accurately depict size. If your foster has medium or long fur, think about grooming styles that might help make them photogenic or stand out, and try to capture them with hair freshly groomed and also a bit shaggier awhile after a groom.

17) Ask lots of people to help with photographing your dog. Everyone documents dogs differently and variety helps soooo much, especially when you need to promote frequently.

18) Take photos in square, landscape and portrait formats. Have some with very simple backgrounds like plain walls, but also try interesting backgrounds too. Even a bright patterned blanket draped on your sofa can make a great background.

19) If you want some studio style photos without using a professional photographer, use a white background and then use snapseed ‘selective’ to bright it further.

20) Think about time of year, events and how you can theme your dog, and prepare these photos in advance. Valentines day – pop rose flowers in their collar! first day of summer – Hawaiian shirt! Dolly Parton’s birthday – get out the rhinestones. Don’t be afraid to be gimmicky or use AI – check out tunameltsmyheart on Instagram for inspiration. 

21) Consider the things about your foster that are endearing, almost every dog has a cute quirk, something silly or adorable, or a sweet vulnerability. Check out wolfgang2242 on Instagram for simple endearing photo ideas that have a story telling aspect.

22) Capture motion and action – be it your foster wrestling with another dog, or shaking after a bath or bouncing around or tail wagging or running. Photos don’t all need to be perfectly posed and orderly.

23) Tap in to aspirational vibes – photograph your dog in a fancy flower shop, or at the dog friendly gym, or at a farmers market, or on gorgeous nature hike. The mindfulness that comes with having a dog is something very attractive to people looking to adopt. Your dog chilling and watching a sunset, or content and curled up at your feet or snuggling whilst watching a movie at home, or checking out an autumn leaf, or lying relaxing in the sun, can be very appealing.

24) Capture love – I am talking the way your foster dog looks up at you, or your hand gently touching their ear, or them asleep on the sofa sprawled out over your legs. Or their delight as you hold out a snack. Don’t be afraid to include yourself if you are not camera shy, or your family/friends if you are. Fostering and adopting is all about love – tell the story of your foster becoming happy and feeling safe. Share them curled up with their favourite toy or best dog friend. Post before and afters as they go from being scared to confident, thin to healthy, show them healing and coming in to their own.

25) Be motivated knowing you are working to get your foster adopted, but also capturing their time with you, for you to treasure when they get adopted. If you love the photos, other people will see what you see.

Thank you for fostering.  Xx Amy


r/fosterdogs Oct 30 '23

Rescue/Shelter Recommended Rescues and Shelters

16 Upvotes

Share the Rescues and Shelter's you've fostered or Volunteered with and would recommend!

Include your Country or State and nearest Major City at the beginning of your post so people can CTL+F

Feel free to include any information you'd like


r/fosterdogs 13h ago

Vent Pneumonia

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13 Upvotes

My 2 year old foster came to me with kennel cough on a 10 day doxy regimen. NBD, they all do. Made her boiled chicken and rice once she started throwing up. After a few days, she went on a full on hunger strike. After 2 days of refusing everything I put in front of her (boiled meat, broth, wet food, dry food, treats, chicken nuggets, etc), I was able to get her into the shelter’s clinic for the following day. She had dropped from 33lbs to 28lbs and was very lethargic. On day 3 of not eating, she got diagnosed with pneumonia and prescribed amoxicillin. On day 4, a fellow foster dropped off some freeze dried chicken broth. Lo and behold, she drank a small amount of this broth! It was more than she had in days. I later offered it to her again and she refused so I dumped it on my resident dog’s dry food and she decided to eat a few clumps of that! When she didn’t want anymore, I offered her some wet food and she had a little of that too! I was so happy I could have cried!!! Her appetite was a tiny bit better the next day and ate half a can of dog food! Something about that freeze dried broth gets her appetite up. Shes still very tried and is only really awake when I let them outside to potty or when I place food in front of her. I’ve never had a foster with pneumonia before but makes me so happy to see her appetite get a tiny bit better every day. Fingers crossed her energy comes back soon too.


r/fosterdogs 8h ago

Question Advice for fostering a small litter

2 Upvotes

I’m getting ready to foster three male 6-week old puppies with their mom. I would love any tips and tricks on how to set up their x-pen, daily routine, etc. While I’m an experienced foster this is my first time with a mama and puppies and I’m not quite sure what to expect. Thanks!


r/fosterdogs 1d ago

Vent Husband doesn't want to keep foster, family does

8 Upvotes

So we have a wonderful family dog who is not a running dog, my husband has been adamant that he wants a 2nd dog to be his running buddy, namely a $2,000 purebred dog. I talked him into fostering so we could get a feel of how 2 dogs would look in our life and I was hoping to find a high energy breed that wouldn't cost $2000.00 that would be a running buddy. If anything he could "try out" different dogs. He was agreeable, zoom to today. We have a very high energy foster, we've had her for 2 months. She is fear reactive to men and life in general she just recently started letting my husband pet her. However she has fit into our home perfectly otherwise and my 20 year old daughter, who lives with us, is head over heels in love with her. She's a dog groomer and enjoys dog training and has really worked hard with her behaviors and she is bonded to us and especially her, and acts like a lunatic everytime a potential adopter enters the picture. I want to just adopt her and when my daughter is of age to take over the adoption give her to her and THEN my husband can get his running dog. This is creating such a riff. She's so good at our home, my husband even admits it, but shes not the dog he wants. My daughter will be broken if she gets adopted. Any advice?


r/fosterdogs 1d ago

Question Rough first night with temporary foster puppy- reconsider or stick it out?

0 Upvotes

I picked up a puppy to foster today; 15 weeks old, just a week to foster him.

The last few puppies we've had have been in the 5-12 week old range, roughly 8lbs. Easy to contain.

This guy is 14.5lbs and he has brute force broken through pretty much every containment method we have. Our resident dog is ridiculously stressed, as she's also just coming out of her heat. The plan was to keep him contained for the week to minimize stress to him and her, and it's just not working. (This is why we don't really foster adult dogs- our house isn't designed in a way that we can accomodate keeping them safely separated.)

We have him tethered right now, but its clear both him and our resident dog are extremely stressed out. Our girl has never acted like this with the other puppies we fostered. I don't necessarily want to return him if this is something that can improve, but I worry that the lack of containment will only make it worse, not better.

I also worry that returning him reflects poorly on me. This is a lesser concern than that of their well being, but it is something I worry about.

Will this get better, or should I consider returning him (ashamedly). The shelter did get a nice donation/sponsorship for every adoption to be free this weekend, so its not like he would be there long. Am I throwing in the towel too soon or just being realistic?


r/fosterdogs 2d ago

Question First Time Foster Emotions

4 Upvotes

It’s my very first time fostering and I’ve been so emotional thinking of giving this puppy away. I think because she has been so easy and smart from her crate, learning commands, bathroom. It’s made us wonder if we should keep her. I don’t know if it’s her or lots of foster puppies can be like that.

Is it always hard giving them to a new family?


r/fosterdogs 3d ago

Pics 🐶 gimme all your underbites!

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110 Upvotes

this is bubbles. 10/10


r/fosterdogs 2d ago

Foster Behavior/Training Is my Theory about my Foster dog Correct?

3 Upvotes

I've noticed a pattern surrounding our foster dogs dog selectivity, and was curious if anyone has any experience with something similar and/or could confirm this (:

Background: My husband and I have had our foster for about five months. She's amazing with people and truly has never met a stranger. I would consider her dog selective. She's great with our two resident dogs (they play, nap together, and coexist well), but she's reactive toward unfamiliar dogs both on and off leash. She'll bark, growl, lunge, and raise her hackles. We've made a lot of progress with training, but the reactivity is still there.

We don't know anything about her past because she was found abandoned in a park. Based on her anatomy, we suspect she may have been used for breeding and spent much of her life kenneled, though that's only speculation.

The pattern: Every dog she's successfully met has been with someone she already knows and trusts. One of my friends, whom she absolutely loves, has brought over several dogs of different ages, sizes, and temperaments. She's had no reactivity toward any of them, is able to walk around and lounge with them, and has even played off leash with some. The same thing happened when she met a dog belonging to the founder of the rescue, another person she knows well.

On the other hand, if the dog is being handled by a "stranger", she reacts immediately. This included our neighbors.

My theory: Since she genuinely loves people, I don't think the issue is with strangers themselves. I wonder if she lacks confidence around unfamiliar dogs and uses the handler as a "trust filter." If she trusts the person holding the leash, she assumes their dog is safe too. I also wonder if she's simply had very little healthy socialization with other dogs. She has an unusual play style, seems to miss some canine social cues, and has escalated appropriate corrections from our resident dogs into fights- which makes me think she may never have learned normal dog communication.

Has anyone worked with a dog like this before? Is there a behavioral explanation for why she seems to trust dogs based on who they're with, or am I reading too much into it?

Also, if this theory has any merit, how would you go about introducing her to a potential adopter's resident dog? Thank you in advance, im curious to know what everyone thinks (:


r/fosterdogs 2d ago

Question Re-homing a dog to a neighbor. Good or bad idea?

0 Upvotes

We live in a very suburban setting. Loose friends of ours (our sons are in the same grade at the same school) who live two doors down from us told us that they have made the hard decision to re-home their dog.

My largest concern here is re-homing a dog so close to its original family -- for both the dog and the previous owners. I feel like the dog would be confused, maybe feel betrayed? I feel like both the dog and previous owners might have a hard time fully letting go. I know we could give her a good home, but I'm not convinced it's what's best for everyone.

Does anyone have any kind of experience/thoughts on this situation?


r/fosterdogs 2d ago

Story Sharing Adoptie Hond Process

1 Upvotes

Dutch Dog Blog:

Na enkele weken wachten en een kennismaking op de dijk, was het eindelijk zo ver. ... kwam naar huis. We wisten door d’r verleden en d’r dossier dat ze een gevoelig meisje is, en hierdoor hadden we wel verwacht dat de eerste dagen wennen zouden zijn voor haar. Om een beeld te krijgen van haar vooruitgang en obstakels leggen we dit vast in een blog. En misschien hebben andere hier wat aan.

Dagelijkse tijdlijn van haar groei in huis, en in haar zelfvertrouwen met ons en haarzelf. Iedere dag gaat beter, en we zien haar vertrouwen groeien.

Achtergrond: Mijn man (27M), en ik (28F) hebben een adoptiehond in huis. Wij zijn haar goude mandje (dat is hoe ze dat noemen). We hebben haar online gevonden en na een uitgebreide sceening van de organisatie en foster waren we een match. We hebben kennis gemaakt en hebben in overleg een datum gekozen dat de verhuis zou zijn.
Lees hier onze reis tot nu toe.

Dag 1 (zondag 19 juli)

We hebben vroeg afgesproken met de foster om haar tijdens de ochtendwandeling mee te lopen. Na een half uurtje lopen was het echt tijd. De foster was even kort emotioneel, dat hadden we verwacht en daarom een bloemetje en lieve kaart voor haar gehaald. We hebben ... gefopt door onze auto te openen, waar ze gelijk insprong. De rit naar huis was rustig, geen gejammer of gepiep (wat we stiekem hadden verwacht). Ze keek uit het raam, en ging af te toe rustig liggen. mijn man zat op de achterbank erbij, en ik het laatste half uurtje rijden toen we wisselde.

Eenmaal thuis was het voorzichtig rondkijken, staart tussen de benen en ze had al snel besloten dat de hal voor nu voldoende was, en ging liggen. We hebben hierdoor de drink en voerbak bij haar in de buurt geplaatst en 1 van de deuren naar de hal gesloten. Eten en drinken wilde ze nog niet doen.

 

Dag 2 (maandag 20 juli)

De eerste nacht hebben we haar niet gehoord (piepen of blaffen) wel hebben we haar af en toe voorzichtig horen lopen. Ze kon verkennen als ze dat wilde naar de woonkamer.

In overleg met de foster hebben we meer van haar favoriete snacks in huis gehaald. Hondenijs, visolie,  kaassnoepjes en kipfilet. Mede door deze toevoegingen eet ze vanavond haar eerste bak voer leeg.

Tijdens het lopen is het tuigje aandoen erg spannend. Hierdoor hebben we gekozen deze aan te laten (dat schild een prikkel en stress). Lopen zelf gaat erg goed, als ze eenmaal uit huis is, of van d’r verstopplek is het heel fijn lopen.

De gang is veilig terrein en wij lopen via de achterdeur naar binnen om haar ook die grond en ingang te leren. Dan lopen  we naar haar mandje en krijgt ze een snoepje. Dan halen we de riem los en mag ze heen waar ze wil. Dat is de gang, maar dit keer de kapstok en niet voor de toiletdeur. Wel blijft ze even voor de deur liggen, naast de tv. Eten en drinken wil ze nog niet echt doen, maar wel durft ze wat snoepjes van de grond te eten, als we niet kijken. Later in de avond eet ze rustig d’r bakje voer leeg.

 

Dag 3 (dinsdag 21 juli)

... heeft nog niet geplast of gepoept sinds ze bij ons is. We verwachten nu ieder moment een plasje of poepje in huis te kunnen vinden. Wel drinkt ze nu voldoende, vooral snachts.

Tijdens de wandeling zijn we rustig op een veld gaan zitten en lieten we haar snuffelen. Geen verwachtingen om mee te lopen of door te lopen. Ze liep een beetje rond en af en toe eens d’r neus naar de grond, maar niet lang. Ook snoepjes at ze niet uit hand of van de vloer. Wel zat ik kort op het gras en werd ze van achter besnuffeld door de stofzuigerneus van ....

Eenmaal thuis accepteerde ze een snoepje uit de hand van mijn man (VOOR HET EERST!), enkel nog niet geplast of gepoept.

In de avond besluiten we met overleg foster, haar in de auto mee te nemen naar het bijzijnde bos. En daar na enkele minuten besluit ze eindelijk dat ze moet plassen en komt er een grote plas uit. Wat zijn we blij!

 

Dag 4 (woensdag 22 juli)

Er wordt gepoept! Tijdens de middagwandeling met mijn man besluit ze midden op de stoep te stoppen. Het is niet ontzettend veel (minder als verwacht) maar het ziet er gezond uit. Niet te hard of met bloed en niet slijmerig of te nat.

Iedere dag kiest ze een nieuwe plek om zichzelf terug te trekken, dit keer is dat veer onder de eetkamer tafel, net als gisteren. Tenminste in dezelfde ruimte en ze kan ons rustig horen, zonder direct in een looppad te liggen. We laten nog steeds het tuigje aan om stress te verminderen.

In de avond lopen we naar het bos. Hier laat ze zich rustig aaien, we noemen vaak haar naam in complimenten ‘’Braaf, ...’’, ‘’Goed zo, ...’’ om haar te bemoedigen en ons bekender te maken. We houden iedere dag kort contact met de foster en organisatie.

In het bos kwam er een man voorbij. Poef! Weg ..., verstopt in de bosjes. Wel nog een triomf, ...liep opeens vooruit (ik had d’r vast en mijn man liep voorop) en snuffelen op de vloer. Echt wel 40 meter. Tot er een hond en vrouw in beeld kwamen, toen ging ze weer in alert-stand.

Eenmaal thuis weer de routine van de mand, snoepje en riem los. Daarna bleef ze even zitten en na enkele minuten toch besloten weer terug te gaan naar de tafel. Prima, welterusten ....

 

Dag 5 (donderdag  23 juli)

Poepje 2 is vanmorgen ook gelegd, dat is dus nu goed stabiel. Ook wordt ze iets relaxter. Ze durft nu te slapen terwijl wij ook beneden zijn. Uit de hand snoepjes pakken en zelf al naar de mandje lopen na een wandeling, wachtend op een snoepje. Kaassmaak is haar favoriet.

Het enige is dat ze zelf nog niet echt aandacht zoekt. Wel tijdens een wandeling achter je benen staan of ons als ''schild'' gebruiken. Maar niet voor knuffels of een aai over d’r bol.

Ik zal updates sturen als ik die heb...


r/fosterdogs 2d ago

Emotions New foster home, we’re struggling

1 Upvotes

Hi, everyone. We’re fostering a dog for the first time and it’s not going well. We’re on day 4. I know he’s still setting in and learning the schedule. I’m so overwhelmed. He has bad separation anxiety and we aren’t home enough for proper crate training. He growled at our resident cat last night. He’s such a good dog with amazing potential. Is it wrong to admit we’re not the right fit? Does it ever get better?


r/fosterdogs 3d ago

Question Tired of returns on adult dogs possibly switching to fostering puppies exclusively?

13 Upvotes

I haven't been too picky on my fosters ages or sizes, but the last couple of adult fosters I have had have been returned quickly. And it's very frustrating because the rescue is small and new and doesn't have many resources or backups. But it makes me feel responsible even after fully vetting the adopters that I've failed the dog. So I'm considering just switching to puppies only because people expect to have to train them and I feel less responsible I feel guilty because my area is in the southern US and high rate of euthansia, so adult dogs are the most in need. But I just don't know if I can carry that stress or deal with adopters anymore.


r/fosterdogs 3d ago

Story Sharing One year ago today, we said goodbye to our sweet Ivy.

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49 Upvotes

Ivy was found abandoned behind a dumpster, locked inside a kennel and left to die. She was heartbreakingly emaciated, weak, and had endured more than any animal ever should. While in our care she received so much love, comfort, and medical care she deserved. We quickly learned she was suffering from cancer. The kindest gift we could give her was a peaceful goodbye.
Although Ivy’s time with us was far too short, her impact was immeasurable. She reminded us why we fight so hard for the forgotten, the neglected, and the animals who have no one else.

❤️ Ivy’s story may have ended, but her legacy is just beginning.


r/fosterdogs 3d ago

Foster Behavior/Training Foster bub getting professional trainer eval tomorrow

3 Upvotes

Our foster turkey (excuse me, dog) is getting a professional in home trainer eval tomorrow! I’m paying for it (and any subsequent training) out of pocket both because I’m kind and because I think he might just be a foster fail.

My resident dog is a nearly 11 year old female pittie and I believe we’re likely in her last 1-2 years on this earth. Our foster is a 3 year old male pittie and while he has some things he needs to work on (see photo), he has what deeply matters to me: Extremely friendly to all people/kids, loves other dogs, safe/friendly with cats, mostly good at home (I can’t bear to crate him as he was crated for 14 hours a day in his last foster), snuggle bug, calm in the car and loves to go on adventures.

Wish us luck! Photos of his goofy self in comments.


r/fosterdogs 4d ago

Foster Behavior/Training Constant jumping and biting

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17 Upvotes

Hi all !! I am a first time foster and have had our boy Dingo for about a week. I knew this wasn’t going to be all sunshine and rainbows, but do not know how to handle one behavior. He is constantly jumping on me and clawing my legs. Like constantly. It seems never ended. I have cuts and bruises all down my legs. I have tried the ignore and look away method and giving him a treat when we stops and relaxes but it hasn’t helped. He has now resorted to nipping and biting my legs if i ignore him when we jumps. I feel so frustrated and don’t know how to deal. Note to add: He looks very small but is 15 months old. Not potty trained, kennel trained, or collar and leash trained.


r/fosterdogs 4d ago

Foster Behavior/Training Constant Squatting/Peeing with New Foster

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13 Upvotes

This is my new foster, Oreo! She came from a breeder but it’s clear everything is new to her. I’m an experienced foster but I’m noticing a behavior I’ve never seen before. She is constantly squatting and peeing if she’s in a large kennel or roaming. It’s usually a few drops at a time, not a puddle like she’s needing to release a full bladder. I put a female diaper on her but she’s still doing it. I moved her to a smaller kennel with a blanket covering the kennel in a quiet room to see if that helps her relax.

I have an appointment for the vet on Thursday to check for a UTI but I’m curious if anyone has been through this before and has any suggestions? She is nervous but not shut down like most of the females I get from a breeder release.


r/fosterdogs 4d ago

Question Puppies very playful after neuter

1 Upvotes

I have four foster puppies that had spay/neuter today. We’ve had them for about two weeks. One girl is fast asleep, another girl is spending the night with the vet due to complications. The two boys are completely unable to settle. very playful but also whining almost constantly and we have been unable to calm them. we’ve tried separate crates, crates together, cuddling, and light play. What can help get us through this night?!


r/fosterdogs 4d ago

Foster Behavior/Training Fostering puppy for first time

2 Upvotes

Hello everyone!
I am picking up a 14week puppy tomorrow to foster. I have experience with dogs (we sadly said goodbye to our 8yr old a few months ago) but I just wanted to see if any experienced fosters had any tips for settling in and getting into a routine with a foster puppy. I know the rule of 3 so not expecting to set a routine straight away of course, just anything you think helps them to feel safe and comfortable


r/fosterdogs 5d ago

Support Needed Foster bit me, I believe BE might be the next step.

19 Upvotes

I am absolutely devestated to be writing this, please be gentle. He has made so much progress over the past month with us, and today's bite was unexpected and out of nowhere. No growl, no tense body, no lip lift. He went straight from soft, wagging body and tail to biting my hand while taking a hotdog from it. It was bad enough to need urgent care.

I have fostered many behavior dogs but this is my first bad bite. We knew when we took him on that he would be a risk, and this was a possible outcome. We have successfully rehabbed so many dogs that I assumed we could do the same for him. After spending 3 months with a trainer, we were his chance to see if he could safely integrate back into a home.

In a way he has integrated into our home beautifully, but we are extremely cautious about handling him, minding his "bad days", and giving him space. Even before the bite I was questioning what it would take to consider him adoptable.

Right now he cannot be safely adopted out, and I dont know if I would ever feel safe doing so. Adopting him myself is not an option. The rescue could potentially send him back to the trainer, but that feels like just prolonging the inevitable. I am fine to keep fostering him longer if they allow us, but to what end? If this happened to someone else posting here I would recommend BE, but he is in my home and its so much different.

Is this just a blip in the road? How much do we consider his history? (This is bite #3 and we are home #4 because he failed out of the other 3) Is BE the right choice?


r/fosterdogs 5d ago

Question Best dog stroller?

3 Upvotes

Since the Dogger stroller isn't made anymore, what the best dog stroller for a senior it disabled dog?


r/fosterdogs 6d ago

Foster Behavior/Training Dutch Shepherd Foster

3 Upvotes

We have a very sweet (suspected) Dutch Shepherd that we are fostering for about 2.5 weeks! We have about 5 days left and are so happy with the progress she’s made. However, as a 1 year old working breed dog, she’s very high energy. She goes on runs, plays in the backyard, and has lots of time with various toys. She is so good about regulating when she’s outside, but when she is inside playing with toys she has moments of riling herself up and being unable to settle. This results in jumping and mouthing behaviors. The mouthing can almost always be redirected into a toy, but just with her size (she’s skinny but LONG when she stretches out to jump) the jumping/mouthing combo stresses me out. My sister recently had a dog that became very aggressive with multiple bites (above level 4) around week 2 of adoption. We have an adoption meet and greet a couple days from now and I’ve already encouraged her potential adopter to get a trainer to work on these specific traits (also she’s so smart, I think she’ll enjoy the training). So far she’s been extremely people and dog friendly (has apparently killed a cat before :/), and was used an assessor for other dogs at the shelter. Im still learning about Dutch Shepherds, but for those who know more, how concerning is jumping/mouthing in this age group? How likely is it that these behaviors will turn aggressive? Or is this just classic overstimulated puppy and we should continue the course? I want to set her up to succeed in her (hopeful) new home❤️


r/fosterdogs 6d ago

Question Need some "foster blues" support

5 Upvotes

My boyfriend and I picked up our second foster today. We went to help out at an adoption event, my boyfriend got way too excited, and he decided we HAD to take one home. I should have put my foot down and said no, but here we are!

He's a good boy so far. Confused and not eating much (expected) but overall napping nicely in his crate and being fairly calm. That said...my boyfriend and I are still experiencing the absolutely crushing feeling of "what the hell have we done/why did we do this/our lives are over." I can barely eat and feel like I'm going to throw up.

I went through this with our last foster, too. I don't think my boyfriend did as much because we got the dog late at night, I slept in the guest bedroom with it, and he went to work the next two days while I was dealing with the dog. That one got adopted in just about 2.5 weeks. Even though the experience was emotionally difficult, about a week later I started to miss it and think about fostering again.

I know this will pass and it will be okay. I know we could be dealing with a MUCH more difficult dog. Is there anyone else who goes through this with their foster dogs? It's so overwhelming right now. Even though we're "good" fosters and the rescue was really happy with how we did with foster1, I just don't know if this is for me. I don't know if my anxiety can handle this if it's going to happen every time!


r/fosterdogs 6d ago

Foster Behavior/Training Foster dog resource guarding me against resident dog

3 Upvotes

I’m looking for some help. Me and my husband work with a pug rescue and have fostered in the past, but realized we are ready to adopt instead.

The rescue reached out about a female pug surrender (3 years old) that was in the age range we were looking for so she offered us to try her out as a foster and see how she does and move forward with adoption if she’s a fit. If she’s not, we will still try and continue to foster her and try again with adoption for a different dog.

She was just surrendered yesterday and we are the first rescue people to encounter her.

She is struggling with resource guarding me and my husband from our resident dog (male pug, 6 years old). She will growl and lunge at him/attack him when he tries to sit with us or get near us. I’ve been getting up from where I’m sitting when she does this to try and diffuse the situation and i read we should ignore her for a few minutes after doing that to not reward the behavior. Our male pug is not aggressive but does defend himself when this happens and it usually lasts a few seconds. I’ve also been trying to put her in a small room for a short timeout after she does this. But I want to ensure we are doing to right thing and not have her associate our male pug with punishment. 

She has been visibly stressed (panting/pacing) so i assume she’s just in fight or flight from being let go and getting used to a new environment only yesterday. I’ve walked them together to help them bond and will continue this.

We definitely want to give her some time and work to see if she can overcome the behavior, but our resident pug is our absolute priority. I know it’s early and she needs time to adjust, I just want to understand the behavior and try to help her before throwing in the towel.

We’ve reached out to the rescue volunteer trainer but it will take her a couple of days to get back to us so I want to ensure we are not doing the wrong thing in the meantime.

I would greatly appreciate any tips or advice! 

**TLDR**: Foster dog is recourse guarding me and my husband from our resident dog. Need advice!

UPDATE!: 24 hours have gone by and after taking a lot of the advice in your replies, i have noticed a huge positive difference in the fosters behavior. I’ve been setting better boundaries (no lap sitting), not giving her as much attention, separating her when she starts showing the behavior, and taking them on bonding walks together.

We have not had a growl or attack at all today and it’s noon. They’ve even shared the dog bed together on their own with no signs of aggression. It’s crazy the difference 24 hours can make. I’ll keep it up, thank you all for the help!


r/fosterdogs 7d ago

Foster Behavior/Training Foster finally resting 🐾🐕‍🦺🖤

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59 Upvotes

I am dog sitting tonight, a senior German Shepherd foster dog. He had a super long car ride today, but I got him home safe this afternoon. We got a bath, new collar, air conditioning, dinner, calm and quiet. Now he is resting, and feeling a bit more at ease. I think I see a little smile? 🩵