5 ways to help your foster dog get adopted
You’ve brought a foster dog into your home — thank you! You’ve probably heard this along the way but, fostering saves lives. Hands down. 100%. Please accept my gratitude for opening your home to a dog in need.
Now, what can you do to help your foster be a well-mannered guest in your home while also teaching him/her good life skills to get adopted quickly, and stay adopted?
1) Crate Train
When bringing a new dog into the home, it is always recommended to crate the dog when unsupervised. Your foster dog won’t yet have learned the rules of the house and you won’t have had time to get to know what may be temptations to your new house guest. For instance, does he put his paws on the kitchen counter to look for any goodies, or does he think your table leg is a chew toy.
In addition, if you have children in the home, you want to be sure that you always supervise any interactions so that you can teach your children good manners around a new dog but you can also watch your dog for any signs of discomfort. When your dog is crated, you know everyone, and everything, is safe.
Some dogs immediately enjoy the confines of a crate but others take some convincing. Read more about which type of crate to use and how to help your foster dog enjoy his crate. Doing so now, will help him acclimate much sooner to his new adoptive home.
2) Sit for greetings
Dogs like to be near our face. They are the only non-primate that look to our eyes for direction. It’s natural for them to want to have their face near ours.
When your foster dog jumps up, happily greeting you, be a close talker! We’ve all encountered close talkers, and when someone is standing too close to us, our inclination is to take a step back and away. When your dog jumps up on you, step toward your dog - be a close talker. Then, as your dog puts his four feet on the floor, pet and praise him and give him the attention that he wanted.
Dogs do what works. When he jumps up on you, wanting attention, show him that you will immediately give him your loving attention when he puts all his feet on the ground. Consider, also, leaving a jar (with a lid!) of treats by the front door. As you, or a guest, enters the front door, ask your foster dog to “sit” then offer a treat and praise. It won’t take long before your dog will understand that he gets what he wants (your attention and/or a cookie) by keeping all four feet on the floor (which is what we want!).
3) Off the furniture
Even if you are ok with your dog jumping on the furniture, not everyone is. If, while in foster with you, your dog learns that he can be on the furniture (couch or your bed), then he will want to do the same in his adoptive home. It is best for your dog to learn, while in foster with you, that furniture access is for humans only.
If, however, your foster dog has already learned that being up on the furniture is a preferred place, teach him “off”. We do this as such:
Begin by placing a leash on your foster dog and letting it drop so that the dog is dragging the leash
Then, pat the couch (or other piece of furniture) and say “up”
After he jumps up, pet and praise him briefly, then take the handle of the leash
While holding the handle of the leash, walk away from the couch while saying “off, off, off” in a calm, neutral voice
Because the leash is attached, he will eventually have to jump off
Once he does jump off, immediately praise and offer him a yummy treat
Repeat!
Although he gets praise for jumping “up” when you ask, give him much more enthusiastic praise along with a cookie for getting “off”. Soon, you will notice that he will be glad to respond to “off” before you reach the end of the leash and, later, even when no leash is attached.
Why is this so important? Countless dogs are brought in to animal shelters, surrendered by their owners, because the dog jumped up on the bed or the couch and refused to get off. The owners then may angrily grab the dog’s collar trying to pull the dog off the furniture and the dog gets scared, sometimes biting, growling, or submissively urinating. This happens more often than you would think! Help your foster dog understand “off” and avoid this potential argument for the dog when he is later in his adoptive home.
4) Marking behavior
Some dogs will go into a new environment and begin to “mark”, ie urinate, on surfaces in the home. Oftentimes this behavior is only for the first few days upon arriving and will discontinue soon after.
Consider getting a belly band that will serve two purposes:
Your furniture stays clean if your foster dog lifts his leg because the urine stays within the belly band
When the dog feels the sensation of wetness on his skin as he lifts his leg, he will quickly realize that it’s uncomfortable to urinate in the house and much more enjoyable to do so outside (where the belly band is always off). Be mindful that you may need to wipe down his skin to prevent a urine burn but many belly bands absorb the liquid quickly.
Marking behavior is normal canine behavior. (And, contrary to popular opinion, it isn’t for males only!) It is not helpful to get angry with your dog, but you can clap to startle him if you catch him in the act. Then, say “uh-uh”, and take him outside to allow him to empty his bladder. Supervise. Supervise. Supervise.
5) Walking nicely on leash
One of the many enjoyable activities about having a dog with you is going for a walk! But, many dogs seem to think that we walk too slowly and they are in more of a hurry to get from point A to point B, pulling us to get movin’!
Show your dog that it’s worthwhile to walk with you! Try the Power of Yes and give yourself the ability to communicate with your foster dog that good things happen when they walk nicely on leash, look up to you for direction and remember that you are relevant in the activity!
By fostering, you have not only helped the dog you have brought into your home, but you have allowed the rescue/shelter organization space to take in another dog, thereby saving another life. In addition, you have given your foster dog the comforts of home while she waits for an adopter. Take this time to teach her a few good habits so she can, not only find an adoptive home sooner but, stay happily in that new home, forever! Practice makes perfect — have her practice the behaviors that most people like from their dogs and you will be setting her up for a lifetime of love and success!