Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society Dog Fostering Orientation
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Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society
Dog Fostering Orientation
An important reminder about animals….■ They will make mistakes, and need us to be patient with them,
especially with house-training and litter boxes
– A crate or carrier should NEVER be used as a form of punishment
■ ALWAYS be gentle with your touch and your voice
– Especially when correcting their mistakes
■ Use positive reinforcement, not negative
– PAWS does not condone punishing our animals as a method of training
– Punishment is ineffective at eliminating the behavior and will cause new problems related to fear
■ Refrain from rewarding undesirable habits that not all adopters may want (jumping on people, beds, couches, etc.)
Foster and adopter resources!■ Tips and resources for foster parents are available here:
– https://phillypaws.org/foster-resources/
■ Tips and resources for adopters, or for general animal care
and assistance, are here:
– https://phillypaws.org/pet-care-info/
■ Throughout this presentation, you will see links to our Pet
Care Info page, that are clickable in the PDF version
Pet Care
Info:
The Great
Outdoors!
I’m New Here!How to care for a foster dog
Day-to-Day
■ Go out 3 times per day
– One longer walk
– More frequently in the
beginning
– Pee pads / crates
■ Adult dog can hold their
bladders about 6-8 hours
– 8-10 = bursting to hold it
– Dog sitters/lunch break
walks
■ Consistent schedule
■ AM & PM feeding
– Some midday
Monthly and Yearly Needs
Monthly
■ Flea*, tick*, specific deworming*
■ Grooming
– Malaseb medicated baths*
■ Pet Insurance costs, if applicable
■ Heartworm/general deworming
Yearly■ Heartworm test (~$25-$60)
■ Annual Exam*
■ Vaccines*
■ County Dog License
Chewable tablets
“Administer once a month to prevent heartworm
disease and to treat and control ascaris and hookworm
infections in dogs”
~$35 for 1 year supply
Some can do all four at once: F/T/HW/D
Pet Care
Info:
The Great
Outdoors! * Items PAWS provides for shelter dogs in foster care are starred
Food
■ Amount is size-specific
■ Type can be age-specific
– Only feed mid-high quality food
– First ingredient is a protein, not a corn, wheat, by-product, or meals
■ People food - NO
■ Prescription Diets*
– CANNOT have ANY other food or treats; they could die
– Order special diets through staff
■ Tell staff ASAP if non-food is ingested
Pet Care
Info:
The Bare
Necessities
* Items PAWS provides for shelter dogs in foster care are starred
■ High quality:
■ Mid quality:– (this is what we feed in the shelter)
■ Low quality:
Example Ingredients Pet Care
Info:
The Bare
Necessities
Crate Training■ Crates represent stability, consistency, and comfort
– House breaking
– Safe while unsupervised
– Cannot be destructive if they become anxious
■ Crates are “happy food spaces”
– NEVER for punishment
– Durable toys they cannot rip up
– Feed all meals in crate
– Toss treats in crate
■ Teach them the command “(go to your) crate”
■ Pick a crate that is just slightly bigger than the dog
– Can turn around inside the crate, not much else
■ Put the crate in a long-term, temperature protected location, without access to other animals
Pet Care
Info:
House-
breaking
Housebreaking with a crate■ How to prepare a crate:
– Housebreaking: covered, durable food puzzle or toy, no water
■ 10% activity vs 90% sleep
– Once housebroken: blankets, familiar smells, durable toys, no water
■ Plan scheduled crate times, especially when housebreaking
■ Tire them out first (long walks, vigorous play, practicing commands)
■ How to leave them in the crate:
– Give a treat or a few pieces of kibble in the crate, shut the door
– Turn away from them, quietly leave
– Ignore barking (STAY STRONG, don’t give them negative attention)
■ Getting them out of the crate:
– Stay calm, take them out right away
– Use potty words, positive reinforcement
■ If they go to the bathroom in the crate:
– Don’t fuss, take them out right away anyways, clean it up afterwards
■ Distract them with sound if they are actively about to go in the house or crate
■ If you are having trouble, get help from us ASAP, before it goes on too long!
Pet Care
Info:
House-
breaking
Housebreaking without a crate
■ Doggie-proof your home
– Specific room in the house
■ Ideal for foster parents who are home a lot and don’t mind night time walks
– Potty breaks every few hours + positive reinforcement
– Adjust to new human’s schedule and a new dog’s indicators
– Do’s and don't's from ASPCA
■ Pee pads (if they don’t chew them)
– Try supervised first
Pet Care
Info:
House-
breaking
Puppies■ Weak immune systems
– DHPP booster series every 3 weeks
– Potty inside on pee pads
– No “communal ground”: no dog parks
– Cannot touch the floor of vet office or shelter
■ They can hold their bladder ~1 hour per month they are old, up to 9 hours max for an adult dog.
■ Teething / Rough Play: redirecting with toys
■ Calm “sergeant” voices
– Don’t rile them up with high voices
■ Positive socialization experiences in controlled, PAWS-approved situations
– noises, crates, other animals, new people
■ PUPPY TRAINING CLASSES ALWAYS RECOMMENDED!!!
■ Prefer adopters and fosters who have other (vaccinated) dogs to prevent aggression as they mature
Pet Care
Info:
Puppy Care
BehaviorWhat to expect, what to look for, how to deal with common issues
Dog Body Language
■ “Loose body language” vs holding tension
■ Wagging tail does not always mean ‘happy’
■ Play bow vs stalking
■ Belly rubs vs “submissive behavior”
■ Signs of fear, nervousness, or stress:
– Licking lips
– “Side eye” aka “Whale eye”
– Ears flat/tail tucked/lowered head
– Looking away/walking away
– Excessive scratching
– “Shake it off” = stress release
– Hackles up/squaring off
– Ducking down away from petting
Mental Stimulation
What is it?
Making a dog think really hard through puzzles and training
How do we do it?
KONG toys (at right, top)
Food puzzles (at right, middle)
Kibble dispenser toys (at right, below)
Dog training
Why is this important?
Good eating habits
Less “scarf and barf”
Mentally tires them out
Helps manage destructive behavior when they are bored
Images courtesy of KONG and Chewy.com
Common Issues
Transitional Anxiety
What does it look like?
The first two weeks in a new environment cause anxious behaviors like barking or destructive chewing
Similar to separation anxiety
Why does it happen?
A dog is scared when they don’t know what to expect in a new place
What to do?
Stick firmly to a routine
Tire them out mentally and physically
Try crating them with a blanket over the top to reduce anxiety
Put on classical music when you leave
More tips from SFSPCA here
Separation AnxietyWhat does it look like?
When left alone, a dog acts out through destroying objects, barking, or house-soiling
Why does it happen?
The dog may not have been given enough independence or time alone when they were young
True separation anxiety is a panic attack for dogs that are scared of being alone
What to do?
Increase mental and physical exercise
Introduce shorter breaks to acclimate them to being alone
Have a friend or dog walker come midday
Put on classical music when you leave
Make a vet appointment to talk about medication and behavior modification
More tips from SFSPCA here
Leash Aggression/Frustration & Barrier Reactivity/ Frustration
What does it look like?
A dog who barks and struggles against a leash or a barrier to get to another being, but do react that way when the leash or barrier are not present.
Why does it happen?
They want to do dog things, but we are preventing them from doing dog things by pulling them away, which is frustrating
What to do?
Special leashes and harnesses
not choke chain, electric, or prong collars since pain makes this frustration worse or decrease signs of escalating aggression
Distractions:
Squeaky noise to get them to focus on you
Practice ‘look’ and ‘sit’ command
‘Find it’ positive association treat game
More tips from SFSPCA here
Guarding Food, People, Objects, or Locations
What does it look like?
Dogs become possessive, or guard, over food, a specific person, or a favorite object or location
Why does it happen?
Inadvertently taught this behavior
May have had these things withheld or taken away from them too often
What to do?
These behaviors can sometimes get better with training and medication
Ask staff for training like how to ‘resource flood’
Schedule appointment with vet for medication
People can learn not to trigger them
THESE BEHAVIORS NEVER FULLY LEAVE A DOG
Be upfront with adopters and staff
Prevention is key; don’t accidentally exacerbate these behaviors in your foster dog
More tips from ASPCA here
Common Issues – Solved! (ASPCA links)The ASPCA has GREAT webpages for all the following issues here:
Aggression
Barking
Destructive Chewing
Food Guarding
Howling
Mounting/Masturbation
Mouthing, Nipping And Play Biting in Adult Dogs
Mouthing, Nipping and Biting in Puppies
Separation Anxiety
Whining
AdoptionsWhat to do when an approved adopter meets my foster dog?
Dog Adoption
Meets
DURING THE MEET:
Talk over all the relevant info from your own experience
Dog Medical Records
How to acclimate THIS SPECIFIC DOG to THEIR SPECIFIC HOME
COMPLETING ADOPTIONS:
With adopter: contract and
adoption fee Leash/collar/harness donation, if necessary
After they leave: email your coordinator so we can mark them adopted
Other interested adopters: let them know your foster dog has been
adopted; connect them to the PAWS Matchmaker Team
How do I know if my foster dog is right for an adopter?
■ Allergy concerns for this hair type?
– Towel test*
■ Energy level and Size when full-grown
■ Grooming, shedding, and fur coat length
■ What kind of exercise and playtime?
■ What are they looking forward to doing?
■ Transition between the shelter and your home
Pet Care
Info:
Allergies
Talk over all the relevant info from your own experience
* Items PAWS provides for shelter dogs in foster care are starred
In the dog’s medical records, please point out:
“ALTERED” AKA FIXED
AKA SPAYED OR
NEUTERED: YES
MICROCHIP NUMBER
(NOT A GPS)
RE-VACCINATION
DATES
FLEA TREATMENT AND
PYRANTEL
DEWORMER DUE
DATES
SPECIAL
PRESCRIPTION DIETS
(OR WHAT FOOD YOU
ARE FEEDING THEM)
ANY ONGOING
MEDICAL ISSUES, IF
APPLICABLE
CURRENT
MEDICATIONS, IF
APPLICABLE
REMAINING FOLLOW-
UP WITH OUR CLINIC,
IF APPLICABLE
Dog Medical Records
How do I know if an adopter is right for my foster dog?
■ Are they comfortable with your dog’s medical
needs?
■ What kind of energy is their household?
– Hustle-bustle versus calm and quiet
– Children? Young nieces or nephews? Grandchildren?
■ Are they comfortable with your dog’s quirks?
– Not being picked up? Being jumped on? Alarm
barking?
– What is the adopter’s plan or concerns?
■ Are they comfortable with the training the dog
may need?
– Leash manners, potty training, etc.
– What training have you already worked on?
How to acclimate THIS SPECIFIC DOG to THEIR SPECIFIC HOME
Concerns about a pending
adoption?
■ Don’t wait!!! The longer you wait to reach out
to us, the more time passes before we can
talk with the adopters, and the more
adopters will be understandably upset!
■ Nervous about your first adopter meet? Have
the meet with PAWS staff at a PAWS location
during open hours
■ If you ever have any concerns about an
adoptive home being the right fit for your
foster dog during a meet :
– Tell the adopters, “This has been such
a lovely meet; PAWS will be in touch
with you about the next steps to
adoption!”
– Immediately contact your foster
coordinator to discuss
Dog-InteractionsDogs with Other Dogs, Cats, and Kids
Dogs & Dogs
■ Dog-dog adoption meets (good signs include
indifference, soliciting play, or even a little
correcting here and there)
■ Dog parks (be wary of other people not
watching their dog, watch your dog, keep
moving around the park, interrupt play and
reward recall behavior, dog needs to be healthy
and UTD, unleash before entering)
■ Dog park alternatives (beaches or hiking so
they have space to avoid other dogs if they
want)
■ Size and even gender can be a factor
■ More tips from the SFSPCA here
Introducing Cats and Dogs
Fence them in with a baby gate
Give cats space to get away
Vertical territory in common spaces
Dog needs guidance/commands
If no commands, use a 4ft house leash
Dogs will eat cat poop out of litter boxes
Alternative feeding places like tables, countertops, window sills
Dogs with Kids
How vigilant the parents are with their human children & how much dog experience
ALWAYS say ‘depends on how the meet goes’
Dogs that guard are a HARD NO
Big dogs can knock over kids
Ask staff if you are unsure
It is OK to say NO
Thank you for saving lives with PAWS!As always, reach out to your foster coordinator with
any questions! Good luck!
They won’t make it without you
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