In late January, we had so many puppies growing up at Rescue Ranch without the benefit of a home experience, we launched an appeal asking for help. We received a number of responses from families volunteering to foster dogs. We are so grateful for their support. I caught up with three fosters from Oregon this week to talk about their experience.
3 puppy foster families share their experience
Comet & the Woosleys
Comet’s foster mom, Shannon Woosley, is an experienced dog foster and a Rescue Ranch adopter. She says that when her husband met Comet, he floated the idea of a foster fail: “Can we just get six of these?” he said. But Shannon was firm: no. Not that it wasn’t tempting, but the goal of the exercise was to help Comet, then the next pup and the next, so they could help more foster dogs.
Shannon says Comet is a wonderful dog. “If I had to describe this dog in one word, it would be ‘gentle’,” she said. He’s playful, as a puppy should be, but he never jumps up and he’s not mouthy. He’s a little bit of an “inappropriate chewer.” But that’s to be expected from a six-month-old; especially one who has never lived in a home. And Comet is very responsive to correction: all it takes is one squirt from the water bottle, and he never chews a forbidden object again.
The young dog integrated easily and with proper etiquette. When a senior Chihuahua housemate signaled to back off, Comet was like, “Okay, cool.” With the right introductions, he would likely accept cats, but that hasn’t been tested. He gets along wonderfully with the eight-year-old Olsen daughter. He’s just a “sweetie-pie” with her.
Comet’s main issue is that he’s shy. Not overly fearful or neurotic, but shy. He takes a beat to warm to people. Once he does, he’s all about the cuddles and fun.
Shannon says that Comet would do fine as a solo dog, but adds that he’s really benefitted from the help of his mentor, Squeaker, her 10-year-old shepherd. He would thrive in a home with a more experienced dog to show him the ropes. He might be a good candidate for a family who has never raised a puppy because his energy levels are manageable. In her opinion, Comet will be a big, polite, gentle giant. Of course, he’s still a playful puppy working on housebreaking and training, but he’s a “very easy puppy.”
Comet is available for adoption
Basil & Sheib household
Patrick Sheib, a former vet tech turned travelling surgical tech, is a natural caregiver and a dog lover. He volunteered to take a Rescue Ranch pup after a co-worker told him we were looking for volunteers to foster dogs. When I asked why he volunteered, he replied, “I just kind of wanted to pay it forward to a puppy.”
Basil was sitting with Patrick and “enjoying some neck scritches and back rubs” when I called. He had just come in from playing chase in the yard with his housemate, three-year-old Indiana.
After three weeks in the Sheib household, things are going very well for Basil. Indiana took to him immediately. Older Yorkie-schnauzer mix Gremlin was slower to come around, but now Basil follows him around like a big brother. Basil is a very friendly dog. Although he hasn’t interacted with kids in foster, Patrick believes that he would bond easily with a child. He’s certainly ready for a family of his own.
Basil is gentle with good energy. He’s also very much a puppy who loves to play with his pals, chew on his toys, and run around the yard. When he gets tuckered out, he falls asleep, sometimes sliding off the furniture to a rude awakening on the floor!
He fits right in on their walks, leaning against Indiana as they go. And he’s not one of those dogs who stops every three feet for a sniff: when they’re walking on leash, he likes to keep things moving. According to Patrick, Basil gets a little scared when cars or joggers go by. He stands behind his human until the moment passes. It’s a big, wide, noisy world out there and some puppies need a little more time to adjust.
A chewer, Basil is learning what is a toy and what is not a toy. Patrick keeps him busy with appropriate chewing items while discouraging inappropriate ones. Caught with a “stinky shoe,” he’ll now drop it because he remembers he’s not supposed to have it. When it comes to crate training, Basil has the routine down. If Patrick tells him it’s “time to kennel,” Basil just goes and sits in his crate. He doesn’t soil his kennel or destroy his bedding, he just waits patiently for his foster dad to come home.
Basil is available for adoption
Guppy & the Olsens
Nine-month-old Guppy spent three weeks with veteran dog foster Ruth Olsen and her family. He acclimated quickly. On the first day, he came in, lay down, and calmly chewed a bone. As a youngster, he naturally plays a lot, but he also settles easily. Guppy was social with other canines, including household dog Sachi, several boarding visitors, and friends he met elsewhere. He was respectful when a small dachshund, and later a senior bearded collie, requested he keep his distance.
Unfamiliar events or objects startled him, like stairs, a mirror, flags flapping in the wind. Ruth says he was like “woah! what’s this?” but then “he cruised through that stuff easily.” He would just stop, take it all in, and then accept the novelty. He wasn’t reactive to vehicle noises.
Guppy was uneasy with new people inside the house. Not reactive, just “worried” until he got used to them. He was more wary of men than women. When their bridge group gathered to play at the house that first week, Ruth suggested they bring hot dogs, which helped break the ice with the newcomers. His caution never stood in the way of a treat!
Guppy’s only real issue was that he found his foster dad intimidating, despite the latter’s best efforts. Ruth describes her husband as a “big guy with a deep voice.” Somehow, this was overwhelming for Guppy and it made him anxious. The young dog was happy to jump on the bed and cuddle with them in the morning, but it was a different story when the man of the house was upright and moving around.
Other than that one hurdle, Guppy had an excellent foster experience: he’s “a really great dog. Really, really nice, you know, not over-the-top,” says Ruth.
During his stay, Guppy learned “shake,” improved “down,” and was three-quarters of the way to rolling over. In the car crate, he just chewed the frozen stuffed bone Ruth gave him until she returned. And at night, he slept comfortably in his home crate. Our young lad also learned to walk on leash with a head halter: “He didn’t put up a fuss at all, did great with it!”
Guppy is available for adoption
Thinking about helping foster dogs?
I asked all three fosters if they recommended fostering.
Shannon replied, “Absolutely! Fostering’s the best! We love it! It’s such a blast getting to know each individual dog. Knowing that you’re doing something good for a creature that can’t advocate for themselves, is always an amazing thing to do.” She suggested it might help someone decide whether they’re ready to commit to a dog full-time. And noted that if they love dogs but can’t have one, a weekend works wonders!
Patrick said that fostering has “been a fun experience.” He acknowledged that “If you’re not going to keep him, it’s hard to let him go. But you have to know they’re gonna live a good life. And that foundation started with the love and attention, the obedience, that they get from being with you. It’s good to know you’re giving them that.”
Ruth agreed: “If anybody asks me, I say, ‘yeah!’ I think it gives people a perspective of what we need to be doing as a society, like telling people they need to spay/neuter their dogs. And it’s fun! For me it’s satisfying. I can hopefully make a dog more adoptable. It’s not that hard: all you do is let [the dog] hang out, take it a few places, have it meet some people. You know, that’s money in the bank” for dogs that need socializing.
Both Ruth and Shannon noted that if the dog doesn’t work out, it’s easy to return a foster. And Rescue Ranch is there to support you. When it comes to foster dogs, all three said it was important to have realistic expectations and understand that puppies will be puppies. Having another dog to mentor isn’t required, but it helps.
If you’re thinking of helping out and would like to meet some foster dogs, contact Rescue Ranch. Click here to learn more about fostering options.
