Fostering Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some thoughts from DAR&E Volunteers on Fostering.
I lost my female Dobe, Missy, a little over a year ago. I couldn't decide
if I wanted another dog as I had Spencer, my Beagle. I thought it would be
nice to volunteer and help out Dobies in need as I have had many wonderful
Dobes over the years and that I should give back as I had been blessed so
many times. My first foster was Hannah, who was left in a crate 15-20 hours
out of the day, and physically abused. She was a mess. I fell in love with
her and she is still with me. Since then I have fostered females and one
male. It is not an easy job and the efforts take a large hunk out of my
days. Sometimes it is very difficult to let go. On the other hand, it is
the best feeling ever to find them their forever home and watch them walk
away with pride. They never look back. I have been most fortunate in
finding the perfect mom and dad for these babies. These are people, in a
lot of cases, who have just lost their Dobe or want to add on to the family
and it is a good feeling knowing these dogs are wanted and needed to fill
voids in someone else's life - and I always think that these people need
this dog more than I do as I have two wonderful dogs. It is, however, very
addictive and my house is always too quiet when I don't have a foster. My
Hannah loves having them as she has a playmate her own size. Spencer is
very good at tolerating them as well. It is a great way to make new friends
as well. I feel fortunate to be able to be a volunteer for DAR&E. It is
one job I can honestly say I love. --- Sue Harris
Why do I foster? Because I am helping the dogs, one dog at a time to find a loving home
something a lot of our rescues have never experienced.
What is in it for me? The joy of seeing a scared, non trusting very thin Doberman blossom
into a confident loving and learning to trust people again. They are so thankful for the little
things such as a kind word or a pat on the head.
I have been a volunteer with DAR&E since Jan. of ’99 and started to foster in Feb. of the
same year and continue to foster with a few short breaks here and there. On average
I foster 10 Dobes a year. One fawn boy stands out in my mind. He and his previous owner had
moved from the north. The young man had relocated to the area, got an apartment that didn’t
allow dogs. This person had the dog since he was a puppy. The dog was now 3-4 yrs old.
So instead of trying to find an apartment that would allow pets, the dog ended up in rescue.
He was a very well mannered beatiful boy. Then there is Jackson, Nikki, Monty and the list could
go on and on. Each one was and will remain special. --- Kitty LeMarr
I have to admit, I am a foster parent because I'm selfish. I absolutely LOVE to see the glowing
faces of a new adoptive owner when they find their new family member. I absolutely LOVE to watch
a scared, withdrawn, Doberman become a lovable, happy dog. I absolutely LOVE to receive those
dobe kisses and leans that say "thank you for helping me". I absolutely LOVE to show a dog that
the world isn't a scary place and that there are people that really care about him/her. I foster
because it makes ME feel like I'm making a difference. So I'm glad that I foster, even if it means
I'm being selfish. --- Annette
I wish that I could still foster, but when you live in a small house with two resident dobes and
the male decides he's had enough strangers through his house in the last couple of years, you have
to quit. I can tell you why to do it though.
One day in the future you are going to be having a bad day. Everyone (or thing) seems to be against
you. You get home that night after fighting traffic, etc. and find an unexpected letter or e-mail
containing photos. A lady that adopted one of YOUR kids is sending current photos of the boy, now
a big powerful adult male, with a grin that doesn't stop and a self-satisfied look. You remember
back to the boney, dull coated, timid animal you first met and look again at the photos. His coat
is glossy, his eyes are clear, he ripples muscles, his happy face seems to be yelling "I'm king of the
world!". At that point the bad day turns good, and you feel just as good as the boy in the picture
looks! That happened only last week! No one can save them all, but I made a difference to Xavier
and I am happy about that.
Keep up the good work. As I said, I wish I still could help, but it would make Lammtarra unhappy
and it is his home after all. --- Penny, Lammtarra and Sky Classic
I foster for many reasons, most of them selfish. I foster because I love finding a great dog a
great home. Because I love getting emails weeks, months and years later saying my former foster
is the smartest, best dog in the world and sharing their adventures. I foster because I love
seeing a person, who needed that dog, speak with tears in their eyes about their love for a
dog who was once scared, unsure, and skittish. I foster because I remember what it was like
having lost a Dobe and walking around my house feeling empty without my daily routine of walking,
feeding, playing with and talking to my Dobe. I want to fill that void for others who have loved
and lost a Doberman.
I enjoy seeing those dogs at our annual picnics or at play groups, and seeing how much love they’re
getting. How well trained they have become. How that icky orange coat has turned a beautiful deep
red. How the dog who barely made eye contact now approaches and asks for kisses.
I laugh at their antics, smile when they sleep happily and soundly, and grin as I watch them romp
around my yard, throwing a stuffed toy in the air with glee. And foster dogs give great kisses!
It’s a lot of hard work, but the dogs make it all worthwhile!! -- Colleen
A foster parent speaks
Thank You for bringing this foster dog into my life.
Had I not made the decision to participate in rescue,
I would never have had the chance to meet him.
If I had sat here comfortably in my home and said
"I already have four dogs and I know that I couldn't take
in another - even on a temporary basis," I would never
have met this dog.
Yes, it takes time to rescue and foster... but who
gave me Time in the first place? And why or what was
the reason I was given Time? To fill my own needs? Or
was there another reason ever so small and seemingly
insignificant, like rescuing this one dog, that could
make a difference in an other's life? Perhaps to add
joy, hope, help and companionship to another who is in
need?
With great sadness, I sat down on a footstool in my
kitchen this morning and watched as this foster dog
bounced back into the house and skidded across the
floor to sit ever so perfectly in front of me. He was
the picture of health, finally. He was all smiles for
me.... and I smiled back at his happy face. Deep in
his eyes, the storm clouds of illness and generalized
poor health had blown away, and the clear light of his
perfection radiated out from his beautiful soul. He
holds no ill will toward man. He forgives us all.
I thought to myself as I impressed this one last long
look of him into my heart, what a very fine creature
You have created. Tears slowly pooled and spilled over
my cheekbones as the deeper realization of how
wonderful this dog is sank into my internal file
cabinet of Needful Things to Remember. Lord, he's a
dog - but he's a better human being than I am.
He has forgiven quickly. Would I do the same?
He passionately enjoys the simple things in life. And
I have often overlooked them.
He accepts change and gets on with his life. I fuss
and worry about change.
He lives today and loves today. And I often dwell in
the past or worry about the future.
He loves no matter what. I am not that free.
This very lovely dog has gone to his new home today
and already I miss him. Thank You for bringing this dog
into my life. And thank You for the beautiful and
tender lesson on how to be a better human. -- Author Unknown
Who's Teaching Who
One would assume that bringing in a homeless little cocker baby would consist of daily training sessions, buckets of Nature's Miracle, and a few bottles of Clairol to help cover the gray hair you will earn. However, it has been my experience that it is quite the opposite. As we went into this adventure with images of crazy throw-away dogs, we learned just who was teaching who.No matter how bad my day is - my foster dogs days before this were so much worse than my days will EVER be. I have never been chained to a wall in the middle of a snow storm or heat wave. I have never had to eat poop and mold and fight for my next meal. I have never been hit with a broom or kicked in the side. The dogs somehow have a way of dealing with so much more than we do. Most of us would never survive the same treatment.
Patience; well, I've learned that I was lacking in this area. Patience is when you have a dog with ears that are completely shut, calcified and petrified of your hands. You need to apply the treatment 2 times a day, for several months. Patience is when your little rescue dog looks up at you with the medicine in your hand and licks your hand. Almost as if they know I don't want to put them through this - almost as if to say - it's OK mama, I will learn to be a good girl while you do this. Patience is when you have a dog that is almost dead from pneumonia. Listening to the constant hacking and wondering if he will awake tomorrow, to continue with his hacking. Patting on his back to help the fluids come out. Wiping up the fluids that are coming out. Him willingly taking his medicine, even though it makes him gag. Patience is when the other pups in the litter let the sick baby lean on them and use them as a pillow for his very heavy head.
One very pitiful little foster boy taught me it's OK to just sit around and do nothing at all. Sometimes, in our hurry up world, we need to get on the floor and just go belly up. Lay on the couch and hug and kiss and just enjoy each others company.
You see, what I have learned is that THEY taught me how to have patience. If they can put up with some of the things we need to do to them and for them, then I can certainly learn to deal with a small line at the post office, or the traffic jam I am stuck in, or the people that call me at work with stupid questions.
Every one of the fosters have taught me something. Sometimes, it was things I never wanted to know about. Mange, stress colitis, pneumonia, kennel cough, dry eye, all interesting subjects.
Ok, I did teach them about manners, and living in a home. I taught them there will always be food available. There will always be hugs and warm beds. It's not polite to pee on someones indoor plants, however it's perfectly acceptable to do so on the tree outside. Training them is actually the easy part of fostering. I learned that several of my dogs like to participate in the training process. Joy will scream at the foster dog (if she likes him) to make sure he wakes up and gets out of his crate and herds him to the back door. Once at the door, she will scream at him again, so he knows to get all excited and go out back. At this point, it's show and tell. She shows him to pee in the grass, and then afterwards it's play time. She will scream and run and make them chase her around the yard. She's a good mommy dog. I never new she liked teaching. I learned they really do have a language all their own. This lesson taught me that I should pay more attention to others around me.
Finally, the hardest lesson learned is letting go. The fosters take huge chunks of our hearts with them. If they can let go of us and learn to again adapt to another home and a new set of rules, then we can learn to be happy for them and not dwell on them no longer in our homes. They leave huge pawprints on our hearts, to replace the chunks they take with them. And, occasionally, when we least expect it, we find that book they gnawed on while they were in our care. Or that sandal with little teeny teeth marks. We smile, realizing that sandals and books can easily be replaced, but the lessons we learned can not.
I have always had trouble with changes. Change is not necessarily a bad thing. Dogs adapt to almost any change if it's done with love and patience. If we could all take a lesson from our dogs, life would be so much easier to deal with.
And if you ever get the chance to foster a dog, you will learn some things that cannot be explained on paper. You have to do it to experience the emotions that flood your body when a little cocker looks up at you, wondering if you'll hurt him or love him. Teaching one to love again is something I will never be able to explain, nor will I ever forget the lessons they teach me.
Written by Foster Mom Linda
