Fostering with DCLA
Bringing home a new dog
Watch this short video from our friends at Blue Man Dog Rescue about some key things to know when bringing home a new dog.
Building a strong foundation
Crate training
We require all of our fosters to crate their dogs at night, periodically during the day, and when they leave home. Some dogs take to it more quickly than others, but they all learn with consistency and practice. We do not allow foster dogs in our program to sleep in the human’s bed at night as this can increase the likelihood of separation anxiety and is often unwanted by adopters.
It is crucial that the dog learns to be home alone, so we ask that from the first day, fosters leave home (while the dog is in the crate) for at least an hour increasing tolerance to longer periods.
Boundaries and thresholds
Dogs thrive with structure so we ask fosters to create the following house rules: no begging for food, waiting before going out the door, staying out of the kitchen while food is being prepared, and staying off the furniture. This also helps prepare dogs to be well-behaved in their adopter’s homes.
House training
The transition to a new home is often when potty training needs to be reinforced, even for a dog who has lived in a home before. Crate training helps as dogs are reluctant to make a mess in the crate, but it is still advised that fosters give their dogs frequent breaks to go outside in the beginning and praise the dog when they do their business outside.
Walks
Leash manners are an important skill for all companion dogs. We host weekly leash walking classes with fosters to help train the dogs to walk nicely without pulling and expect fosters to practice these skills at home first, in quiet areas and incrementally exposing their dogs to new environments. Walking with the dog is also a great way for dogs to bond with their new fosters.
Expanding horizons
Basic obedience
Adopters love it when a dog knows “sit” or “down”. Teach them some fun commands!
Practice riding in the car
Some dogs like it, others don’t. But like most things, practice can make it easier. This may mean practicing loading up a few times, sitting in the car without going anywhere then graduating to short rides, and always a calm exit!
The 3 categories of socialization: people, places, and pups!
Exposing the dog to new people, new environments, and getting them time around other dogs is important to their growth. We coach fosters through how and when to start exposing the dog to new people and places. Per city liability rules, foster dogs can’t go to a dog park, daycare, or boarding facility. Dogs in our program will have the opportunity to socialize with other foster dogs at leash walking class and playgroup. We can also connect well-matched foster dogs for playdates.
