Wag Foster Home Guidelines
WAG FOSTER HOME GUIDELINES
(January 2014)
WAG is an all-volunteer organization and relies on our volunteers to house our orphans. WAG’s funding comes from private donations and adoption fees. WAG is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and is answerable to donors and anyone inquiring about our finances. In an effort to help our current and new foster homes, we have outlined both WAG’s and our foster home’s responsibilities towards our dogs and each other.
GENERAL
1) All foster dogs should be fed a high quality, non-soy dog food and preferable grain-free. It is best to feed a dry kibble so the transition to a new home/food will be easier on the dog. We ask that our foster homes pay for dog food. If this becomes a hardship, please let us know. We may be able to provide food or reimbursement. With our own dogs, we have found that a 30-40 pound bag will last approximately 30—35 days. Puppies will eat more than an adult will.
2)Water should be available at all times except when withheld for surgery or under a veterinarian’s direction. If the dog tends to tip over the water in its crate, you can use a stainless steel bucket clipped to the side of the crate.
3)The foster dog should be bathed and groomed on a regular basis (brushed, nails clipped or dremeled, ears checked and cleaned). Nails should be as short as possible – not clicking on the floor when walking. If a potential adopter is coming to meet the dog, please make sure the dog is clean and well groomed so that they make a good impression on the potential adopter. If for some reason, i.e. your health or difficulty with nail trimming, etc, you would like to use a professional groomer, please contact a WAG rep first. If one of our volunteers is close to you, they may be able to help.
4)If you have other pets, you must have a means of keeping the animals separate. This can be accomplished with a crate, outdoor run, baby gate, or a room with a strong door and lock. WAG will NOT be responsible, monetarily or otherwise, for damage done to a house from a dog locked in a room. We can provide a crate. Should the crate be destroyed, WAG will provide another, or recommend a dog run. If the dog cannot be contained, we will discuss other options. (Dog intro information ?)
5)If you have an escape artist who cannot be contained, arrangements will be made to find another foster home, or advice given on how to make your home/yard more secure. We do not recommend that you leave the dog outside on its own when you are not home.
6)If because of fence jumping, you must tie the dog on a line outdoors, the dog must be supervised at all times to prevent hanging, children from teasing the dog, loose dog encounters, or any other type of harm. The dog may not be left tied outside when no one is home. We do not permit our adopters to do this; we will not permit our foster homes to do it.
7)Most of our foster dogs have been vetted – up to date on vaccinations and micro-chipped. If a fecal has not been done or the dog is not yet micro-chipped, please have this done by your vet. WAG will reimburse the cost once we receive a copy of the invoice. Micro-chips should have WAG as the primary contact with the foster home as secondary. This makes it easier to change the contact information once the dog is adopted.
8)The dog must be licensed according to your municipal or county codes. WAG will reimburse the cost.
9)When the dog is outside, it must have a safe collar on with license tag, micro-chip tag, rabies tag and ideally an ID tag.
10)If the dog is acting abnormally or appears ill, contact a WAG representative immediately. If you are unable to make contact or it is an emergency, take the dog to your vet. It is better to be safe than sorry. Things to watch out for: NOT eating or drinking water for 48 hours, especially if it is accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting; drinking huge quantities of water; abnormal eating patterns, pacing, panting; and listlessness. Make yourself familiar with the symptoms of bloat. This is a life or death emergency.
11)If you have introduced your pets to the foster dog, remember not to leave any toys, food, or bones lying around. Feed and water separately.
12)Never leave the rescue dog alone with your other pets without supervision. This means you are in the same room and actively watching them. Akitas are predatory. Many consider small dogs and cats as prey and might seriously injure or kill them. Two dogs are a pack and pack mentality is like mob mentality. They will do things together they may not do alone. Fights can cause serious injury to the dogs and anyone who tries to break it up. Puppies can get involved, too. Use common sense and remember it is your job to keep the foster dog safe. That means safe from getting hurt as well as hurting others. REMEMBER! Some dogs may never get along and may always have to be kept separate. This is NOT a failure!
13)If, because of negligence, i.e., not paying attention while the dog is on a regular or flexi-lead (not recommended), the dog bolts out of the house, escapes over or under a fence, or is left unattended or unattended with the resident pets, the rescue dog or any other animal or person is injured, the foster home will bear all veterinary and legal expenses.
14)Fostered dogs are the property of WAG. They should be handled with the same sense and care you would give any other property in your care that doesn’t belong to you. YOU MUST NOTIFY WAG if the foster dog is going to be kenneled, or left in the care of someone else. You cannot transfer care of this dog to someone else without notifying WAG first. All WAG foster homes are approved in advance of taking in a WAG dog. Foster dogs are not to be left in the care of anyone under 18 years of age. Foster dogs are not to be left in the care of anyone convicted of animal cruelty, spousal or child abuse.
VETERINARY EXPENSES
1)WAG will pay all regular vet bills. If the shelter or owner has not vaccinated the dog or we do not have proof of vaccinations, please make an appointment with your veterinarian. If needed, the dog will be spayed/neutered at WAG’s expense. Also ask your vet to do a fecal test and treat for worms, if necessary. Ask your vet if they will offer a discount to rescue. We can provide tax- exempt information if required. Prior to proceeding with any medical care, check with aWAG board member. Keep a copy of the vet records and invoices for your records and send copies to WAG. We cannot reimburse you without an invoice.
2)Foster homes are responsible for keeping track of dates that the dog was immunized, spayed, etc., so we can pass it on to new owners.
3)WAG will pay for injuries from a dogfight only once, whether it results from an introduction gone awry, or an accidental meeting. We will not pay for fights resulting from carelessness, i.e., not having sufficient barriers to keep dogs apart, not making sure the crate is locked, etc.
Training and Socialization
1) If possible, take the dog to obedience class. Contact WAG for referrals. We can reimburse for classes if an invoice is sent in. At a bare minimum, train the dog on basic obedience commands like sit, down, stay, come on command. Also work on leash training.
2) It is the foster home’s responsibility to determine the rescue dog’s reaction to various stimuli: children, adult men and women, teenagers, dogs of various sizes, cats, bicycles, etc. Take them out and socialize them. Try to expose them to as many different situations as possible, always on leash, always mindful of what is going on around you. Take them for car rides to parks, shopping centers and walk them around. Walk them around the neighborhood and encourage people of all types to pet them.
3)When someone wants to pet the dog, have the person approach smoothly and quietly, and extend his/her hand to be sniffed. No overhead gestures, no jerky movements, or snatching hand back. Once the dog has sniffed them, they can pet or scratch under the chin or on the chest. If the dog doesn’t mind this, scratches behind the ears are fine. Pats on the head may not be received well. Do not let a crowd of people surround the dog. Have them approach one at a time, until the dog gets used to them all. If the dog resists or is obviously uncomfortable, STOP. Don’t force the issue. Use common sense. DO NOT let anyone get in a new dog’s face, or hug the dogs, especially adult animals. Don’t use strangers as guinea pigs. Until you get to know the dog, don’t let others take liberties with him.
BLOAT
Bloat is a life-threatening condition. There are two stages: 1) The dog’s stomach fills with gas, water, or food and swells; 2) The stomach flips over (torsion), cutting off the blood supply and starting necrosis (tissue death). IF A BLOATING DOG IS NOT TAKEN TO A VET IMMEDIATELY, HE WILL DIE! IT IS BETTER TO MAKE MANY FALSE RUNS THAN TO MISS THE ONE TIME IT MATTERS. THIS KNOWLEDGE COULD SAVE A DOG’S LIFE.
You know your dog or foster dogs best – his usual routines and reactions.
SYMPTOMS
-Unusual behavior. If a normally calm dog is pacing or acting agitated along with other symptoms, suspect bloat.
- Inability to sit or lie down comfortably, exhibiting restlessness
- Swelling between the ribcage and hips. It could start in the lower rib cage and not be immediately visible.
- Pale gums
- Excessive panting
- Trying to vomit, but nothing coming up, except possibly saliva. Do not mistake the occasional yellowish bile or grass vomit as bloat.
Sometimes swelling is not visible, but you notice other symptoms. If you think the dog is in early stages, insist the vet take an x-ray to verify.
If your dog bloats and is deflated by means other than surgery (tubing), the stomach should be tacked as soon as the dog’s condition permits to prevent future torsion. Many times a dog that has bloated will do so again.
Stressful situations and very warm weather can bring bloat on.
Nothing has been proven to prevent bloat, but these suggestions may help:
-Feed twice daily instead of once.
-Do not feed large amounts of gas causing foods such as beans, cabbage, etc
-Do not let the dog exercise strenuously one hour prior to eating. A good rule of thumb: If he is panting from exertion or the heat, do not feed until he stops panting.
-Do not let the dog drink too much after exertion or being out in the heat. Water in small amounts.
-If you have a dog that is a food gulper, place a large rock in his food bowl to slow down his eating.
-Do not let your dog exercise strenuously for one to two hours after eating.
-Do not let him roll on his back after eating or drinking
-If he is being fed a food that swells in water (most dry kibble), wet the food and let it soak 10 minutes to absorb the water before feeding.
-Bloat has a hereditary factor. If you know where the dog came from, check if any of his family, mainly mother, father and siblings have bloated.
Educate yourself and talk with your vet. Know the address and phone number of the emergency vet in your area. Call the vet when you are on your way.