# Fostering with a puppy?



## J-Boo (Mar 5, 2015)

Would fostering an adult dog while there is a puppy in the home be a terrible idea, or a good way to provide an example for the pup on how to behave, as well as a playmate? Depending on how well-behaved/trained the adult dog is, of course.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

I would focus my time with puppy so I am the most important and fun thing to be around, not the temporary foster dog. Your puppy doesn't need a dog playmate. You also risk your puppy learning the bad behaviors your foster dog has.


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## J-Boo (Mar 5, 2015)

Saphire said:


> I would focus my time with puppy so I am the most important and fun thing to be around, not the temporary foster dog. Your puppy doesn't need a dog playmate. You also risk your puppy learning the bad behaviors your foster dog has.


Good point, I wouldn't want the puppy to ignore her people in favor of the dog.

As I said, it would all depend on how well-behaved and trained the adult dog is, which of course can't be guaranteed. Playdates with older dogs probably make a lot more sense.

I can't WAIT for this weather to warm up! Maya really needs to get out to expend energy outdoors more often than she had been able to this last month. And all of our friends with dogs say, "Sure we can get together for a play date - when the weather is nicer!"


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Personally, I would never do it again. I fostered a doberman that when he got anxious would turn on the nearest dog. The rescue did NOTHING to help. After 9 months of constant management, I had a 1 yr old German Shepherd with fear based dog aggression which I'm still dealing with 7 years later.

I would have to know a lot more about any dog I brought in with a young dog.

And I would never with a puppy.


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## J-Boo (Mar 5, 2015)

Jax08 said:


> Personally, I would never do it again. I fostered a doberman that when he got anxious would turn on the nearest dog. The rescue did NOTHING to help. After 9 months of constant management, I had a 1 yr old German Shepherd with fear based dog aggression which I'm still dealing with 7 years later.
> 
> I would have to know a lot more about any dog I brought in with a young dog.
> 
> And I would never with a puppy.


Yikes, that sounds awful!

It was nothing I was considering seriously at this point, I just saw a notice about fostering and thought, "Hmm, I wonder if that could be beneficial, or the worst idea ever?"


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Unless you know for a fact that said dog is "excellent' with puppies, it could be a huge,risk!

My Dominate Male Bull/Mastiff/APBT/Lsb mix was such a dog he loved puppies! And yes, "if" you got a dog such as that, what you envision "could" happen! 

But that is not something you can "depend" on! You would be putting your puppy's health and wellbeing "literally" into the hands others!

Raise and train your puppy give him 18 months to two years to grow up! Then if you want, you'll be in a much better position to decide if being a foster is right for you!


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

I would wait a bit.

Foster dogs often come with issues that need to be worked through (that's the foster family's role). You don't want the puppy to start viewing those dogs as role models, as these dogs often are the exact opposite. There's a pretty good chance your pup will pick up annoying bad habits from foster dogs.

I also wouldn't want to bring fresh-from-the-shelter dogs into a home with a pup that's so young that it hasn't been fully vaxed. 

Fostering is a lot easier when you have stable, dog-friendly adult dogs of your own who can be good role models for the foster dog. My dogs do way more rehabilitating of shy dogs than I possibly could on my own--they show them not to be afraid, to trust the humans, and that life is okay. Let the pup grow up so that it can someday be that kind of helper for you, when you foster in the future.

ETA: Kudos for _wanting _to foster. The world needs more foster families. Each new foster family means a rescue gets to say "yes" to taking on an urgent dog with great potential who may be facing euthanasia. Our rescue routinely has to turn down requests to pull wonderful dogs for lack of foster spots. There is no resource in rescue as precious as a reliable, good foster home.


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