WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO BE A FOSTER FAMILY?
I asked this question in a group and more than 90% answered: love, especially lots of love! I do not agree at all. I see that the vast majority thinks that love and pampering are the most important and I disagree. A fosterer is to socialize the dog, teach the routines of family life, and not to pamper them. It sounds very hard but a foster home is the bridge for your definitive family and this implies discipline, teaching and support. Too much love and pampering don’t help much because they create too strong bonds and thus encourage separation anxiety and other problems. It also makes it much harder to adapt to their definitive family because they will feel abandoned again. Better be less affectionate, not letting them follow us everywhere, not sleeping with them or letting them climb on sofas and beds because we don’t know if the new family will allow it. We must not be afraid to correct them if we catch them doing something we do not want the hounds to do. Be consistent and educate you foster doggies and help them feel safe and happy. Very important is NOT to feel sorry for them. They don’t need grief, their suffering is over. They need understanding but not overprotecting because it produces fear, insecurities and an unhealthy dependence. Many people are surprised when they arrive at my house and a pack of friendly and affectionate hounds almost crush them to greet the visitors. Many of them came from terrible places like my podencos from Bullas. Luckily they have forgotten the past because they live in the present and are mentally stable and very sociable dogs.
It’s up to us to help them to be happy stable hounds!
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