Fostering dogs...

i really want to foster dogs.. and im thinking of heading down the breed rescues, then i can work with some breeds that i would like to own in the future...

my first question is) do the breed rescues like you to have had experience with that breed before, or just dog experience?

second question) do the rescues help with bills etc? as i dont think right now id be able to feed another dog, not one of the breeds i was thinking, particularly if they are fed on a top name kibble...

third question) do they my mind if you do work? obviously im not out all day everyday, but i now have a part time job, but im not out for more than 4 hours a day...

fourth question) can you work for more than one breed rescue at a time?

once i have these sorted (and got round nana ) then i will hopefully get on to some breed rescues and see what i can do.

Why not drop en e-mail with your said Q's to your choosen breed rescue(s)?

i will do i think... just wondered what other people thought...

What breeds are you thinking of? The Greyhound charity I'm with have people who work varying hours while fostering, I don't know how much they help with bills, but they do pay vet bills (as far as I know). You also don't need any experience of the breed (especially as so many go to first-time dog owners).
Hope that helps

thanks for that...

there's quite a varied choice which is why i wondered if i could foster for different breed clubs... great dane, weimaraner, alaskan malamute, maybe siberian husky. there are others i like and to be honest id foster for alot of breeds.. but i want to go down the breed specific so i can get a taste of what its like to live with a certain breed.

When I was thinking about fostering cats last year, the rescue I contacted said that they pay for the food and also pay for any vets bills but I'm not sure if this is the norm for all charities or not!

I've never fostered so might be talking out of my behind here but the only thing I can think of that might be an issue is that the breeds you've listed are, for the most part, very large and you've not had experience of owning one so I dunno whether that would factor into a rescue's willingness to foster to you? Although that being said, I know from your posts that you've worked with dogs and you'll be working with horses so to be honest, having owned one of your chosen breeds might not be such a big factor

thanks. working at the kennels ive had a experience of the majority of breeds. we get alot through our doors, and its usually the little ones that give you more grieve than the biguns

I foster, the rescue i foster for pays for the food and any vet treatment. I foster for a sighthound rescue, i own sighthounds so obviously i have experience of the breed, not necessary i don't think to own one but to be aware of their traits.

I only foster for one rescue but i do homechecks for other rescues. Its up to you how many you foster for but you may be inundated with fosters, i'd start with one first !

Regarding work, you would have to ask the rescue what their policies are as i expect they all differ.

Yeah, I expect having worked at a kennels will definitely be an asset to you And I can definitely agree about the little ones giving you more grief

I've been fostering for about a year or so now, and the charity I work with finds homes for older dogs whatever their breed. I did ask for bigger dogs when I started (just because that's what I like), but have looked after all shapes and sizes to date, from a little westie to a large belgium shepherd.

I have always bought the food for the dogs, but I'm not sure what the charity policy is with that - they pay for vet bills, transportation etc.

I work two full days a week, but there is always someone at home (my elderly mother in law lives with us and one of my sons works shifts) so that wasn't an issue for us.

The charity lady came out and did a home check on me and went through lots of questions regarding experience with dogs, etc., and having passed that stage, I was given my first dog fairly quickly.

To date my 'charges' have been with me anything between five days to about four weeks, depending on their health/mental state/a home being found, and it's been a joy to see them go out so much happier and settled than when they arrived with me.

I get just as much pleasure from doing this as I hope the dogs do - and as another fosterer once said to me, so long as they go on to a home that's as good as or better than mine, then I'm pretty sure that they should have a good future ahead of them.