A GUIDE TO FOSTERING

Thank you for your interest in becoming a foster family for Central Illinois Sheltie Rescue. Central Illinois Sheltie Rescue relies heavily on a foster family's assistance and judgement. If you decide to help, it will be a commitment that provides many rewards. There's a lot to know and we learn more with each dog we rescue. In fact we encourage you to share your experiences and insights with us so we can pass them along to future volunteers. The following information should give you a good idea of what is involved in fostering for Central Illinois Sheltie Rescue.

Should you decide to be a foster family, you'll take a rescued Sheltie into your home and care for him or her as you would your own pet, providing food, shelter, companionship, basic training and exercise, and supplying generous amounts of patience and love. The fostering period can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks to several months. Your evaluation of the Sheltie 's character, temperament and training level are invaluable; the more we know about a dog's habits and behavior (positive and negative), the easier it is to match him or her to the perfect owner. We count on you to provide us with information on the dog’s personality.

First of all, we also ask that you complete one of our Foster Home Applications.

Next, a Central Illinois Sheltie Rescue representative will visit your home and discuss your situation more in depth. We will also try to help evaluate your situation and determine the types of Shelties that would fit into your lifestyle most easily.

If you have other pets, it is very important they be current on all vaccinations before you begin fostering. This includes vaccinations against rabies, parvovirus, and kennel cough, (or bordatella). Your dog(s) should also be on preventive Heartworm and flea control medicine. If you have dogs that you are actively showing in conformation and have not been "fixed" please be sure we know this!!!!! If you have "pets" that are not "fixed", you are not eligible for our program.

Before we place any dog in a foster home, the dog is "vetted". "Vetted" means it has had all its shots, has been treated for fleas and heartworms, wormed, spayed or neutered, and it is somewhat clean. To keep costs down, we only take heavily soiled dogs to the groomer. If the dog is just a little dirty, we ask that the foster home bathe the dog.

While in your care, if the dog should need medical care, please contact Central Illinois Sheltie Rescue first. We have established favorable pricing with several area veterinary clinics, so please don’t take this dog to just any vet. Please contact us first. (Unless it is an emergency)

THE SHELTIE'S BACKGROUND. A rescued Sheltie may have come from a shelter, been a stray, had a very wonderful home, or come from puppy mill. You will need to be prepared for any of these cases. (Puppy mill dogs required lots of time and patience. Talk to a director more about this). Surprisingly, the dog coming from a previous home may show the most stress, as she or he has been accustomed to a particular environment and routine, and may suffer a loss of security when thrust into a new situation. A stray dog or one coming from a shelter often adapts to new situations more readily.

EASING THE STRESS. Almost every Sheltie has been through some ordeal before being rescued. The dog may have been in a shelter, housed under less-than-ideal conditions in the original home, been tied outside, reprimanded too much or not at all, or have been homeless and subject to many stray dog experiences. Whatever the history, the Sheltie may be unsettled both physically and emotionally upon arriving at your home. Quite often dogs will mirror their environment; it helps to initially limit distractions around the house such as television, loud noises and children's activity levels. Rescued Shelties need large amounts of reassurance, attention and affection every step of the way. Patience is a key attribute of our best foster families.

Signs of temporary stress include shedding, panting, pacing, general restlessness, increased water consumption, and a more frequent need to urinate. Sometimes the excitement of a new home and surroundings can cause the rescued Sheltie to forget it was previously housebroken. Monitor water intake and give frequent opportunities for potty breaks for the first several days. Until you are sure the dog is housebroken, leave a short leash attached to the collar for quick exits and confine the dog to one or two rooms initially, so you can more easily monitor any accidents.

Many rescue dogs seem to be food and/ or crate aggressive. This means that when you feed them, they get upset if another dog comes too close while they are eating.

Many will get upset if another dog comes to close to their crate. Please understand that these dogs may have always had to protect their food, so this may take awhile to break them of.

SAFFTY AND SEPARATION. One of your most important tasks is to provide a safe environment for the rescued Sheltie. This means always walking the dog on a leash when outdoors…. or closely monitoring it if in a fenced area, to be sure he won't try to jump over the fence. Until the dog knows you and your home (generally a couple of days), there is a greater risk he will try to run away.

Proceed slowly when exposing the Sheltie to its new environment. If there are other animals in your home, introduce them slowly and individually to the Sheltie. The entire first day may be one of separation. This enables the foster dog and your current dog or cat to become aware of each other's scent without having to directly "confront an intruder." The second day may be one of introduction, usually requiring the use of a leash for both dogs while they meet each other nose to nose for the first time.

Central Illinois Sheltie Rescue asks that you use a crate with rescue dogs. It helps dogs adapt to their new environment more quickly, it will tell us how much food and water the dog is eating/drinking. It can help in monitoring level of housebreaking, it will protect your furniture and your house from "chewy" or destructive dogs, and it also will give the Sheltie a small place of his own where he knows he is safe.

We do not know the temperament of all the dogs we take in. Sometimes we can go by what a relinquishing owner tells us, and sometimes we can’t. Some Shelties are great with kids and some are not. Please use caution when introducing your children to a new dog. Never allow a child to reach into a crate. Never allow a child to come near the dog while it is eating. Never allow a child to crawl into the dog’s crate. Never allow a child to squeeze a dog around its neck. Generally speaking…….small kids make small dogs nervous. Go very SLOW when introducing children to a new dog. If you see ANY signs of nervousness from the dog, then do not proceed. Carefully monitor children's interaction with the Sheltie and watch for signs they may be suffering from over-stimulation. Be prepared to initiate 'Time Outs" and separate the Sheltie quickly if play becomes too rough. Do not leave the foster Sheltie alone with your children at any time until you have thoroughly evaluated the dogs temperament. Please understand that if your child hurts the dog, it will/may bite. It is YOUR responsibility to make sure this does not happen.

TRAINING. As a foster family, you help "socialize" the Sheltie and make him or her more adoptable. This can include helping the Sheltie learn to trust people again, as many dogs may have been abandoned or abused. You may also teach or reinforce basics like housebreaking, commands such as Sit, Come or Stay. Some Shelties may have been through an obedience course and some may come with absolutely no clue about what is expected. Central Illinois Sheltie Rescue places these Shelties to be indoor dogs, but some of them have lived outside all their lives. You must acclimate the dog to indoor living and teach appropriate "house manners." Never use physical punishment. If you're having trouble correcting a behavioral problem, contact Central Illinois Sheltie Rescue to discuss alternatives. Keep in mind that some adult rescue dogs need more care and attention than a puppy.

FEEDING AND CARE. You are responsible for feeding and caring for the Sheltie while in your care. We ask that you only use one of the following foods:

Nutro, Innova or California Natural. All these products are the best we have found for Shelties. If the dog is underweight, we suggest using puppy formula. If the dog is overweight, please use a reduced calorie product. We also ask that you give a monthly heartworm, and a monthly flea medicine (we stock them, please ask for some) We ask that you only use Sentinel or the Interceptor/Frontline combination. It is also up to you to watch for, and report any sign of illness or other condition that would require veterinary care (such as vomiting, worms in the stool, coughing, ear infections , etc etc)   We also ask that the dog be kept clean and well groomed at all times.

EXPENSES. Central Illinois Sheltie Rescue pays all medical expenses, however, veterinary care should first be discussed with a Central Illinois Sheltie Rescue Member. This is our biggest expense and we have established favorable pricing with several reputable clinics. As a general rule, you are responsible for things such as dog food, driving expenses, phone calls, toys, etc.

LIABILITY YOU are solely responsible for any damage this dog causes in your home. (We will provide you with a crate if needed). You must never leave a foster dog loose in your home until you are certain of what he/she will do. You are also responsible for anything this dog does while in your care……so please supervise carefully.

RECORD-KEEPING. You will need to keep accurate records of veterinary care that has occurred while in your care. (stitches removal, Sentinel given etc..etc) The original medical records will be given to the new adoptive family; copies will be kept by Central Illinois Sheltie Rescue.

SUPPLIES YOU'LL NEED. Some things you will need on hand include a long leash, dog grooming brush, chew and play toys appropriate for a Sheltie. We ask that our dogs are fed a quality dog food, (see above). You will need water bowl and food dishes. You will need a method of confining and/or separating the dog (either crating, closing doors or putting up gates to certain rooms). Note: We do have crates we can loan you.

IF THINGS DON'T WORK OUT. Support or advice from other experienced foster families is always available. If a Sheltie cannot adapt to a particular situation Central Illinois Sheltie Rescue will place the dog in a new foster home.