Choosing the Right Foster Dog

WAGS rescues a tremendous variety of dogs: puppies, adolescents, adults and seniors; males and females; big dogs and small ones; high-energy hounds and couch potatoes; dogs who looooove other dogs and mutts who would really rather have your attention all to themselves.

But they do have a few traits in common:

• They're mostly young. Most dogs in the Southern shelters that WAGS pulls from are 2 years old or younger. The two most common "origin stories" are either that they were dumped at the shelter as 6- to 12-week-old puppies because their owners didn't spay or neuter their parents and couldn't find homes for the litter, or they were abandoned as adolescents (6 to 18 months) because their owners couldn't be bothered to train them properly and found some excuse to dump them when the puppy cuteness wore off.

• They're mostly mutts. Purebreds do come through the rescue, but mutts predominate. Mostly they're descended from working or hunting dogs: beagles, coonhounds, German Shepherds, heelers, Labrador retrievers, and spaniels. Pit bulls and their muttly offspring are also very common.

• They are good dogs. These dogs are overwhelmingly sweet, affectionate, people-oriented animals. They aren't aggressive. They may be a little shy at first, but they typically do not suffer from severe fear or undersocialization. All they need is some love, security, and basic training to blossom into truly wonderful pets.

So how do you decide which one is right for you?

If you have a preference for a particular breed, gender, size or age of dog, WAGS will make every effort to accommodate that. If you have specific behavioral or physical requirements -- for example, your neighbors are sensitive to noise, so you would prefer to foster a dog who doesn't bark much; or your apartment has size restrictions that limit you to a small dog -- those, too, can be met. (A quick caution here: it is extremely difficult to evaluate a dog's personality and habits in the shelter environment. The noise and stress of being in the kennels can cause a dog to exhibit abnormal behavior that he doesn't display in a home environment -- or, conversely, to shut down and exhibit no behavior, so that his quirks don't reveal themselves until he relaxes in foster care. The rescue coordinators do the best they can, but there are no guarantees.)

If you have a resident dog, it is generally advisable to select a foster mutt who is of the opposite gender, slightly smaller, and slightly younger than the resident dog. There aren't too many universal rules in dogdom, but in most cases these pairings are the easiest. Of course, you know your dog best, and you probably already have a good idea who he's most likely to get along with in the house.

If you have small pets or cats, it is probably wise to avoid dogs with high prey drive.

If you have young children in the house (age 7 or younger), it may not be prudent to foster toy dogs (under 20 pounds) or young puppies unless you are absolutely certain that you can keep the animals separated from the children whenever they are not being directly supervised. Toy dogs are very fragile and can easily be injured by an accidental bump; they may also snap back in self-defense at being handled roughly. Puppies are similarly delicate and can sometimes be mouthy -- young pups are still developing bite inhibition, and the combination of iffy mouth control, energetic playfulness, and sharp little milk teeth can lead to trouble. I'm not saying "don't do it," but use your judgment and be aware of the potential risks.

On the other end of the spectrum, big rambunctious dogs who don't have much impulse control and like to body-slam people in greeting are also a bad combination with small children. (I know, I know, it's common sense. But sometimes you see a big slobbery boxer face or a gorgeous adolescent Lab and you fall in love, and... well, let's just say common sense doesn't always rule the day when it comes to dogs. If it did, we wouldn't have to be out here doing rescue in the first place, would we?)

Some foster cases are more difficult than others. Dogs can arrive sick, malnourished, or (uncommonly, but it does happen) beset with behavioral problems that no one spotted earlier. "Special needs" cases -- blind, deaf, limited-mobility, or medication-reliant dogs -- are always in need of exceptionally caring fosters. If you have the patience and skill to open your home to such a dog, you're doing a rare service.

On the other hand, if you would prefer to handle an easier animal, there's nothing wrong with that! Every dog in the rescue network needs a home, and making good matches is the paramount concern.