Foster Guide

Welcome to Shy Club! If you’re reading this you have decided to foster a shy dog with us and we can’t thank you enough.

The first couple of weeks out of the shelter can be stressful for dogs. The shelter environment can be quite anxiety-inducing, and it takes time for dogs to shake off that stress. We always recommend keeping things calm and low-key during this transition, so “keep it boring” for the first few weeks.

• No busy areas or crowded outings
• No parties
• No dog parks

Establish basic routines, work on housetraining, help them get comfortable with the crate, and allow them to adjust to being home alone while they figure out their new environment.

You’re both getting used to each other so it’s important to follow some basic guidelines to ensure a smooth transition.

• Walk them around your place on leash, letting them sniff and explore, and then put them in their crate for some down time. 
• Keep it quiet and low-key, go run an errand and leave them crated.
• Let the dog out of crate and ignore him/her.
• leave a leash dragging on the dog at first so you can easily pick up the leash to guide the dog without getting in their face as they will likely be nervous/unsure. 

Be patient and remember to this needs to be reinforced again after the shelter. Take your new dog outside often at first and praise them calmly when they go. This may take a few days so take the dog outside about every 2-3 hours to use the bathroom to avoid accidents.

Crate training is a must especially for shy dogs! 

• Crate the dog when unsupervised, left home alone, overnight, and during feedings.
• In the beginning, use the 3-hour rule: 1 hour in the crate, out for the bathroom, 2 hours free, repeat.
• Do not reinforce crying or whining by letting them out of the crate during that behavior. Wait until they settle before letting them out.
• Plan to leave the house daily with your foster crated so they get used to being alone.

We know you want to love on a dog you just brought home from the shelter, but we ask that you keep it light on affection.

• Always let the dog approach you to get pets. Keep it short and let them leave when they are done.
• Shy dogs might not want to be pet for a while. Never corner them, reach over head or push them for affection.
• It might take them longer to warm up to you so give them the space to learn to trust you. It’ll be worth it!

We will discuss this if you have another dog but here are some things to remember:

• At first, use the crate to rotate dogs, one in and one out so they get used to each other’s presence.
• Walk the dogs together (one handler per dog), and only have them out together for short time periods. Always supervised.
• Remember, the new dog has to settle in with EVERYTHING so it’s a lot to take in and learn. And the existing dog must make a big adjustment as well, so be understanding. 
• Food guarding is a normal instinct for a dog, but you will want to avoid all potential incidents, so always feed them separately. 
• Remove all the toys at least for the first few weeks. If your resident dog needs to have their toys just give them that toy in a different room. 
• It’s wise to limit human affection towards the dogs at first, including your existing dog(s). Doing this allows the dogs to bond to each other, without starting a competition for human attention. 
• Let the dogs establish their own relationship at their own pace. Don’t worry if they do not play or snuggle together from day 1. There is no need to encourage them to do so. Friendships take time and you can’t force it. 
• Take the entire process slow, nice and easy: rules and boundaries first, allow the dogs to bond at their own pace, and remove objects that can lead to arguments and supervise the dogs at all times. 

People

• After the first week, feel free to have one or two friends over. Please watch video on protocols to follow.
• Let the dog approach them, don’t reach or grab the dog.
• If your foster seems overwhelmed or anxious after the initial greeting feel free to have them rest in the crate.

Places

• After the first week, you can start taking your foster out on mellow outings (on leash park time or walk with a friend).
• Take your foster in the car! Let them get used to driving around with you.

Dogs

• Playdates (no dog parks please): have a friend with a social dog? Use a secure backyard to let them meet.
• Walking dates: go for a walk with a friend and their dog.

• Your foster dog should not be pulling on the leash.
• Change directions often so they start to follow you.
• The walk can be a joint activity. However, dogs like to sniff, so at two or three moments of YOUR choosing, decide to stop, allow your dog to sniff, then start walking again.
• Do not greet other dogs on leash. There is too much tension on both sides and it could build leash reactivity. Just calmly create some space between you and the other dog and give a verbal command like “let’s go” and keep moving.

• Stay away from squeakers and plush toys
• Kong, nylabone ok
• Don’t pull toys out of dog’s mouths
• No tug of war please

Please enroll and complete this free training to fully prepare for your foster journey with us!

• 7 modules with a few quizes
• Will take 30 minutes to complete
• Please save your certificate and email it to us once completed. Thank you!