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The Joy of Fostering a Dog

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A DogGeek.com exclusive by Teresa Barker

Whether you’re a family with a few dogs already, experiencing empty nest syndrome, or simply looking for something meaningful to do, fostering a dog can be a source of great joy in your life. There are many reasons why you should consider being a dog foster family that you may not have thought of.

Companionship.
Whether you’ve recently lost a canine loved one, or your human children have gone off to college, dogs provide outstanding companionship and love. You can work with a shelter to customize the personality type of the dog that you foster to ensure that you bring home a snuggler, a buddy, or whatever type of companionship you may be seeking.

It’s mutually beneficial.
While you enhance the quality of your own life, you will simultaneously be helping out the entire pet adoption industry by easing the burden on overpopulated shelters. It may seem minor to have one dog at your house for a few weeks or months, but it all adds up.

You can become part of the solution.
When you make the decision to foster a dog in your home, your friends and family become aware of the enormous need to help stop the homeless pet epidemic. You can take the opportunity to educate your friends and family on the statistics that are staggering. If, as a result, just one friend or family member decides to adopt from a shelter (instead of buying from a breeder), you’ve now helped out exponentially.

You will make new friends.
By getting involved with a local dog rescue, you will certainly be meeting other like-minded individuals. Most rescues provide an immense amount of communication and support, often provided by other volunteers. There are events and functions you can attend and you needn’t worry about ice-breaker strategies..your dogs do it for you!

It’s a chance to role-play parenting.
In the case that you’ve not been a dog parent recently, fostering can provide you with the opportunity to see if your current lifestyle would be conducive to committing to the next 15 years with a dog. It also gives you the ability to consider specific dog breeds, sizes and ages that might be best for you long term.

If you’ve ever found yourself rooting for the underdog, becoming a foster parent will bring you great joy. No matter what level of a commitment you can make, it will have a ripple effect in terms of how much it helps. Talk to your local shelters and find a good fit for you and them and feel good about your contribution to your community!

January 4, 2021 | DogGeek

Are You A Doggie-for-Christmas Kind of House?

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Every year around Christmas thousands of people try to decide whether or not to get a dog for their kids for Christmas. Below are 6 Questions to help you decide if you should adopt a dog for Christmas from our friends at TheUncommonDog.com. Please remember, if you are going to get a dog don’t buy, adopt a dog from a dog rescue near you!

December 9, 2020 | DogGeek

Everything Helps! Ways to Volunteer at Your Local Dog Rescue

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A DogGeek.com exclusive by Teresa Barker

Well, it’s no surprise that running a dog rescue is an enormous task. It makes sense that rescues can always use volunteer help with cleaning, feeding, bathing, walking, and caring for the dogs who reside there. But there are also unlimited possibilities for alternative volunteer support that you may not have thought about when the desire to help overcomes you. Here are a few ways you might be able to help, which may utilize your talents or professional qualifications, along with a few that take no time at all!

Make a Cash Donation
This is often the most overlooked and fully appreciated area that dog rescues could use more help in. If you think that donating money seems impersonal, you are wrong! Organizing fundraising events is time consuming and laborious, which takes away time that could be spent directly with the dogs. If you want to get creative, call a shelter and offer to pay their electric bill for the month. Or, make a donation in the name of a friend (human or canine) for a holiday or birthday. Set up a payment plan that you can afford, and skip 1 latte a week to donate your coffee fund.

Donate STUFF
Picking up a bag of dog food for your pooches? Pick up another for a local shelter. Have too many blankets and towels in cupboards all over the house? Red Rover, Red Rover, send them right over! Did you get a new computer, printer, digital camera, or (fill-in the blank)? Maybe your local shelter has that on the top of their wish list. In most cases, cash and items donated to a non-profit shelter are also a tax write-off for you. Woohoo!

Share Your Talents
If you’ve ever taken a photography course or tinkered around with taking photos for fun, you’ve probably got services that would be appreciated at the shelter. It’s hard to get a headshot of a dog who wiggles, pants, and thinks that “CHEESE” means it’s treat time. The better the photo of the dog needing a home, the more likely he is to get adopted. What do you love to do? Now ask how that can be a service to the rescue.

Use Your Professional Qualifications
Whether your profession is Web Marketing or Event Planning, there’s a need at the shelter! After all, you have to remember, a dog rescue is a business with a heart. Running a business requires an administrative department, volunteer coordinating, a marketing team, a legal team, and much more to keep going. Donating a few hours of time sharing your expertise goes a long way for many of the rescues running on a skeleton crew.

Obviously, fostering a dog and sharing photos of adoptable dogs on your Facebook page are awesome ways to help. But the need to help doesn’t stop there. Get creative and realistic about what you have to offer, and go for it! Heck, you might just be asked to dress up like Santa Claus for a holiday photo fundraising event. Now that sounds like fun!

Find a dog rescue or animal shelter near you >>

December 16, 2019 | DogGeek

6 Ways to Help Homeless Pets and Animal Shelters

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A DogGeek.com exclusive by Michael McCamish

You don’t have to adopt/foster all the animals, have a lot of money or be a petexpert to help your local animal shelter out, there are pleanty of other ways. Below is a list of things that you can do at almost any shelter that we can guarantee they would be thankful for.

Volunteer. Whether or not you can afford to donate cash or items, you can always donate time to volunteer! Ask your local shelter how you can help. They always need people to help walk and wash dogs, assist visitors, volunteer at adoption events and more. Not only do these things help the shelter keep costs down, they help pets get socialized so it’s a win-win.
Donate supplies. Almost every shelter has a list of supplies that they are always in need of normally containing blankets, chew toys, leashes, collars, paper towels, cleaning supplies and more. If there is not a list online, call or drop by. Make sure you do contact them though to ensure that you are getting the brand they need. Some cleaners are harmful to pets. Some shelters need items like computers, cameras, printers, etc… next time you upgrade, don’t just throw your old one out or let it sit collecting dust, donate it.
Marketing. We all can’t be marketing and ad people like of Mad Men, but we can help spread the word! Take time to repost things on Facebook or reTweet on Twitter posts from your favorite organization to help raise awareness. If the organization you are volunteering for doesn’t have a Facebook or Twitter page, ask them if you can create one. Positive talk and word-of-mouth does a lot and will help them.
Take photos. Most shelters at least have a presence on PetFinder.com (if not, you can help them out there) and it really helps dogs get adopted if they have a photo. Grab your camera and take some photos.
Make some phone calls. Most shelters have a wait list of people who are looking for a certain type of dog. The problem is that the staff does not have time to call people on the list when the dogs come in. Take time to help out and call potential adoptors when there is a match and help them find a forever home.
Events. Every shelter does events to help raise funds and awareness. Volunteer your time to help recruit sponsors (even ask the company you work for), find vendors and at the very least, support the event by coming and telling all your friends to come.

Got more ideas? Help spread the word below. Don’t know of an animal shelter near you to volunteer with?

December 8, 2019 | DogGeek

Are You Ready to Adopt a Dog?

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A checklist of consideration when thinking about adopting a dog.

Many people think that when they buy or rent a house with a big yard, “Well, now we need a dog!” but there are so many more important considerations than your yard size when adopting a dog. Here is a list of considerations when you feel the urge to add a dog to your family.

Can you commit? Dogs can live 15 years, and smaller breeds even longer. Where do you see yourself in the next 15 years? Regardless of whether or not you get married, have kids, retire and start traveling, move, lose your job, or get a divorce, are you willing to care for a dog through the process?
Is this the right time?There are many life situations that compel us to want a companion by our side, but these intense emotional times can be when we make irrational decisions that we might regret. In times of grief (loss of a pet or relative), times of transition (a new job or house), or when planning for transition (planning a wedding or trying to get pregnant) it’s better not to add the responsibility of caring for a dog.
Do you have the time?Do you have a stable routine that allows for daily walking, training, grooming and bonding? Dogs are social beings and having one in your family is like having another person in your house! You’ve got to be prepared to accommodate your new canine family member in all ways, incorporating them in your daily routine and putting their needs at the top of the list.
Are you willing to work through the issues?They say that dogs are “Man’s Best Friend” for a reason. It’s about relationships. Just like scouring Match.com, when looking for the perfect dog to add to the family, you might be slightly fooled by the initial profile. Sometimes it can take time before baggage shows up. Your new dog might have an aggression trigger that you could have never predicted, or develop a separation anxiety issue once bonded to you. Are you willing to take the time to work with a trainer, or do what ever it takes to keep your dog safe and happy?
Are you financially stable?In general, puppies, large dogs, and older dogs are more expensive to care for, but unforeseen expenses can happen with any dog. Are you capable of covering a vet bill, or damages to your house (accidents do and will happen!), and to adding the regular maintenance fees to your budget (food, vaccinations, toys, supplies)?
Have you thought of the type of mate you are looking for?There are thousands of considerations about breed, size, age and disposition that one should consider before adopting. Do you live a physically active lifestyle (hiking, jogging, camping) that would be conducive to including an energetic dog? Do you have physical ailments that might limit your ability to walk a puppy or live with an active dog? Take a long, hard look at your life and determine what type of dog would fit into it nicely.

Before you find yourself looking into all the sad and loving faces at your local dog shelter, take the time to consider if it really is a good decision to adopt. It can be very difficult to say ‘no’ to a dog in need of a home, but there are other ways to help. If the time isn’t right to bring a dog home with you, spend time volunteering at or for a shelter. From dog walking to office work, you can provide greatly needed and appreciated services in many capacities! If the time is right to add to your family, you get ready to experience highs and lows and joys like you could never imagine. They truly are man’s best friend!

Find an animal shelter or dog rescue near you >>

October 15, 2018 | DogGeek

How To Choose The Perfect Pet Dog Name

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Adopting a new pet dog is an exciting experience, but in some cases you’ll bring them back to their new home only to realise that they still don’t have a name.

The naming process can be difficult, especially if other members of your family are all campaigning for their favourites and for their voices to be heard.

The most important thing to remember is that whatever you end up calling your dog, this name will be used for the rest of their life; so here’s how you go about making a sensible decision.

Observe physical traits

First of all, does your dog have any physical treats that could be used to make up a name? For example, if your Jack Russell is white with a black circle covering his eye, you could call him Patch or Smudge.

Markings, distinctive colours, or aspects of their appearance can all be used to think of a suitable name and in most cases it will be obvious in a park full of dogs whose attention you are trying to get.

Personal meaning

Another tactic to use is to attribute a name that’s personal to you and has a lot of meaning attached to it.

Perhaps you could call them after a close relative, a city abroad that you love, the location where you first met your partner, or a name that relates to the time of year you bought your pet.
If the name you choose has a personal meaning then your pet will remind you of good times and memories and it will be much more enjoyable to say as well.

Individual characteristics

Once your dog begins exploring and running around their new home, see if you can spot any characteristics they have that remind you of a famous person or character. If so, you might be able to come up with a few contenders for their name this way.

For example, Odie, Snoopy, Pluto and Droopy are all cartoon names that could make the cut, but perhaps you could name them after a famous president, or a huge film or sports star.

If the name fits the bill and relates to their characteristics then you’re guaranteed to be onto a winner.

Unique names

It might take you a little longer to craft, but if you can find a really unique name for your dog then you’ll break away from tradition.

Some of the most popular dog names for 2013 include Alfie, Bella, Poppy, Max and Oscar, so start thinking outside the box and see what crazy, weird and wacky names you can come up with.

Remember that you will need to feel comfortable shouting this name in public though, so refrain from going for anything too outrageous.

Keep it simple

Simple is always worth going for too. If your dog’s name becomes too long or difficult to pronounce then you may run into problems further down the line.

In contrast, if it’s easy to say then it will be quicker to get their attention and keep them under control. Plus you won’t have to explain what their name is, how to say it, or how to spell it to other people asking about your new furry friend.

Gender specific

Finally, you may have come up with a handful of ideal names, but make sure they relate to the gender of your pet – unless you don’t mind being questioned by other people.

Bailey or Roxy for example wouldn’t be suitable for a male in the same way that Jack and Harvey won’t really work for a female.

It might make for awkward conversation if you have to explain that your pet has a female name but is actually a male and vice-versa, so choose wisely.

Over to you

With these top tips at your disposal, it’s now over to you to come up with a handful of names and narrow them down before making a final choice.

Why not get the whole family involved? It will be much easier to put your minds together and come up with a suitable selection to choose from.

Best of luck in naming your new pet dog, we hope that you’ll end up with a name that you will be happy with for many years to come.

This post was written by Time for Paws , a leading online pet supplies, food, and accessories store.

February 15, 2017 | DogGeek