Foster homes are the backbone of any rescue. The fact is that we can only save Boxers,  if we have a soft, safe place for them to wait for their forever homes. The sad reality is that there will always be more Boxers in need than we have foster homes available. CBR is determined to continue to grow, and recruit new foster homes to join our fight to save lives.  It is a huge commitment, and a big decision. It is our desire to be honest, and to help you decide if fostering is right for your family.

Bringing a new foster into our home is so exciting. We want this new dog to immediately feel at home, meet everyone, and play with our other dogs. STOP!! WAIT! We may be ready for all that, but our new foster pup is not. We must ease the foster dog into their new life. The first, and most important thing we can do for this dog, is to let them have time. This new relationship must be built on a foundation of trust, and that is earned a little each day. Expecting a new dog to just go with the flow in their new foster home, is like throwing a few bricks under a new house and expecting it to stand. It may work for a while, but problems and cracks in the structure will soon become evident.

CBR wants the best for our foster dogs. We want them to be successful in finding, and keeping, a forever home. It is worth spending the time, and effort, to help them ease into their new situation.  By following certain protocols, we give them the best chance of moving on to their forever home. The key to their success centers on introducing everything about their new world in the same manner…SLOWLY!

 A newly rescued dog is stressed, even if they do not act like it. Dogs are wired to hide illness, anxiety, or any sign of weakness. But experienced foster homes know it will come out eventually. The more time given to acclimate, the less severe these reactions and behavioral issues may be. 

• Give a new foster their own space to decompress and relax. A crate away from the fray, but where they can see family activity is good. A room with a sturdy baby gate works too. A crate in a room with a baby gate is best.

•  For several days, limit interactions to feeding, and potty breaks. Perhaps you can do some quiet training or take a short walk with no other dogs. Let them have some time to just observe and get to know the family dynamics.

• Crate, gate, and rotate with other dogs. These early days are too soon for dog relationships to form successfully.  Keep them separated with no face to face interactions.

• Treat a new dog as if it were a puppy and knows nothing. Teach them how and where to potty, puppy-proof the house by removing anything you do not want chewed and shut all doors to limit roaming and getting into things. Tethering the new dog to you (keeping hold of the leash) during its time out of the crate is a good idea. It is bonding, shows them who is in charge and keeps them out of trouble.

• After several days to several weeks you may start letting the dogs interact. You cannot do this part slowly enough. When introducing a new dog to a resident pup, it is important to limit their time together and always try to end on a good note. Parallel walks together are fine. A little play time outside afterwards with leashes left on both dogs is ok too, if both dogs want it. Any sign of discomfort from either dog means playtime is over for the day. Make sure they are supervised at all times!

• Once the dogs are playing nicely outside, you may progress to playing and hanging out together in the house. Once again, leaving leashes on so that you may stop negative behavior safely, and only for brief periods at first.

• Pick up all toys and chews to avoid squabbles over them. Feed dogs separately in different rooms and remove food bowls immediately. 

• Surprise! It may be your resident dog who is the troublemaker. Make them do doggie boot camp as well as the foster dog, if that is the case.

• You might have to start over with crate, gate, and rotate several times as they get used to each other

 When you have a behavior issue, we say when because there WILL be something you have to deal with, let your rescue contact know as soon as possible. Please do not hesitate to ask for help. CBR has all sorts of written resources and a group of dedicated volunteers very willing to help you. Reach out for assistance sooner rather than later. Behavior problems can escalate and compound quickly if not resolved. However, with a firm foundation to your relationship, these issues may be much less frequent and may not exist at all. Again, just imagine that they are a brand-new puppy and know nothing. They have been moved around and nothing is familiar. This is very scary to them. The structure you put into place will result in a dog who knows what you expect.  You will have plenty of time to play and relax with your new foster in the future. But in the beginning, they depend on you to show them how to be the dog you want.

Are you ready to save a life? Great! Please visit us at www.carolinaboxerrescue.org and fill out a foster application today. Already approved to adopt? You can foster. Please let your Area Coordinator know you are interested.