This is a post by ARLP foster Sara.

Sara is currently fostering Georgie. Georgie is fun and spunk dogified and is available for adoption (click on photo to view her profile).

Before my first fostering experience I had a number of preconceptions about what it would be like, some of which turned out to be accurate (for example, that it would be sanity-testing at some times; blissful and gratifying at others). One thing I did not anticipate was how fostering would positively affect my relationship with my resident dog, Brody.

Improved Leadership

In many respects, we saw Brody as the perfect dog before our first foster, Georgie, came into our lives: he naturally deferred to our authority the majority of the time, was loving, loyal, and very eager to please. Brody was our baby and, with our adoration and attention — not to mention several series of obedience classes — he blossomed into an affectionate, respectful, obedient, and dog-tolerant adult dog.

So it came as a surprise to us that, after the two-week shutdown, Brody and Georgie’s introduction did not go well (a longer story for another blog entry, perhaps). Given our history with Brody, we initially held Georgie responsible for the less-than-ideal introductions. But with the guidance of our ARLP case manager, we learned that it was probably mostly Brody’s issue, and would have to do some work with him.

To that end, we instated a new emphasis on human leadership in our home through the Nothing in Life is Free program, and observed as both Brody and Georgie became even more in tuned to us. One day several weeks later, when a small scuffle broke out in the midst of their play session, all I had to do was say Brody’s name to get his attention, and he looked at me and sat, ignoring Georgie. I could tell that we both felt better knowing that I was in charge of the situation.

Old Dog, New Tricks

As I have alluded to, Brody has had the basics – sit, down, come, stay, off – down pat since he was a wee little puppy. We had become a bit lazy about working with him since there was not an immediate need to do so, but now that we have been working with Georgie, the clicker and treats are always at the ready. As a result of this convenience, we have also put some time into teaching Brody a few new tricks. It gives him the opportunity to receive some much-needed one on one attention from us, is a lot of fun for everyone involved, and provides a break for him from the tension that sometimes exists in our multi-dog household.

Gratitude

Finally, fostering strengthened my bond with my resident dog simply through gratitude. In the beginning, it was the way Brody relaxed patiently in his doggy bed until 10 am when Georgie would start howling in her crate at 5; the way he can be in a kitchen full of food and people all night and keep all four paws on the ground throughout the evening; the way he knows, without command, to stay in the back seat during car rides; and more. Now that Georgie has become much better mannered in her new surroundings and as accustomed to our household routine as her foster brother is, I am still so grateful to Brody for his patience with us as we fumble through our first fostering attempt, for sharing his toys and his people, and for opening his home to Georgie and to any other foster dogs that we are fortunate enough to meet in our future.

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