We had taken a slight hiatus from fostering while we settled into the new place! It had been a few months and we were a little unsure how to move forward with the foster game. While it’s the most rewarding experience, it can also be a lot of work. Last year we had six different pups in our home for some time and it was such an amazing year of falling in love with these pooches and then letting them go to their forever home! I knew we would get back into it as our schedules allowed and with all the traveling I’ve been doing, we had to be mindful of when we would take on another foster because while the start date may be definite, you never know how long of a commitment it may be! While our new home still feels brand new, we knew that we needed a little extra decor in the for of more dog fur. What good is a home if life isn’t happening inside (and what better life to have than a mini zoo of three pint sized pups?)
When a foster comes, we have little ways of preparing. We get out the foster crate, the extra blankets, carpet cleaners for any accidents, our extra harnesses, leashes, treats, and puppy food. I swear our dogs know something is up as we prep for the new one to join. Generally speaking, hell breaks loose when we get home. Our dogs aren’t the friendliest or most welcoming to these outsiders (which is hilarious, considering they were both in foster care at one point) and we are forever thankful that our fosters extend some grace and put up with the sniffing and growling while everyone gets acclimated. If you’re worried about how things pan out if you were to bring a foster home, know that it isn’t always smooth, but after you make it through that first 24 hours, it’s generally smooth sailing. Autumn joined our family on Tuesday morning, she hated the cold, the snow, and I could tell she had wished she was back in the Texas warmth (where she came from!) I don’t blame her. It was so cute watching her discover snow, ice, and anything winter.
Drew and I generally divide and conquer, he takes care of our two while I watch over the new one! With fosters we really want to try to get them on a schedule as quickly as possible to help with potty breaks, getting them into a groove prior to being adopted, and to make sure they are feeling good after the trip. This generally means I sleep in the guest bedroom with the foster pup, (Autumn was the best cuddler) Drew stays in our room! I’m lucky to be married to a man that only sleeps in a different bed because we’ve taken in another puppy! We did this with little Autumn and it worked great, Drew even came in with our two pups and the five of us piled into our full size bed for some snuggles yesterday morning! She was the easiest foster we ever had, her and Chloe became fast friends (after the initial WWIII) and they chased each other around all day, then napped hard. Autumn found her forever home after 48 short hours with us, a feature on Pottery Barn’s Instagram, and a lot of kisses for us but we fell in love with her and are so happy she found her real mama! Onto the next one…
