About Fostering

Below are some common questions that people ask about being a foster parent. Please take a moment to review them and, if you think fostering might be for you, one of our members will be happy to talk further with you about joining our team!

Frequently Asked Questions

A key component of AGaG is our foster homes. Without them, we would not be able to operate the way we do and have dogs placed with loving families temporarily until a permanent home can be found. Without adequate numbers of foster homes, we are limited in how many Goldens we can take in at one time. Our foster homes provide information about habits and behavior in daily life so that we can provide as much information as possible to the adoptive family.

Foster families are not expected to incur any medical costs for the golden in their home, but are asked to use vet facilities As Good as Gold has relationships/agreements with – except in emergency circumstances. We ask foster families to give the dogs a great deal of affection; feed the dogs a high quality dog food; and note the dog’s behaviors so that we can determine the best forever home for that dog. Foster placement could last a few days, a few weeks, or a few months.

Foster homes are responsible for daily care of the foster dog, including feeding, exercising, socializing, transporting to and from an AGAG veterinarian for basic medical care, brushing and grooming, as needed; reinforcing basic obedience commands, observing and reporting general behavior and temperament, and of course, providing love and security to a special golden at an often difficult time in his or her life.

To ensure every foster family has a safe and positive experience, all foster home volunteers are required to participate in basic and/or intermediate training which may be held in-person or offered online.

The length of foster care varies with each dog. AGaG places all dogs into foster care for a minimum of two weeks for initial evaluation. Dogs with behavioral or medical issues may need to stay in foster care for a period of months. While the length of foster care depends upon the dog; the number of adoption applicants, their living situation, and their preferences are also important factors.

No. Many foster family members are employed outside the home and still provide a quality environment for the dog. We do suggest that any time you are unable to directly supervise the foster dog, he must be confined to a small, secure area, preferably a training crate. This results in a safe, secure place for the dog and keeps concern for the foster family’s safety and home in the forefront.

A fenced yard is not required but is preferred. The foster dog must NEVER be allowed to run free. If your yard is securely fenced, the golden may be exercised there off leash. Outside the yard the dog must be on leash at ALL times.

The AGaG Foster Application allows you to set limits on the kinds of dogs that you are willing to foster. You may always decline a dog, and if your foster dog proves too much for you to handle he can be placed elsewhere.

Lack of funds shouldn’t prevent you from fostering, but you will have some expenses: a good quality dog food and any toys you choose to provide. All necessary veterinary care is provided by AGaG authorized veterinarians and paid for by AGaG. Medications including monthly heartworm preventative are provided as well.

All foster homes receive an AGaG Foster Handbook that provides guidance on handling all aspects of fostering. The Foster Coordinator and Foster Assistants are also available for telephone consultation on problems not covered in the manual. Being a foster home is extremely rewarding. However, you should keep in mind that most, but not all rescue dogs are housebroken, some may be ill, or may have had little socialization or obedience training. We find that when given a chance these dogs not only improve, they flourish while in foster care.

If you are fostering a dog and want to go away for a weekend or take a vacation, you can simply contact the Foster Coordinator who will arrange for an AGaG member to dog-sit your foster dog. Just arrange in advance as soon as you know and we’ll take care of the rest.

As with our adoption policies, children must be 6 years of age or older in order to have a foster dog placed in that home. Many of the dogs we rescue have unknown pasts and putting them into a home with young children could be a safety issue for the children.