Foster Care
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Since the end of racing in the state of Florida at the end of 2020, we have very few retired racers arriving that need foster care. Florida had most of the tracks in the country and there are only 2 tracks open now in West Virginia. Most breeders of racing greyhounds across the country have sent all their breeding stock to adoption groups and have sold their farms. Before racing ended, the greyhound adoption community already had adopters for EVERY greyhound. At this point we occasionally get a greyhound returned to us from an adopter, we have also gotten a few retired racers from the West Virginia tracks and we have had a few retired racers arrive from other countries like Australia.
Fostering greyhounds is one of the most important and rewarding things that we do. Since we do not have a kennel facility, we rely 100 percent on our wonderful foster homes. We have foster homes in several areas in three states, SC, NC and GA. To see how our fostering network works keep reading.
Vetting
In most cases a dog goes directly to the vet on arrival. There they are checked over, vaccinated, spayed/neutered, wormed and receive all needed medical care. Greyhound Crossroads pays for all the vetting, of course. We do ask our foster homes to make arrangements to pick up their foster from the vet or from one of our volunteers when they are ready to go into foster care. Since we don't have a kennel to hold dogs in, this is very important.
Safety
Fosters are tested for their responses around cats, small animals, and children and placed in appropriate foster homes. All fosters come with a kennel muzzle and we ask that foster homes use this muzzle while the foster is around their dogs and cats. We are lucky that greyhounds are all muzzle trained at the track because it is a wonderful tool to keep everyone safe. It also prevents damage to your house from chewers and keeps the foster from eating something that might hurt it. The muzzle is like our group's insurance policy that will prevent large vet bills, if it is always used, so we do require that foster homes use the muzzle.
Crates
Most greyhounds are very used to being in a crate at the track. We encourage you to continue using the familiar crate whenever you can not supervise your foster. We will supply you with a loaner crate for your foster, if you need one. Whatever your opinion is about crates; it really is kinder to start a greyhound out in one because of their unique upbringing. Crates also keep your other pets, your house and the foster safe. They are a great tool to use for potty training too. Your foster may try to refuse to go into the crate at first, because it is not "his" crate yet. They easily accept this new crate as "their new home" after they have eaten a meal or two in it.
Other Pets
Introducing fosters to other breeds of dogs or cats, must be done carefully. Many greyhounds have never seen cats or even other dog breeds other than greyhounds. They probably will not know that other breeds of dogs that look different from a greyhound are even dogs. To them a furry dog may as well be an alien. A small dog could be mistaken for a rabbit or squirrel. It is important to use the greyhound's muzzle when introducing them. Remember sighthounds are triggered by movement, so they will be more successful meeting a small dog or cat that is still and confined to a small area. Indoor introductions are much better than outdoor intros. Dogs recognize other dogs by sniffing their butts, so this is an important part of the meeting and should be encouraged. More info on introducing your foster greyhound to other pets.
Life in a Home
Greyhounds straight from the track have never been in a home before and seeing their wonder at all the new things is one of the most rewarding things about fostering. They often do not know about stairs, sliding glass doors, window panes, mirrors or slippery floors. Patiently teach them about your home. Greyhounds are fast learners so within a few days most have made themselves comfortable. Be careful not to accidently reward a fearful response by petting the greyhound and telling it it is "OK" or that it is a "good dog". That can make the fear worse. Reward the dog when it approaches something calmly or tries something new successfully instead.
House Training
Greyhounds are usually easy to house train. They are taught at the track not to soil their crates and to go outside the kennel building to relieve themselves. We recommend keeping the foster on a leash so you can keep track of where they are at all times until it has established the habit of going outside. Any potential accident can be avoided and becomes a learning experience using this method. We keep them crated any time we can't closely supervise them during potty training. Most greyhounds learn within a few days to relieve themselves outside and many never have the first accident inside using this method.
Toys
All greyhounds have had experience playing with toys, since the lure they use at the track is a soft furry toy. Soft, squeaky, stuffed animals are usually a favorite with retired racers for this reason, but they may not know what to do with it when it is just laying on the floor and not moving. If your foster doesn't seem to know what to do with a toy that is laying there, try dragging the toy around with a rope. Sighthounds are attracted to movement and the lure moved at the track. Most greyhounds aren't interested in chasing balls or fetching sticks. Supervise playtime closely if more than one dog is involved. Any dog can get protective of their toys and this should never be allowed.
Feeding
We recommend feeding your foster in its crate to help it accept it as its den. Nervous fosters that may skip a meal or two at first and seem to be more likely to eat if you put them in a crate and walk away. We recommend feeding good quality kibble with no corn, wheat or soy in it. Look at the ingredients and look for ones that have at least 2 meats listed in the first 5 ingredients. We like Costco's Kirkland brand as a good quality, reasonably priced food at around $30 for a 40lb bag. Since greyhounds eat moist food at the track, they are likely to choke on dry food. We add some water to the dry food at first. Never feed your foster and your dogs together! Food and bones are the things that dogs are most likely to fuss about, especially with a new dog in the house. We provide our foster homes with food for their fosters!
Bathing
Most fosters do arrive with at least a little dog smell from living in a kennel and will need a bath. If your foster has just been vetted, you would need to wait a few days for their incision to heal before bathing them. You could use a wet cloth or baby wipes to wipe them down, avoiding their incision. If they have just been treated with a topical flea and tick treatment it is important to wait 2 days before bathing them so you don't wash the treatment off. WARNING: Some greyhounds have a unique reaction to a bath or shower. They get so relaxed that they slide down into the water on their side. They are awake but don't seem to be able to move their legs or stand. It is totally normal for a greyhound, but can be scary the first time you see it. They are fine and will stand up in a minute when the water is drained or shower is turned off. Bathing in cooler water helps with some greyhounds, but we have had dogs even do this in lakes and other cool water too.
Training
You can do as much or as little training with your foster as you have time for. Most of our foster homes have busy lives and we don't ask that you teach a dog to sit, down, stay or other obedience commands. Most foster homes just have time to work on the basics like potty training and teaching the foster good manners like leaving food alone when people are eating and not to counter surf. Foster homes with stairs usually teach the fosters to do those. Some homes also work on their foster's leash manners by taking it for walks. Most of our foster homes are not obedience trainers and that type of training is not expected. In most cases your foster will not be with you long enough to teach much more than the basics.
Keep us updated
One of the most important things you can do as a foster home is to keep us informed of your foster's behavior weekly and take cute photos. We want to know the cute things it does, as well as the "not so cute". We use these updates and photos on our website to attract potential adopters. Information helps us find the best possible family for your foster. We make updating easy by providing the Greyhound Crossroads Facebook Page for foster homes to post photos and updates on. You can also send us private messages or emails.
Getting Your Foster Adopted
Your area adoption rep will approve or deny adopters and let you know when they have a good match for your foster. You are not required to have strangers in your home to meet a foster and can pick another place to meet if you prefer. If someone contacts you with interest in your foster please notify your area adoption rep to make sure that person is approved to adopt and that your foster doesn't have someone else already in line for it. Never move your foster to another foster or adoptive home without clearing it with your adoption rep.
Adopting A Foster Yourself
Many foster homes fall in love with their fosters and decide to keep them. Foster homes have first dibs on any greyhound currently in their home, until an approved family meets that dog. If you decide your foster is staying permanently, we ask you notify us right away and complete the adoption as soon as possible. Fostering is a good way to get a greyhound now that so many tracks are closed and few are available.
Length of stay
Most fosters don't stay long in foster care due to the lack of available greyhounds now. Fosters can be with you for anywhere from a few hours to a few months if the dog has behavior or health issues that make it more difficult to place. Even senior dogs typically find adopters quickly.
Foster Expenses
Greyhound Crossroads pays for each dog's vetting and we supply you with a crate if you need one. We pay for the initial worming, initial flea and tick treatment and our vets give the dog its first heartworm treatment. Foster homes should have no health related expenses for the first month. GC will also pay for emergency treatment - please call our director Kim Owens ahead of time for approval or at least phone us enroute if it is a life and death emergency. If you end up having your foster for more than a month you can request heartworm pills to be sent to you as needed. We can usually re-treat your foster for flea and ticks if it is with you for more than a month too. You will need to provide your foster with a good quality food - we recommend Nature's Select Multi Protein Formula that is available online for home delivery in most areas. We will reimburse you for food if you provide us with your receipts. In some adoption areas you can pick up a supply of food from your foster coordinator when you pick up your foster. You may have some minimal transport costs when picking up your foster initially and when taking them to meet and greets. We do not ask our foster homes to deliver the dog to adopters long distances away and ask the adopters to do the driving to keep your expenses down. The minimal expenses you do have may be written off so please keep your gas receipts and give it to your accountant.
If you can't foster, consider donating to help us with food, meds and transport costs for our fosters.
For more tips on how to help your foster get settled please see our The First Week page.
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