Fostering Home Visit Questions

Hello everybody,
I'm about to panic, and I hope this is the right forum for this! My home visit to be a foster family is in 3 days!! I have some questions for you experts out there:
I know they will basically be looking to make sure our home is SAFE for the pugs, but will they be wanting to go in every single room? Like for example, will they want to go into our bedroom and my master bathroom that you go through our bedroom to get to? I mean, the pugs are not ever in there anyway because we keep the doors closed to keep them out. The same thing goes for Jamie's bedroom. Will they want to see all of them? Just curious!!
Saturday we are building a huge fenced in area straight off the porch of our backdoor for the pugs. My parents are coming to help with that and to help me make sure there's nothing unsafe that I am missing! I just hope this whole thing goes well. Please say a little prayer for us!!
Any last minute advice??

Sending positive thoughts to you-I know it's going to go well!

Although part of the job of home visits is to "judge" your home - we are not there to judge about dirty dishes or piled up laundry. In my experience, and I've only done a few home visits, we are just looking to make sure you are * normal *, aren't hoarding dogs, have a safe environment, and see how the pug reacts to your home. I have been to visits where we stayed only 25 minutes, and ones where we stayed longer than an hour. I have never been on a visit where each room was methodically examined. We might check out the yard, the kitchen, living room...and we'll ask questions, of course.

So much about rescue is gut feeling....that is what we are relying on.

I'm sure you'll do just fine!

Okay...I just re-read what you wrote and realized you are getting a home visit to BE A FOSTER, not adopt....so, hmm...I don't know what may be different about the visit. I am a foster mom, but my home was not examined when I became a foster, since I had already been through the home visit to adopt a rescue pug a few years earlier. I imagine it is similar though.

So exciting! I'll tell you that we will be asking our potential foster homes the same questions we're asking potential adopters. After all, we're entrusting them to care for our dogs, just on a temporary basis vs. permanent.

We also want to be sure any foster we place is in the right foster home. E.g. a dog that needs a quiet environment isn't put into a foster home with lots of loudness (kids, other dogs who are rambunctious, etc.). Or a puppy isn't put into a foster home with a bunch of seniors.

A great example of this is the fact that we have several HW+ dogs in our foster homes. We can't put those babies in a busy/loud home, since they need to be limited in their activity while the treatment is being finished. We also have a puppymill girl in who is absolutely terrified - she needs to be in a special home who can work with her, while not adding to her stress.

And then there's Saira and the puppy she's fostering - not every foster home is as crazy as Saira is, and couldn't take a puppy (I'd jab myself in the eye first, I think). lol

So it's a matter of fit, and safety of the pug first and foremost.

The most important thing is to represent yourself, your family and your home environment honestly.

With the doors closed and not allowing the pugs to have access to rooms - my guess is they will just want to understand why, and where the pugs WILL have access. Like Renee said, I don't think they are judging whether or not you are a neat freak family vs. a messy family. It's more about will the pug be safe while in your care.

And if by some chance they don't approve you, it's perfectly fine to ask them what their concerns are/were, and if you can make changes that would allow them to reconsider.

Each rescue is different of course - I'm just sharing what DFW looks for.

GOOD LUCK!!!! And most of all - thanks for being willing to foster.

Allie and Renee gave good advice! My only addition is to be totally honest on what kind of fosters you can handle. It's ok if you don't want a special needs one right away, etc. Like Allie said, it's very important to match the right pug up to the right house. And don't be afraid to ask questions-what to do if your foster has a medical issue (how do they want you to authorize a vet visit), etc.

I kind of peek around the whole house but I really look in the main areas where the pugs will be to make sure it's a safe area.


Good luck!

Saira wrote:Allie and Renee gave good advice! My only addition is to be totally honest on what kind of fosters you can handle. It's ok if you don't want a special needs one right away, etc. Like Allie said, it's very important to match the right pug up to the right house. And don't be afraid to ask questions-what to do if your foster has a medical issue (how do they want you to authorize a vet visit), etc.

I kind of peek around the whole house but I really look in the main areas where the pugs will be to make sure it's a safe area.


Good luck!

DITTO. I value a foster parent that knows their limits. The ones that drive me crazy are the ones who take a dog, then call me within 24 hours and inform me that the dog is "crazy" and has to go immediately. I usually find out that the dog is not, in fact, crazy, but may have some behavioural issues ranging from peeing on the sofa cushions to being food aggressive.

That's an extreme example obviously--and foster folks who can't deal with house training or food aggression are useless to me. but it is helpful to know what you AND your dogs can handle.

I think that everyone has covered most everything. But I would invest (and some of them are expensive) in some good baby gate. I am not sure how old your son is, but I am sure like most kids he has stuff in his bedroom floor that would not be great for a pug to get a hold of or to eat. I would get a good gate that can either be pressure mounted or permanently mounted and that has a walk through gate. You would hate for a foster to eat your son's video game controller or something like that. Or if there is a certain area of your home like a formal living room that you don't want a pug to pee on an antique sofa, get a gate. You need to do everything you can up front to set yourself and the pug up for success.

I second what everyone else says about know yourself and your family and what type of pug is a good foster for you. I can't handle young pugs (anything under 4 is young for me), but in the past if they have gone through our home, they ususally were adopted quickly. I have seen a couple of HW+ pugs and cried like a baby the first time they went through treatment. If a pug has high medical needs, you need to be honest about your schedule and how often you can get to the vet's office. In the past, I would spend every Sat at the vet's and drop offs early in the AM and pick ups at night.

Also, every rescue works differently so ask as many questions that you can think of up front to get a good sense of their policies and procedures. And whether you are approved or not, don't take it personally, every rescue just looks after the best interest of the pugs.

Good luck, I cleaned for a week before I had a home visit!

northernwitch wrote:

Saira wrote:Allie and Renee gave good advice! My only addition is to be totally honest on what kind of fosters you can handle. It's ok if you don't want a special needs one right away, etc. Like Allie said, it's very important to match the right pug up to the right house. And don't be afraid to ask questions-what to do if your foster has a medical issue (how do they want you to authorize a vet visit), etc.

I kind of peek around the whole house but I really look in the main areas where the pugs will be to make sure it's a safe area.


Good luck!

DITTO. I value a foster parent that knows their limits. The ones that drive me crazy are the ones who take a dog, then call me within 24 hours and inform me that the dog is "crazy" and has to go immediately. I usually find out that the dog is not, in fact, crazy, but may have some behavioural issues ranging from peeing on the sofa cushions to being food aggressive.

That's an extreme example obviously--and foster folks who can't deal with house training or food aggression are useless to me. but it is helpful to know what you AND your dogs can handle.

This is very true. I have only ever taken back one foster - and I had him for about a month before I finally admitted it wasn't working. He never really clicked with my gang, and the anxiety between him and the rest of my dogs kept building. He was a good dog....just didn't work for our home.