I want to be a Foster Mom

I really want to be a foster mommy to orphaned dogs. The problems is that I have certain criteria, so I am not sure if it can be one. The downstairs of my house is all hardwood floor so I can't have large dogs or even dogs that weigh more than 10-15 lbs. My dog weighs 9lbs so I need something her size. I also do not want dogs that shed or dogs that don't get along with other dogs (since I have a dog of my own).
Should I even attempt to become a foster mom?
TIA

 

I have hardwood floors in my house an an 85 lb GSD....I don't have any problems.
If you have that many restrictions maybe you shouldn't.
Unless you can get your shelter to only let you foster tiny dogs....our shelter finds the small dogs go home quicker - it's the bigger dogs that usually need a stopping over point.

 

That's what I was think...maybe smaller dogs have homes faster than large ones. I looked on petfinder.com, however, and found many smaller size dogs who are in foster care right now. So I emailed one of the foster moms. We had an Italian Greyhound on our house a few weeks ago who weighs about 20 lbs and he made all kinds of marks.
Some also gave me the good idea to contact breed specific rescues.

 

did the marks make deep scratches into the floor? or just marks? I would think that has something to do with its fingernails and not that weight of the dog. I don't know though.
good luck!

 

do you have hardwood floors or pine floors?
My dog hasn't made a mark on our hardwood floors but my pine living room is another story, and that's cause she has a hard time getting up

 

I am not sure what type of wood they are. It's a new house, so it's probably pine. The marks are like nicks and dents.

 

I honestly think the hardwood would be alright. My dad put in hardwood FOR the dogs, because he has 150 lb GSD and a 118 lb mixie mutt. We've never noticed any marks due to the dogs whatsoever.

If you think that anything over 10 lbs will harm the floor, does your entire family not walk on it? :?:

 

probably pine then....and although I know you are proud of your home and all it can be sanded/restained. We've done ours. Homes are to be lived in...no point in denying yourself pleasure and being able to help out a critter in need cause of a floor.
A floor in a floor...a dog in need is a dog in need. Floor can be repaired, dog needs help and maybe you can help.
That's the way I look at it. No living creature is worth not helping cause of material things....they are replacable

 

Nevermind. I thought we could disucss fostering dogs, not my hardwood floors or why I prefer a smaller dog. Why do I need to defend my preferences?? :?:

 

I thought that people were being pretty tootin' helpful there, actually. I'm sorry that you were so defensive that you took my question as me "attacking" you. Right before that, I just finished telling you that we had two 100+ lb. dogs galloping around on our floor with no problems whatsoever, so obviously I didn't realize that dog nails (apparently?) dent (some) hardwood floors.

Everyone is being very supportive of you here, but they are pointing out that walking into a shelter and annoucing that you can only foster a 9 lb dog may not be helpful. Smaller dogs generally are adopted more quickly than larger ones.

Again, I am sorry that you feel I attacked you. I was trying to be practical and relying on my experience with both dogs and hardwood floors to let you know my opinion (which is what you asked for.)

 

you don't need to defend your preferences but limiting yourself due to your flooring is what I think people thought you were asking about.
Simply say "would I be limiting my fostering chances by requesting only cat-size dog" you didn't even need to mention your floors if that's all you want to foster.
my local shelter gets very few small dogs and when they do they are adopted virtually overnight. Larger dogs usually come in quicker, have had less socialization and that's why they usually foster them - so they can learn some manners and inside behavior. Our shelter has been bringing dogs in from shelters in the southern states and a lot of these dogs have never lived inside so they need to learn inside manners aka potty training. Those are the ones my shelter usually ends up fostering out. Large dogs who need to learn to ask for the door, and learn what it's like to live with things like TVs, vacuums, etc.
I hope you do seek to foster....if you really want to maybe try to foster for a rescue group of a particular breed rather than a shelter. That way you know you'll only get dogs of a certain size.
That's why I fostering for Siamese Rescue - I adore the breed, understand the breed and with a rescue group usually the animal stays with the foster home until they are adopted rather than going back to the shelter environment to await adoption. Easier on the foster - less heartbreaking, for me at least

 

There are some rescue groups that specialize in small dogs. Often these groups get the dogs from owners who are giving them up for one reason or another, so they never have to go to a shelter at all. Small dogs in shelters usually do get adopted quickly. You might look around in your area (you can use petfinder to search for shelters/rescues by zip code) and see what groups there are.

 

I always thought hardwood/tile floors were bad for bigger dogs b/c they slip and slide and can hurt their hips, etc. Maybe that is just for the giant breeds. I rented a house with hardwoods with my saint and she would fall almost every day. It broke my heart b/c sometimes she would cry b/c it hurt, I'd have to go help her up. So when I bought a house I wanted carpet. I know this has nothing to do with the topic, I just wanted to share.