As our training program keeps growing and improving, so does our need for foster homes. Foster Families keep new or released dogs - it’s fun, friendly and easy. Foster Trainers work with dogs already in our training program including training and maintaining behaviors. It’s rewarding and involves a moderate to advanced level of skill.

Foster Trainers help socialize our dogs.

Contact Foster Coordinator Debbie Randall to learn more!

Foster Family:
Time With Dog: 1 - 4 months
Skill Level: Easy
Help us save the lives of dogs with great potential, when we don’t immediately have a kennel suite for them. There is nothing worse than leaving a fantastic dog behind bars at a shelter because our kennel is full. Foster families keep these bright, friendly dogs in their homes until we have room for them.

Foster Families also can keep a Career Change dog at their home until they get adopted. This gives the dog a much more comfortable place to live and opens up our kennel for the more new dogs.

Being a Foster Family gives you the fun of having a dog without the 10 - 15 year commitment.

Weekend Foster Family:
Time With Dog: Weekends
Skill Level: Easy
Too busy M-F to take care of a dog, but long for puppy love on the on the weekends? Join our weekend Fostering Program. You’ll pick up one of our Career Change dogs from our training center in Dripping Springs Friday afternoon and bring it back on Sunday.

Foster Trainer:
Time With Dog: 2 - 4 months
Skill Level: Moderate to Advanced
Foster Trainers house and socialize program dogs that completed their first stage of training as Assistance Dogs. You and your THSD dog will attend a weekly training class at our training center that will advance to training in public locations. This is a great opportunity to learn more about dog training and advance your dog handling skills.

Evening Foster Trainer:
Time With Dog: Evenings / Overnight; Ongoing
Skill Level: Easy - Moderate
One of the characteristics that makes a great Assistance Dog is orientation to people. We intentionally select dogs that want to be close to people. Some of these dogs have a hard time living in a kennel environment for long periods of time. Evening Foster Trainers keep a program dog at their home overnight and bring it to our center for training on weekdays. You’ll receive an orientation providing you with guidelines and ongoing support to ensure a smooth and successful fostering period.

Weekend Foster Trainer:
Time With Dog: Weekends
Skill Level: Moderate to Advanced
Weekend Foster Trainers care for a program dog during the weekend. We work with a minimal staff during the weekend and do not conduct training during that time. The weekends are a great time to let our working dogs get that "special time" in a loving home. Weekend Foster Families receive orientation training and ongoing support that provides them with the tools to handle an assistance dog in their home environment.