I guess if you are reading this that you interested in one of two things: either you are thinking about fostering, or you are interested in adopting.  If you are a would-be foster carer, I hope that I am about to give you an insight into what it is all about and what we, as fosterers, do, and if you are a potential adopter with luck it will answer some of your questions and you will have some understanding why we can say to you with a fair degree of certainty that Fred located in West Yorkshire is the right dog for you.

So what is it all about?  Well, the first thing I should say is that you need time, and someone really needs to be at home all day.  You can never be 100% certain what you will get, and in fairness neither Sue nor Lissi can make guarantees at that stage either.  The dog which walks through the door may turn out to be very different in temperament and personality to that described by the soon-to-be-ex-owner.  If it turns out to suffer from, say, separation anxiety, the last thing you need is to return to find your house destroyed.

Every foster Dane is different and every one is assessed in a foster home before going to the new home.  Some are no trouble at all; they behave as if they have always lived with the carer from the minute they arrive and they don’t look back as they are driven away.  Others cause chaos when they arrive and the world is far quieter after they have left.  Some are chewers; one of our Persian rugs has a corner missing as a result.  Some have always lived in a kennel and know nothing of life in a house never mind being house trained.  Some are bold, brash and forward while others are nervous to the point of being fear biters.  Some play, play, play, while others plod alongside.  Some have been trained, most haven’t.  Some will attack anything which moves; others are the gentlest souls you could meet.  Some like all people, others are selective.  Some arrive thin and need to be fed up; others are podgy and need to be put on a diet.  Some are so traumatised for one reason or another that they take days before they start to bond with the foster home.  Each dog’s needs are individual; each dog needs different care.

The dogs’ circumstances are all different, too.  They are not all victims of cruelty or abuse.  Divorce, financial difficulties, serious illness or even death of the owner, change of job, or even the fact that the Dane didn’t get on with another pet in the household can all result in the dog coming into Rescue.  Then there are the owners who didn’t realise for some reason that the little furball of a Great Dane puppy really would grow into a very large dog or were ill-equipped or unable to train and handle that hooligan of a harlequin pup!

As far as assessment goes, you could ask several foster carers and all will describe different things they have done, but the end result is always the same: Daneline has a very good idea of the dogs’ personalities and temperaments.  This is my personal account; others’ practices will vary.

Along with the weigh-in, our visit to the vet also reveals what the dog is like along a busy road as the vet’s is situated on one of the roads up to the motorway and there is usually a variety of traffic thundering along.  The pavement is narrow and the dog has to pass people of all ages and potentially scary objects like prams, pushchairs and dustbins.  If a dog is more nervous, we will have been out along the local lanes and quieter roads before venturing down to the village, to build up confidence.

At first the dog is always walked on the lead but there comes a point where it has to be tried off-lead.  That can be a nerve wracking moment: will the dog come back?  The dog’s recall is then graded - Good, Bad or Goodbye.  If it is possible they will first be let off lead when it is pouring with rain - not many Danes enjoy this weather and, with the rain coming in horizontally more often than not up here, there is a good chance the foster will run home!  If it doesn’t ... then I could be in the field for a while!

Our next major trip out is usually to Pets at Home or similar as we need to find children.  There is always some child willing to pat, poke or prod a big dog when you aren’t looking, and this is as good a place as any to find one (or more).  All “my” fosters go their new home with a new half-check collar and matching lead so we get them while we are in the store, plus the store sells furries which we go and terrorise, birds (likewise) and fish (we just look at those).  So far we have managed to avoid any of the fosters actually catching any of the furries - these are kept inside an enclosure with a picket fence which is only knee-high to a Great Dane.

At some point we get “the call” - a home has been found.  There will then be much swapping of phone numbers and a long chat with an (often) excited adopter.  I have learnt to leave at least an hour for chatting about Dane generalities and then about the specific dog.  During that time the would-be adopter learns about the dog’s good and bad points, habits, personality and foibles.  If someone is on email I send some photos.  If the adopter is not put off, and few are because care has been taken with the match, we arrange for the adopter, usually with but sometimes without family, to come and see the dog.

People often ask me how I can bear to part with the foster dog.  The answer is simple - I don’t have a problem with it because I can’t keep them all.  The adopters have been thoroughly checked out before they get to this stage, too, and the vast majority of them are so excited about the whole thing and can’t wait.  My job is done; it’s time for the current dog to move on and make way for the next.

When they do come the adopters are given as much time as they need with the dog, and to ask as many questions as they like.  Sometimes it is only half an hour or so, while other times it can be two or three hours - it takes as long as it takes.  Sometimes the adopter brings an existing dog and we all want to ensure that both dogs will get on together, especially when they have to travel back in the same vehicle!  If I don’t think a home is right for my foster dog, I can tell that to the adopter and send them home without the dog.  Formalities complete, the foster is packed off home with new collar and lead, any bits and pieces it came in with, and enough tripe and biscuit to keep it going for a few days.  Many of “my” adopters have kept in touch, and I enjoy receiving emails, letters and photos letting me know how the dogs are getting on.

I had better also mention the paperwork.  There is a form for everything - foster carer, surrendering owner and adopter all have to sign their lives away, plus there are forms to complete about the dog itself.  The easy way to handle this is as you go along!!  Adopters are also sent away with a pack of information which has to be prepared in advance, and I give them some notes on how their new dog has been in our home and what I know of its background.  All the paperwork goes back to Sue.  I also take photos for Sue and Lissi, so they can see for themselves what the dog looks like.

So armed with the knowledge that I could have my house and possessions destroyed, be bitten, knocked flying or otherwise injured myself and have my dogs attacked by some incoming beastie who is going to occupy all my time, increase my stress levels to unheard-of heights and leave me exhausted at the end of the day, why do I do it?  For me it is partly to give back - a rescue gave me a chance to own one of this wonderful breed and my dogs the chance in a new home, and it’s payback time.  I also really enjoy it - seeing the dog arrive and watching it grow in confidence in its new place, watching it change and improve as it learns new things and gets to live as part of our pack.  Then I enjoy talking to and meeting the adopters - there have been some wonderful people, all thrilled to meet their new family member.  And then there is the anticipation of the next one ...