How Can I Get My Mom (and Boyfriend) To Let Me Help Foster A Dog?
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
Okay, so I am fourteen and I’ve been studying different breeds of dogs for eight years, and different methods of training. Currently, I have a one and a half year old Italian Greyhound female named Maxine who knows much more then basic obedience and agility and I’ve been wanting to help foster a dog for a few months since I got my great dog. But I asked about this even before I got her. However, my Mom and the boyfriend she has that has lived with us for five years (The reason I never got a dog until now) do not want me to foster a dog, and they say it’s because we have a small house and a small yard. But I know that like I did with Maxine I can train the foster dog to ride next to the bike as we ride around the neighborhood and I can help their chance of adoption by placing posters and training them obedience tricks. So, how can I get my Mom and her boyfriend Jim to say yes to letting me take care of a foster dog until adoptions? Haven’t I proved myself enough?
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I really admire what you want to do and the effort you’ve already put into training Maxine. You sound like someone who’s a born “dog person”! In fact, you kind of remind of myself when I was your age, and that means I can sympathize with you. In my case, it was my mother thought dogs were “messy” (she’s a neat freak).
I don’t know what to tell you, other than to keep on looking after Maxine really well – exercise, groom and train her. Don’t nag, don’t lose your temper, but sit down and have an adult one-on-one conversation with your mom and explain to her why this is so important to you.
I wish you luck and if it doesn’t work, remember you won’t be 14 forever – you’ll be able to foster all you want to when you’re older!!
Face the reality that it is their house and their rules.
While your motives are admirable, no dog should be where it is not wanted – and your mom and her friend do not want it.
So, wait until you are older and then foster when you have your own home and means of support.
In the meantime, why not volunteer at a shelter?
I believe at most agencies you have to be over 18 to foster a dog.
If your parents aren’t on board, forget about it.
Wait until you are 18 or have a place of your own. I’m sure you will do great things with dogs. I own an IG and I know how difficult they are to train, congrats to you for doing it at the age of 14!
try and prove to your mom that you are responsible enough to help a homeless dog.try and help around the house and dont beg too much because then she will just get annoyed and you could get grounded. try and remind her you are not keeping him and a lot of people love dogs and he will probably get adopted soon.
Unfortunately I think you might cause more tension with your mom and her boyfriend by fostering a dog. If they really are that against living with another dog, even temporarily, it’s not really fair to them or your potential foster to try it. It’s hard enough on dogs to be moved homes multiple times, having to give it to another foster home after you wouldn’t be fair. wait until you have your own house and can make the decision to foster without having to “convince” others in your life to let you.
No legitimate rescue or shelter would allow you to foster a dog without the adults in the household being 100% for it and it is irresponsible to try to ‘get’ them to do something they don’t want to do in the first place as it will likely not end well. The adults in the household are the ones that will be financially and legally responsible for you and any dogs you take in so it is their decision entirely. Until you are an adult out on your own earning your own living, it wouldn’t be responsible for you to bring a dog into this situation where not everyone wants them wholeheartedly…. you can help train at local shelters anyway as it simply takes short training sessions once or twice a day anyway and doesn’t require you taking them into your household necessarily.
Having your own dog and fostering a dog are totally different. You have no idea what kind of dog you will get and what their personality will be. It’s not really fair to say that you will be able to train and have this dog run beside your bike…you just don’t know that for sure.
I fostered 2 male Poodles last year and it wasn’t easy. These dogs were not housetrained or potty trained, they didn’t know any commands and were garbage pickers. I had to have tons of patience with them. They did eventually get adopted but they still weren’t fully pottytrained…I really worked with them too. They were extremely shy so teaching them tricks was really tough. It’s just a n all around hard situation….I think you should be older to take on this responsibility.
Kudos to you for providing a fabulous home for your current dog and wanting to help a needy dog as well. I was much like you as a teenager and it was frustrating trying to convince adults that I had the knowledge and skill to accept such responsibility.
Unfortunately, I would have to agree that you not create tension but to focus on what your goal is so that you are ready when you are a bit older.
Our rescue group and most, if not all, reputable rescues and shelters cannot allow someone under age 18 (and age 21 for some of us) to foster or adopt per law. Your mom could apply but usually we require everyone in the home to be on board.
You can look into getting to know some local *reputable* breeders or folks involved in rescue and those who foster and ask if you could help them train the dogs or do other things that would add hours of experience to your “resume”. This will also help you form relationships with those in the animal welfare community and create fabulous references for the future.
Your high school may also have programs which would allow you to intern with a local vet or other dog related business (groomer/trainer, etc). I did that when I was a senior in high school at a local veterinarian.
Good luck to you and don’t get frustrated, just find other ways to gain more experience and get to know people who will be able to help you determine the best ways to volunteer your time. You could even offer your neighbors to walk their dogs and do some training while you are out with them. This will still provide you with a satisfying accomplishment as well as help you gain admiration from your neighbors. This could lead to them telling your mom how great you are with their dogs and may help her realize how serious you are and that you may be beating a trail to a successful career in the dog world!
Best of luck to you!