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FOSTER FAMILY APPLICATION
Thank you for your
recent inquiry about our Foster Puppy Program.
The Lions Foundation of Canada is a federally incorporated, charitable
foundation created by the Lions of Canada.
Its mission is to provide service to physically challenged Canadians in the
areas of mobility, safety and independence.
Canine Vision Canada, the first of the
Lions’ projects, is dedicated to training dog guides for blind and visually
impaired Canadians. Hearing Ear Dogs of Canada trains dogs for
the deaf and the hearing impaired. Special Skills Dogs of Canada provides
dogs to assist and enhance the lives of physically and medically disabled
Canadians.
The purpose of the
Foster Puppy Program is to socialize the puppies and teach them proper house
manners in a home environment. This
experience is critical in influencing the future dog guide’s personality and
attitude.
Food for the puppies is
provided courtesy of Ralston Purina Canada Inc., and the Lions Foundation of
Canada covers regular veterinary costs.
Foster families are asked to leave a deposit of $100 to cover the use of
a crate, a training collar and an identification jacket. Other expenses that foster families are
expected to cover include a flat collar and leash, food and water bowls, toys,
and grooming equipment and supplies.
If your family wishes to
participate in this program, please complete and return the enclosed
application form along with a letter outlining why you wish to participate and
two character references from a veterinarian, obedience trainer, groomer or
other professional. Please feel free to contact us at any time with your
questions and comments.
Sincerely,
Nicole Caron, Supervisor
Puppy Development,
Breeding and Kennel Operations
FOSTERING POLICY
PURPOSE
To
temporarily place puppies in a home environment where they shall be raised
according to the Lions Foundation of Canada’s Puppy Manual, taught proper house
manners, crate trained, socialized, taught to relieve on leash and on different
surfaces, and exposed to as many different situations, experiences and people
as possible in order to prepare them for their formal training as a dog guide.
FOSTER FAMILIES
Potential
foster families must submit an application form along with a short personal resume
and two (2) letters of reference from a veterinarian, obedience trainer,
co-worker, neighbour, etc. All
applications are screened by the Puppy Program Staff and the Supervisor of
Puppy Development, Breeding and Kennel Operations. Prior to being approved as a foster family, the applicants must
attend a seminar which outlines the Lions Foundation of Canada’s expectations
for raising a future dog guide.
Food
for the puppies in the Foster Puppy Program is provided free of charge by
Ralston Purina Canada Inc., and may be picked up by the foster families at the
Foundation’s facilities in Oakville or in Guelph. A $100 deposit is
required to cover the use of a crate, a training collar and an identification
jacket; this deposit will be refunded when the items are returned in good
condition. The Foundation covers the
cost of all regular, routine veterinary expenses (vaccinations, spay/neuter,
etc.) All non-routine procedures must
be pre-approved by the Puppy Program Staff.
Any veterinary bills resulting from illness or accident due to
negligence on the part of the foster family will not be covered by the Lions
Foundation of Canada under any circumstances.
PUPPY MANUAL
All
puppies must be raised, trained and socialized using the guidelines set out in
the Puppy Manual. The manual covers
basic obedience, house manners, socialization, feeding, health issues and
common behavioral and training problems.
Foster families are asked to contact the Puppy Program Staff directly
with any questions or concerns they may have which are not covered by the Puppy
Manual. The Puppy Program Staff can be
reached at the Foundation’s Oakville office at (905) 842-2891 or
1-800-768-3030, or in Guelph at (519) 648-3780, from Monday to Friday between
8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
ASSESSMENTS
Assessments
every 2 to 3 months help the Puppy Program Staff determine how the puppy is
progressing in terms of health, temperament and socialization. The assessments take approximately 1 hour
and are carried out at the Foundation’s facilities in Oakville or Guelph during regular business hours. Puppy Program Staff contact the foster
families by telephone to set up appointments, and it is the foster family’s
responsibility to bring the puppy to the Foundation at the designated
time.
RECALL
The
Puppy Program Staff shall notify the foster family when the puppy is ready to
be recalled. In general, puppies are
recalled for final training between the ages of ten (10) and sixteen (16)
months, however the Foundation reserves the right to recall the puppy at any
time. Foster families are not permitted
to visit the dogs after recall, but are welcome to phone the Puppy Program
Staff to receive news on the dog’s progress.
Foster families will also be invited to attend the dog’s graduation at
the end of its formal training, and will receive a photograph of the graduating
team.
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FOSTER
FAMILY APPLICATION
Name: _______________________________________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________________________________
City/Province: _______________________________ Postal
Code: ______________________
Telephone: Home: (______)____________________ Work: (______)___________________
1. How
did you hear about the Foster Puppy Program?
_________________________________
2. What
attracted you to the Foster Puppy Program?
__________________________________
3. What
dog guide programs does the Lions Foundation of Canada operate?
a)
______________________________________________________________________
b) _____________________________________________________________________
c)
______________________________________________________________________
4. The
$100 deposit covers the use of:
a)
______________________________________________________________________
b)
_____________________________________________________________________
c)
______________________________________________________________________
5. Foster families
are required to:
Provide
food and water bowls yes ¨ no
¨
Supply
dog food yes ¨ no
¨
Supply
a flat collar, leash, toys, etc. yes ¨ no
¨
Pay
for regular, routine veterinary care yes ¨ no
¨
Pay
for veterinary bills resulting from accident due to negligence yes ¨ no
¨
Supply
grooming equipment (brush, comb, nail clippers, etc.)
yes ¨ no
¨
Supply
grooming products (shampoo, flea products, etc.)
yes ¨ no
¨
Pay for boarding, professional grooming, etc. yes ¨ no ¨
Supply city licence yes ¨ no
¨
6. Have you ever
owned a dog? yes ¨ no
¨
If yes, what happened to it? __________________________________________________
Do you presently own a dog ¨ cat
¨ bird
¨ other
¨ __________________________
Please specify
(how many, species, breed, age, sex, neutered/spayed, etc.) _______________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Date and details of most recent vaccinations: _____________________________________
7. How
many people presently live in your household?
_________________________________
What age groups (how many adults, children, etc.)? _________________________________
Does anyone in your household have animal allergies?
_________________________________
If yes, please specify:
______________________________________________________________________________
8. Please
describe your home:
own ¨ rent
¨ urban ¨ suburban
¨ rural
¨
single family ¨ semi-detached ¨ townhouse
¨ apartment ¨
Do you have a yard? yes ¨ no
¨
If yes, is it: fully
fenced ¨ partially
fenced ¨ open ¨
9. Have
you and your family had any experience with the following?
Raising
a puppy/dog yes ¨ no
¨
House
training a puppy/dog yes ¨ no
¨
Crate
training a puppy/dog yes ¨ no
¨
Obedience
training a puppy/dog yes ¨ no
¨
Raising and/or rescuing an older puppy/dog yes ¨ no
¨
10. Please
specify the date when you will be ready to foster a puppy: _______________________
11. How
often will you need to groom the puppy?
______________________________________
12. How
often will you need to clip the puppy’s nails?
___________________________________
13. How
will you know if the puppy is overweight?
_____________________________________
14. Why
is it important that the puppy not be overweight? ______________________________
15. Are
you interested in fostering an older puppy? yes ¨ no
¨
16. In
order to assist us in assessing your application, please give us a brief description
of your lifestyle (hobbies, activities,
schedule, family, etc.) _____________________________________________________________________________
17. Will
someone be home during the day with the puppy?
yes ¨ no
¨
If not, for how many hours
will the puppy be left alone:
______________________________
Will someone be home at lunch to let the puppy out?
yes ¨ no
¨
Where will the puppy stay when you are not at home with
it?
in a crate ¨
in the basement/garage ¨
will have the run of the house ¨
18. What
changes would you and your family have to make to your lifestyle in order
to accommodate the responsibilities of raising a puppy? ___________________________________________________________________________________
19. Does
your family vacation: at
home ¨ cottage ¨ other ¨
If
the puppy will not accompany you on family vacations, who will care for it
during your absence?
______________________________________________________________
20. When
should you use a crate? ________________________________________________________________________________
21. Why
must the puppy be accustomed to spending time alone? _________________________________________________________________________________
22. When/how
often should the puppy be brought outside for relief? __________________________________________________________________________________
How will you know if the puppy needs to go out to relieve
himself? __________________________________________________________________________________
23. What
is the most effective method to housetrain a puppy? _________________________________________________________________________________
24. When
is the puppy most likely to mess in the house?
_________________________________________________________________________________
25. How
much exercise does a puppy require? _________________________________________________________________________________
26. How
would you supervise the puppy while exercising it? ______________________________
27. How
much time will you need to spend each day training your puppy? _________________________________________________________________________________
28. At
what age should you start training your puppy?
__________________________________
29. What
is the best way to prevent the puppy from getting into mischief when left
alone?
______________________________________________________________________________
30. How
might you prevent...
Messing in the house
________________________________________________________
Chewing
______________________________________________________________
Barking
______________________________________________________________
Jumping up
______________________________________________________________
Running away
_____________________________________________________________
Digging
______________________________________________________________
31. When
should socialization begin?
_______________________________________________
32. What
is the best way to socialize a puppy? _______________________________________________________________________________
33. What
would you use as positive reinforcement?
____________________________________
34. What
would you use as punishment? ___________________________________________
35. In
order to discipline a puppy, you must...
_________________________________________
36. When
should you praise good behaviour and/or responses? ____________________________
37. What
should you do if the puppy does not respond to your command? _______________________________________________________________________________
38. What
should you do if the puppy becomes confused or stressed during a training
session?
________________________________________________________________________
39. What
should you do if you become frustrated during a training session? ________________________________________________________________________________
40. There
are numerous theories and methods currently being used to train dogs, however
the Lions Foundation of Canada has perfected its own method of raising and
training puppies to become dog guides through years of research and
experience. If you are not familiar with
our program, or if you have used other methods in the past, are you now
prepared to accept and use our methods for raising and training puppies in the
Foster Puppy Program?
yes ¨ no
¨
41.
Do you agree to provide transportation when
required to come to the Foundation?
yes ¨ no
¨
Thank you for completing the fostering
application.
Signature:
______________________________
Date: ______________________________