©Diana Hedstrom
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TOPICS
Crates Your best
friend with a rescue pug will be a crate!
If you don’t have a crate, you can borrow one or buy one cheaply
at a garage sale or in the classified ads.
Check with Jonathan and Katie if you don’t have one. Crates are
important on several levels.
First, all rescue pugs should be crated while in a moving
vehicle. Just as it is
dangerous for a baby or child to not be secured properly in a car, the
same goes for a dog. The
pug may of course, prefer to be on your lap, but this is not the safest
option. Second, a
crate is the safest place to keep a rescue pug when you are not home.
One Seattle Pug Rescue foster mom learned this the hard way.
While she was away, the foster pug managed to climb, leap, and maneuver
himself to a high shelf where a package of chocolate was being stored.
He ate the chocolates, wrappers and all.
This story had a happy ending, but the pug was in the hospital a
few days, and the veterinary bill was very expensive for Seattle Pug
Rescue. Also, if the
foster home has several other dogs or cats, crating the pug will ensure
that all animals in the home are safe in the absence of human
supervision. In addition,
a crate will help you if you are trying to housebreak your foster pug,
or if the pug has food aggression or “alpha” issues with other dogs in
the house. Most of the
pugs that come into rescue have some level of crate training.
However, if your foster pug has never been in a crate, never
fear. We have observed that
most pugs can be crate trained within two or three days.
Start by feeding the pug in the crate so they will come to think
of the crate as a fun place.
Next, just put a little treat in the crate and give them the
command “Crate!” Then
either set the pug in the crate or the pug will go in on his own to get
the treat. Start by only
putting the pug in the crate for short periods of time and work your way
up to an hour or so. Pretty
soon the pug will go to the crate on his or her own with the “Crate!”
command. Remember
that dogs are historically den animals and many view crates as their
home or their private place to get away from the hustle and bustle of
other things going on in the home.
Have the crate open, with a blanket or towel inside, in a
convenient spot in your home so the pug can easily access it. PLEASE NOTE: Having said all of the above, some pugs are just too old and/or too stubborn to suddenly be introduced to a crate, Other pugs have been abused or neglected and have been left in crates for very long periods. If you suspect your foster pug has an aversion to crates for any reason, then talk with Sherry or Cathy about alternatives. When we
place a pug with his or her new family, we try to make sure the pug is
in the best shape possible.
Therefore, make sure your foster pug’s nails are trimmed, nose roll
cleaned (we use baby wipes with aloe, followed by drying the roll with
soft tissue to avoid infection.)
Also, check your foster pug’s ears frequently and keep them
cleaned. Ears that become
dirty quickly may indicate an ear infection.
Some pugs come into our rescue that have been strays and they are
truly filthy. We like to
bathe our foster pugs immediately –it makes them feel better and it
makes us feel better too knowing they are cleaned up!! It may be
necessary for you to feed your pug a special diet, so check with the
Volunteer Coordinators Jonathan and Katie about what you should feed
your foster pug. Our foster Pugs should be fed once in the morning and
once in the evening, with an amount recommended by the vet.
This will ensure the dog does not gain weight by free feeding all
day. The more we can get a
pug’s weight down prior to adoption, by putting the pug on a feeding
schedule with a healthy diet, the better. It also may
be necessary for you to administer medications for your foster pug.
If your schedule is too hectic or you are unable to consistently
give the medications, please let Jonathan and Katie know. Seattle Pug Rescue is fortunate to have on board a professional dog trainer, Amy Hunthausen. Amy is wonderful to work with and can provide you with a wealth of knowledge if you are having training or obedience issues with your foster pug. Please feel free to contact Amy at any time at awhunthausen@yahoo.com. If you think
you will be fostering a lot with Seattle Pug Rescue or if you have a
long-term foster pug, it would be a good idea to stop by PetCo and have
an ID tag made with your address and phone number on it, just in case.
Do not put your current foster pug’s name on it, so that you can
use the same tag for future fosters.
Several of our foster pugs have escaped from their foster homes
(and fortunately were recovered), so ID tags would have been helpful in
those cases. The tag costs
about $7.00 and you will be reimbursed if you turn in the receipt. Many of our foster pugs will need some degree of potty training. Read the following article online at http://lringo.tripod.com/pottytrain.html for some excellent potty training tips. If you have a male dog that is marking in the house, you may need to keep the pug on a leash and attach the leash to your belt in order to keep a careful watch on the pug at all times. Whenever he starts to lift his leg, quickly pull on the leash and say "NO" very firmly. Then take the dog outside and praise him when he goes there. One of the
most important things you can do as a foster home is to provide Jonathan
and Katie with information about the pug’s personality.
This allows our Placement Coordinator Tammy to pick from a number
of applicants to appropriately match the right family to the right pug.
Recommended reading for evaluating dogs is a book called How
to Speak Dog by Stanley Coren.
This book will help you tell whether a pug is submissive or alpha
based on his or her body language.
Additionally, test the dog to the best of your ability in these areas:
Thank you
for taking the time to read these guidelines.
We hope they are helpful to you with your foster pug and they
help to answer your questions about Seattle Pug Rescue’s policies.
The most important thing to remember is to keep Jonathan and
Katie “in the loop” with respect to everything going on with your foster
pug. Prior to any
vet visit, you must contact Jonathan and Katie for approval.
In a life threatening emergency, certainly get your foster pug to
the vet as soon as possible, but please call Jonathan and Katie when you
get there, day or night. If
you can't reach Jonathan and Katie, call Sherry. Prior
to fostering make sure you have the contact information for Jonathan and
Katie, and keep it handy. If you can't reach any of the
aforementioned people, make sure the pug is treated, and follow up with
a phone call. Make sure the pug gets the medical attention it
needs, immediately.
VACCINATION AND SURGICAL GUIDELINES Because pugs
are a brachycephalic (flat faced) breed, certain precautions need to be
taken for vaccinations and surgical procedures.
Please remind or inform your vet of the following prior to any
medical procedure:
While you
are at the vet, remember to have the vet check your foster pug for
fleas. Also, many of
our rescue pugs have come to us with Urinary Tract Infections, so if you
notice an unusual amount of urination with your foster pug, please let
the vet know. Many pugs have nasty anal gland issues. If you notice an odd "inky" odor or the pug is scooting and scratching at his/her tail, this may indicate full anal glands. Do not attempt to clean the glands yourself unless you are a trained professional - have the vet do it. Finally, it
is imperative that a single vet visit does not go above $250 without
prior approval. Get a
written estimate from your vet, fax or e-mail it to Jonathan and Katie,
and they will submit the request to the SPR board for their approval.
If there is an emergency where the pug needs immediate medical
care, please contact Jonathan and Katie ASAP.
Updated 3/2/08
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