Become a Foster

Fosters, both weekend homes and puppy raisers, are crucial to our service
dog’s success. Fosters help expose young pups and service dogs in training to the
family home setting and the public, adjust to new experiences, everyday routines, and
socialization. Apply to become a foster here.

Puppy Fosters

Foster a young prospective service dog and help prepare it for a lifetime of service.
Puppy fosters keep the puppy full time for 4-8 months or until Believet is ready to start
their training. Fosters provide guidance in potty training, exposure to everyday events,
and socialization with people, other animals, riding on buses, trains and other
experiences. Puppies can range from an age of 8 weeks old to 8 months old. Puppy
raisers do not need to be local to foster a puppy, though they must give Believet™ frequent
health and behavior reports.  Puppy training is available through Believet™ to help fosters
have the skills to prepare the pups for greatness. Puppy fosters should be located within a three hour drive of Believet, which is in Northfield, MN.

Weekend Fosters

Foster a prospective service dog on weekends. The service dogs in training need a
home for the weekends to unwind from their weekly schooling.  Our dogs are in training
for 1 to 1.5 years and can start their training as young as 8 months old. Weekend
fosters give the dogs a home environment where they can be exposed to routine events,
and socialize with new people and animals. Weekend fosters pick up the dogs on
Fridays and return the dogs Sunday evening or Monday morning for their weekly
training. Fosters must live within an hour’s drive to Believet™’s facility.

Foster Resources

Downloads (PDF)
Puppy Orientation Presentation
Puppy Foster Roles and Specification
Puppy Raising Process

Comments, Questions, Concerns?  Contact us at info@believet.org and we can help!