An Encyclopedia For Fostering

Here is a list of all foster terms! This Encyclopedia For Fostering can help give you a base of knowledge when it comes to the verbiage of the rescue life! For more information on fostering, check out A Confident Dog’s Foster Series.

Encyclopedia for Fostering

Abused [adjective] – Implies malicious intent, where a person has deliberately and intentionally caused harm to an animal.

Adoption [noun] – Process of taking responsibility for a pet that a previous owner has abandoned or released to a shelter or rescue organization.

Adoption Agreement [noun] – Contract signed by the adopter to finalize the adoption of a dog and protect the rescue from liability.

Adoption Event [noun] – Public event where potential adopters can interact with adoptable dogs and the rescue, with adoption as an option. 

Aggression [noun] – An attack or action made by a dog as a result of guarding territory, guarding resources, fear, pain, frustration, or prey drive.

Backyard Breeder [noun] – An amateur animal breeder whose breeding is considered substandard, with little or misguided effort towards ethical, selective breeding.

Basic Obedience [noun] – Act of teaching a dog particular skills or behaviors as a baseline for further training.

Bowls [noun] – Metal, ceramic, or plastic container in which a dog is fed out of.

Bowls, Slow Feeders [noun] – Usually a plastic container with grooves in which a dog is fed out of where the sole purpose is to slow the dog’s consumption of food.

Calorie Paste [noun] – Dietary supplement high in calories to entice eating for underweight or finicky eating dogs.

Collar [noun] – Piece of material that goes around a dog’s neck used for restraint, identification, or fashion.

Correction (Dog-to-Dog) [noun] – Social cue from dog to dog to communication that something done was socially unacceptable.

Correction (Human-to-Dog) [noun] – Social cue from human to dog to communication that something was done incorrectly. 

Crate [noun] – A metal, wire, plastic, or fabric enclosure with a door in which a dog may be kept for security or transportation

Crate & Rotate [verb] – The process where a while a dog or set of dogs is out in the house that another dog or set of dogs remains in their crates for the time being then the groups are swapped.

Crate Training [noun] – Act of teaching a dog particular skills or behaviors that surround good manners in a crate.

Decompression [noun] – Practice of low activity and a strict schedule for a foster dog or newly adopted dog that came from a shelter setting.

Dewormer [noun] – An anthelmintic drug to an animal to rid them of helminths parasites; such as roundworm, flukes and tapeworm. 

Distemper [noun] – A viral disease of dogs causing fever, coughing, and catarrh.

Dog Fight [noun] – Ferocious struggle between dogs.

Donation [noun] – Money in the form of a gift towards a non-profit.

Dog Aggression [noun] – Threat of harm to another individual involving snarling, growling, snapping, biting, barking, or lunging.

Dominance [noun] – Desire to control social situations within a social group of dogs.

Enrichment [noun] – Bringing value to a dog’s life through activity and interaction.

Fear Aggression [noun] – An attack or action made by a dog as a result of fear.

Flea [noun] – A tiny biting insect that’s especially common on dogs.

Flea & Tick Treatment [noun] – Topical or oral medication for dogs that prevents fleas and ticks.

Food [noun] – Food specifically formulated and intended for consumption by dogs.

Foster [noun] – A human that opens their home to a homeless dog with the purpose of temporary housing until they are adopted.

Foster Agreement [noun] – Contract signed by foster to protect the dog and rescue from liability.

Foster Dog [noun] – A dog who has come into your home for temporary housing while they wait for their forever home.

Harness [noun] – Piece of material that goes around a dog’s chest used for restraint, identification, or fashion.

Heartworm [noun] – A parasitic worm, spread through mosquito bites, that uses a dog as a host causing lung disease, heart failure, organ failure, and potentially death.

Heartworm Treatment [noun] – Injections of shots throughout several months to kill of heartworms in a dog.

Heartworm Preventative [noun] – Oral medication for dogs that prevents heartworm disease.

Heat [noun] – Period of time where an intact female dog can become pregnant.

Health Certification [noun] – Formal documentation signed by a Veterinarian that allows dogs to cross state lines for the transfer to an animal shelter or rescue.

Human Aggression [noun] – An attack or action made by a dog as a result of the presence of a human.

Kennel Cough [noun] – A highly contagious respiratory disease in dogs.

Leash [noun] – A rope or similar material used to control an animal by attaching it to a collar, harness, or halter.

Leash Aggression [noun] – An attack or action made by a dog as a result of being on a leash and feeling cornered.

Lyme Disease [noun] – A bacterial illness that can be transmitted to humans, dogs, and other animals by certain species of ticks.

Mange, Demodex [noun] – A non-contagious type of skin disease caused by parasitic mites that results in hair loss, scabs, oozing, and bleeding on the skin. 

Mange, Sarcoptic [noun] – A contagious type of skin disease caused by parasitic mites that results in hair loss, scabs, oozing, and bleeding on the skin. 

Meet & Greet [noun] – Scheduled appointment for potential adopters, fosters, and available dog to be introduced with the ultimate goal to end in adoption.

Mounting [verb] – A form of displacement behavior that occurs out of context in response to an internal emotional conflict.

Mouthing  [verb] – When a dog puts their mouth and teeth on a dog or human with little to no pressure from the jaw. 

Neglected [adjective] – The animal’s caretaker or owner fails to provide food, water, shelter or veterinary care sufficient for survival.

Neuter [verb] – For a male dog, the removal of an animal’s reproductive organ.

Owner Surrender [noun] – Where a dog owner signs over their legal rights of a dog to an animal shelter or rescue.

Parvovirus [noun] – A highly contagious viral disease of dogs that causes high fever, vomiting, severe diarrhea, depression, and death.

Play Behavior [noun] – Social cues shared between dogs to signal play.

Potty Training [noun] – Act of teaching a dog particular skills or behaviors that surround good manner with housebreaking.

Prey Aggression [noun] – An attack or action made by a dog as a result of prey drive.

Puppy Mill [noun] – An establishment that breeds puppies for sale, typically on an intensive basis and in conditions regarded as inhumane.

Rabies [noun] – A contagious and fatal viral disease of dogs and other mammals that causes madness and convulsions.

Reactive [noun] – An overreaction to certain stimuli or situations caused by genetics, lack of socialization, insufficient training to learn self-control, and/or a frightening experience.

Resident Dog [noun] – A foster’s dog that they are the owner of and lives within the home.

Resource Guarding [noun] – The use of avoidance, threatening, or aggressive behaviors by a dog to retain control of an item they find valuable in the presence of a person or other animal.

Rescue [noun] – A group that takes unwanted, abandoned, abused, or stray pets and attempts to find suitable homes for them.

Reverse Sneezing [verb] – A phenomenon in dogs where they continuously inhale for short bursts with little exhaling. 

Separation Anxiety [noun] – A condition in which a dog exhibits distress and behavior problems when separated from its handler.

Shelter [noun] – A facility that takes unwanted, abandoned, abused, or stray pets and attempts to find suitable homes for them or transfer them to rescues.

Skin Scrape [noun] – A collected sample of skin cells that are evaluated under a microscope to determine if a dog has mange.

Spay [verb] – For a female dog, the removal of an animal’s reproductive organ.

Tick [noun] – A species of insect that is known to bite dogs and carry bacteria responsible for several diseases.

Toys [noun] – A toy that is specific for a dog to play with, including bones, balls, tug toys, squeaky toys, etc.

Treats [noun] – A small piece of food which is incorporated into a dog’s diet, that’s purpose is to reward a dog.

Transport [noun] – Where a group of dogs is transferred from one shelter to another and travels, usually by van, a long distance to get to the new shelter. 

Urinary Tract Infection [noun] – A bacterial infection in some or all parts of the urinary tract.

Vetting [noun] – Medical procedures that a dog must go through in order to be healthy enough for adoption.

Walk [verb] – Movement by foot for a dog and handler. 

Water [noun] – Inorganic substance necessary for life.

Whelping [noun] – The process of a dog giving birth to puppies.

Worms [noun] – Parasites that can be found in a dog due to improperly medicated. The five main types are roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms, whipworms, and heartworms.


Zoomies [verb] – Also known as Frenetic Random Activity Periods and unmistakable explosions of energy.