Time in Foster Care Dramatically Improves Shelter Dogs’ Stress Levels, New Study Says

Anyone who has fostered a dog knows how rewarding it is to watch a pet relax in a cozy, loving home far away from the commotion of a shelter. A new study published in PeerJ proved that a period of fostering has real, significant benefits for dogs: One week in a foster home dramatically improves dogs’ stress levels.

The researchers observed two animal shelters — one in Arizona and one in Virginia. A total of 84 dogs participated (42 from each shelter), and the study lasted 17 days. For the first five days, the dogs remained in the shelter. For the next seven, they were placed in foster care. Then, for the remaining five days, the dogs returned to the shelter.

Researchers collected the dogs’ urine every morning to measure their cortisol levels; cortisol is a key hormone linked to stress. The dogs were also equipped with FIT activity monitors on their collars, which measured their activity levels.

The results showed that a week in a foster home significantly reduced the dogs’ cortisol levels. The activity monitors revealed that during the week in foster care, the dogs spent more time resting. From previous studies, the researchers knew that a few nights in foster care led to lower cortisol levels in dogs, but they were surprised to find just how dramatically the dogs’ cortisol levels dropped while spending a whole week away from the shelter. 

Critically, the cortisol levels did not surge up when the dogs returned to the shelter. They returned to about the same levels as before their time in fostering. There was concern that returning to the shelter after a week of rest and relaxation would cause the animals additional stress, but as it turns out, a foster break is more like getting a vacation. 

“While these improvements in dogs’ welfare were temporary in the foster home, dogs were no more stressed in the shelter following foster care as they were before it," lead author Lisa Gunter told Virginia Tech News. “That’s encouraging because that’s often a concern. Instead, foster care is a chance for dogs to rest and recharge in a home.”

The study revealed another valuable finding: Dogs with friends were also less stressed. Pups who reunited with close kennelmates after their foster stays ended up resting more and experiencing less high activity than dogs who returned by themselves or with a companion they did not know. 

“For dogs, familiar relationships provide stability — like a best friend in a stressful situation,” Erica Feuerbacher, a co-principal investigator on the study, told Virginia Tech News. “Being kenneled with a known companion helped them settle faster and rest more easily.”

Overall, these findings provide valuable understanding on how to improve the lives of shelter dogs. Fostering helps alleviate the burden that animal shelters may feel when it comes to resource costs, and it gives shelter dogs some much needed TLC. 

“We keep finding that when dogs leave the kennel and go into a home, they do better,” Gunter said. “These are the types of interventions shelters can use to improve the lives of dogs in their care.”