Fostering for REACH Rescue

I moved to Lake Forest, IL in August and am now settled and decided it was time to get back into volunteering with a local rescue organization.  On Saturday, November 14th I went to REACH Rescue's Adoption Event with the intention of assisting them just during events for the time being.  By the end of the event, I had agreed to take home my first foster: Galvin!

What a great dog!  He's bonds quickly and is a very happy-go-lucky pup.  Galvin isn't much into playing, mostly he's content with unpacking the doggy toy box, chewing on bones, and snoozing on the couch.  He's definitely a couch potato!  And, he's the quietest beagle I've ever met!

Just chewing on toys with my foster sister!

He also LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to snuggle.  If you are sitting or laying down, Galvin must be next to you.  He's an attention hog and loves people.  He's friendly with everyone he meets.  I think he would make a GREAT therapy dog!

I love to snuggle!

He is listed as a "children over 10 years" dog and it's certainly not because of his disposition.  He's met multiple children and he loves them.  What we do know is that we have been told that he has some resource guarding tendencies.  Other than growling once to protect a bone, I have not seen anything extreme.  But, it would best to make sure that children in the home know that they cannot take things away from him.  It would also be best for adults in the home to work with him on lessening his need to guard.  For instance:

• Practice trading with him (taking a toy and giving him a higher value new one, taking a toy and giving him a higher value treat)
• Feed him by hand (so that he learns that his human holds the power over the food, not him)
• Feed him away from other dogs

He is being fostered with another dog right now- a small female.  He's doing very well with her and there has been very little aggression (only some "give me space" warnings) and he's responded well to correction. In his past home, he was housed with multiple male dogs and did not enjoy that.  As mentioned before, he's an attention hog and doesn't like to share attention, so a home by himself or a home with a more passive female dog would be ideal.

Foster Family Selfie

Nelle agrees: "We love Galvin!"