I’ve started training for the 220-mile hike in the High Sierras of California this summer.  At my side (well, somewhere on the trail in front of me) is my little foster dog, Butter Cup.

She’s a little thing at only 32 pounds.  I’m not sure what she’s made of: rat terrier maybe, some lab, shepherd, a little ridgeback.  Who knows.  She’s mutt-on-mutt.  Like just about every dog I’ve ever known, she loves to hike, and takes her little blue backpack in stride.

By eight o’clock this morning she was eager to get up and out, and we’re now on our fourth mile at Teatown Reservation, in Ossining, Westchester County.  Nose to the ground, following the trail.

This is my second foster dog in a month.  Both dogs — Davinci, a Dutch Shepherd, and Butter Cup — were unwanted up to their last hour on “death row” at the Brooklyn shelter, until the fantastic New York-based rescue group, Pound Hounds Res-Q, reserved them for foster.  I took Davinci first, and he quickly found a home.  Butter Cup came to us last weekend, and her perfect family met her last night.  She’ll be going to the Catskill area this weekend.

It’s a quick turn-around.  My experience with fostering has, so far, been fun and trouble-free, with all needed support (including vet fees if needed and transportation for the dog) coming from Pound Hounds Res-q.  But, watching Butter Cup air out her grievances on the trail today, it struck me how much the foster dog really shines as a training partner.  And what an asset they can be to all-around good health.

They’re All Trail Dogs.

There’s really no such thing as a “trail dog” — or rather, all dogs are trail dogs.  Put a backpack on a dog, get him out on the trails, and he’ll do what comes naturally and look great for the camera.

But both Davinci and Butter Cup have been a real benefit to me as I start to train.  I can’t skip training days if I have a dog who needs exercise, and in fact, I don’t want to.  Hiking with a dog is just more fun than the solitary hike, and if you have a hiking dog, you know what I mean.

Fostering lets you get to know what a dog is like before he goes to a home that fits him precisely.  Fostering gives you your “dog fix”, when you’re not ready or able to commit long-term to a pet — and if you are ready, you can join the ranks for the “foster failures” who opt to keep their foster pet forever.

By the time I’m ready to leave for California, my dog will have his forever home. Both Davinci and Butter Cup needed exactly one week to find their perfect family.  They were both well-behaved and good-looking, but it was also easy to envision them in a home with an active, outdoor-loving family, because I had the pictures to prove it.

Fostering Saves Lives — And It’s Really, Really Fun.

I’d like to suggest that, if you’re dogless and considering training for a long multi-day thru-hike this year, think about fostering your next training partner.   Even if you’re just a regular hiker, the daily exercise you’re able to provide to a previously cooped-up dog is invaluable to helping him decompress, unfurl, relax at the end of the day, and be the dog he was meant to be.  And you’ll have no reason to cut the hike short.

I foster my dogs through Pound Hounds Res-Q; they also have a Facebook page.

If you’re interested in fostering, you may fill out an application on their website, or contact them directly.  They’ll match you with a dog that fits your household.  You can also see many of the “urgent” dogs of New York at this Facebook page.

I try to move my foster dogs into new homes quickly, so I don’t get too attached!  I’ve found the best way to do this is to write personal, loving descriptions with specifics about their personality, and if you’re training with your dog (or simply hiking on the weekends), get photos of your foster out in the wild, being a dog, being a pet.

Your local animal shelter may also have a foster program; long-term shelter dogs have the advantage of being well-known to shelter workers and volunteers.