So...a man on the H2M2 New York (as well as The Empire State Snow Dog group) needs 2-3 month foster for 2 huskies, age 2 and 5 while he finds a place to live that will allow his dogs. Wayne is cautiously ammenable to doing so but wants to meet in person as well as the dogs before committing. The dogs are currently boarding in Ithaca while he is now in NJ.

What sort of questions, agreements should I get? Number 1 for Wayne is a drop dead date when the dogs are taken back. Also, I want to go camping at some point with my older son and family and now way, no how will the subaru hold 3 dogs and camping gear so I would need him to either board or pick up dogs for short term. And is it reasonable for me to ask that I train the dogs to invisible fence and that he buy 1 extra collar (I have 1 extra already)

Any other thoughts? Am I nuts to consider this?

My first thought is foster, down here, is usually not compensated, is he really asking for someone to board his dogs or are you doing this gratis?

Then comes: you "want to go camping ... with my older son ..." If you take this on then you're looking at August at the earliest, in time for the leaf changes<??> To me it would be one or the other: I foster his dogs or I go camping. If he agrees to allow you to board the dogs have they been vaccinated?

Being the pessimist that I am Amy, I agree with your husband an "absolute latest date" but it also requires a "what do you want me to do with the dogs, if ..." I don't remember who it was, but I seem to remember someone on the forum who "inherited" a<?> dog doing this same or similar thing.

Are they current on all their shots and are they chipped; will he provide supporting documentation ... just in case it's needed. He and his vet know, you don't.

Let's assume the worst and say his dogs get past the invisible fence and bring down the neighbors cow or bull - who's responsible?

I would consider caring for a neighbors dog - I know them; there is no way that I would consider caring for a strangers dog without a massive amount of forethought!

As a warning, caring for other people's dogs quickly turns into they are now your dogs. Through breed groups, I've met so many people who took care of a dog "two or three months", for military, jobs, family issues...and it's been three years and they've never heard from the owner and they still have the dogs.

In a worst case scenario, what would you do with the dogs? Would you be willing to care for them indefinitely, or would they go to a shelter? Really think through that case to see if this is something you can handle. I couldn't do it...I know I'd end up keeping the dog in that situation, which I just can't afford to do, so this wouldn't work for me; maybe it would for you!

I would create a contract (and I would seriously have a lawyer look at it and have it signed and notarized) to cover:
-What happens to the dog if not picked up by the agreed upon date (do you keep it, can it be surrendered to a shelter, does it go to another family member, etc. Get it in writing! People have had lawsuits over situations like this
-Who is responsible for the dog's medical care decisions; if the dog has a blockage and the surgery is in the thousands, can you make that call, or do you need the owner's sign off? If you can't get a hold of him, what is the vet able to do? Is there an amount the owner is willing to agree to (usually in contracts as "I'm willing to spend up to $5,000 for life-saving treatment; any amount after that requires additional approvals")
-If the dog is hurt beyond repair, can you make the call to euthanize it?
-Who pays for liability insurance and legal fees? If, worst case scenario, the dog bites someone or kills someone's pet cat, you'll need insurance to cover the costs so you don't get stock with medical bills or lawsuits. Is the owner willing to pay for insurance on his dog?
-What happens to the dog after the pick up date, if not picked up as agreed
-If the dog gets hit by a car (god forbid), can the owner hold you responsible?
-What forms of barriers/discipline are allowed? Is an electric fence okay? How about a prong collar?

Well guys, I was getting cold feet BEFORE I read your post...then Josh came over and he is...acting like I'm adopting a new sibling and splitting the estate between them And, he is going to be away for 3 weeks plus told his boss he was available for assignment so that means we'll be having Archer way more than I thought...plus, he said Archer is rather selective about what dogs he is good with (We've not seen anything like that, though.)

So, I think, probably, no.

Well, I reneged on the guy. I feel awful but Josh just wasn't comfortable with Archer around other dogs - Ami is so laid back and easy going that he doesn't mind Archer's possessiveness. We call Archer "the shrike" for the way he dives in and grabs whatever toy, bone...or people that Ami has. And while we can easily retrieve whatever Archer has taken and return it to Ami, I'm not sure how other dogs would react...suspect some would take umbrage and assert their own "right of retrieval"