Fostering FAQs

You will have the important role of socialising the puppy with different people, places and things. You will also train the puppy to follow some key commands. This will prepare the dog to start training to meet the demanding role of a police dog.

Dogs bred or purchased for Police work are energetic and active and may not be suitable for all home situations. Like other dogs, they may cause some damage. Your insurance must be able to cover this.

Correct socialisation ensures that the dog is confident and self-assured around people and children, and in a wide variety of environments. The dog will need to learn the boundaries of acceptable behaviour from you according to the guidelines provided by the Dog Training Centre.

Throughout the fostering period, we will visit you regularly to ensure that all is well, and to give you direction and guidance on how to care for the dog and resolve any problems. We will also provide follow-up support for any issues occurring between these visits.

We will provide dog food and all the equipment you will need. We also pay for approved veterinary visits and supply flea and worm treatments.

You and any adult (anyone aged 18 and over) living in your household must be prepared to undergo Police vetting. This includes agreeing to any information held about you by New Zealand Police being disclosed. This is not limited to conviction information. Current New Zealand Police employees are exempt from these checks.

To foster a police dog, you must be able to provide a suitable environment that will support the dog’s development. This means that you must meet the following criteria:

1. Be prepared to follow our guidelines and rules for fostering a police dog. We reserve the right to withdraw the dog from your care if these are not followed adequately.
2. Have a well secured fenced property that can be used for toileting and training with the dog.
3. Be prepared to provide the dog with exercise and socialisation. This means giving the dog daily exercise, regular socialisation with different people, and exposure to places and things. The pup will need to be allowed inside the house at times, including crating at an early age.
4. Be prepared to spend time daily on dog care, developmental exercises and play.
5. Have a vehicle that the dog can travel in safely to vet visits and for socialisation.

Other considerations:

1. We prefer there are no other dogs in the household but we will consider this on a case-by-case basis.
2. If you rent your home, we ask that you provide a letter from your landlord consenting to you fostering a police puppy or dog at their property.

Yes, but please be aware that caring for a dog is time consuming. This may not fit into a busy family life, particularly with very young children.

Yes, it is possible to foster a police dog if you have other pets. When considering your application we will look at the welfare of the animals concerned.

The dog will need to be exercised daily and socialised in the community several times a week. When the dog is very young it will only be capable of short spells of exercise. This will increase as it gets older.

The dog will be allowed inside your house for short periods of time while it is young. It will spend most of the time outside, in its kennel, or exercising and being socialised in the community.

The dog can board at the Dog Training Centre or District Dog Section while you are away.

The puppy may be placed with a Police Dog Handler and enter our training programme. Alternatively it may enter the breeding programme or be placed with another service agency in New Zealand or overseas.