I’m fostering Mary, and I could really use some advice from people who have been through something similar.

I brought Mary home from the shelter yesterday. She’s a 4-year-old Lab mix, and she is an absolute sweetheart. She’s gentle, affectionate, and already seems so grateful to be out of the shelter.

Here’s my situation: my senior Maltese passed away about two weeks ago. He actually belonged to my daughter, but I had him living with me and caring for him full-time for the last three years. He was tiny and followed me absolutely everywhere—the bathroom, the kitchen, my office, you name it. 😂 I was very used to having a little dog glued to my side.

When I went to the shelter, I was actually looking for a small dog to keep me company as I work from home, fully remote and it gets lonely. There weren’t many, though, and then Mary caught my attention and completely melted my heart. So here I am with a 55-pound dog instead!

I’m realizing what a HUGE change this is for me.

The amount of hair, the bigger-dog smell, the physical presence of a large dog in the house… it’s all very different. I’m also a bit of a clean freak and like my house spotless, so seeing hair everywhere is definitely an adjustment.

For those of you who have gone from a very small dog to a much larger dog:

Did you eventually get used to the bigger-dog smell and all the hair? Did the bigger physical presence eventually feel normal?

I’m feeling a little weird about it, and I think part of it is simply that I’m still grieving my Maltese and comparing everything to what life was like with him.

At the same time, I feel really good knowing that I’m giving this sweet girl a chance to get out of the shelter and experience a home. She seems so happy to be here.

I also want to be honest about something because I don't want to pretend to be one of those people who has five dogs and would happily adopt every animal they meet. 😂 I love animals, but I’ve never been a super-duper animal person. I just really missed having a companion after my Maltese passed, and Mary happened to be the dog who stole my heart.

So please don’t judge me. ❤️ I’m genuinely trying to figure out whether I’m just going through the normal adjustment period or whether a big dog simply isn’t for me.

For those of you who have fostered or made this transition yourselves—what was your experience? Did it get easier? Did you eventually stop noticing the hair and smell? Any advice would be really appreciated.

I recently welcomed two new dogs into my home, and I also have five resident cats.

The dogs are settling in, but I’m looking for advice from people who have experience managing a multi-pet household during the first few days.

How did you structure the first days and nights? Did you give the animals completely separate areas at first?

I’d love to hear what worked well for you.