Why adopting?
Bringing a new pet addition to your family may mean not only the unbelievable loyalty and the greatest joy and love you’re about to receive and give to an animal, but also a saved life. The life of a creature who has suffered from human’s cruelty and indifference and who definitely does not deserve such treatment. It’s also a chance to reestablish the human dignity in animal’s eyes, prove that we are still capable of being responsible for the ones we tamed, that we’re not constantly making use of the fact that someone is dependent on us for the purpose of our own convenience. That we won’t throw away someone just because we can’t provide for him anymore or (even worse) because we couldn’t get along with him. It’s a chance to experience unconditional love for life. The way to do that and start a new fresh page in your life and a life of a pet is to adopt from a shelter or a rescue center. And, today’s discussion will be interesting for the dog lovers out there, as I’m going to share with you some tips on what needs to be done to adopt a dog.
Despite the fact that adoption is a great thing to consider if you decided to have a dog, it might not suit everyone. The matter is that most of the dogs, who became homeless for one reason or another, have already had their own background by the time new owners come to take them home. And, as much as it’s not a reason to give up adoption, the circumstances, under which each dog appeared in a shelter, have definitely influenced his personality and left a wound on his heart.
But, once you take that dog home and thus, promise him a new life without no fear and despair, you’re supposed to heal that wound and deal with all side effects. And, trust me, physical health won’t be the most difficult issue. On the contrary, there’re a lot of completely healthy dogs available for adoption in shelters. They were abandoned by previous owners due to the financial issues, unexpected life circumstances or, sadly, they turned out to be heartless enough to get rid of a pet as they couldn’t/didn’t want to give it enough love and attention. The thing is that you’ll have to do your best to make a dog trust humans again. And, as everyone knows, it’s easier to lose the trust than win it once again.
Don’t get me wrong, I would encourage everyone to adopt a dog rather than buy it from a breeder at an incredible price. I believe that a breed (just as physical appearance) makes no difference when it comes to the initial reason why people get pets. And, that’s to give and receive love. And that has nothing to do with a dog being a Labrador, or Husky, or Cocker Spaniel. But, as getting a dog in general and adopting one in particular is such a great responsibility, I would also recommend to think 10 times before proceeding to adoption.
And, for those of you who’re in the process of deciding on dog adoption or who’re already figuring out the way to do that, I’ve gathered some information and tips regarding dog adoption. I hope it will be helpful.
Consider different options
Most people would love to adopt a puppy, as they would like to experience the upbringing process and just be there for the dog while he turns from a cute little munchkin into a big adult dog. That’s the time of dog’s life most of the owners wouldn’t like to miss.
However, there are quite a lot of benefits of adopting an adult dog. First of all, most of them are already house trained, so you won’t have to go through the pain of potty training, teaching to sleep through the night and not to rip the clothes and shoes apart, scratch furniture, etc. Basically, they know how to behave (at least, some basic rules). Also, pet sitting or daycare won’t be as necessary for an adult dog as for a puppy, as you can’t leave him at home alone for more than a couple of hours.
And, let’s be honest, most of the dogs at the shelters are already adults and they all deserve love and proper care. But, for some reason, people tend not to adopt black dogs or representatives of the so-called ‘dangerous breeds’. In fact, any dog trainer or owner will tell you that dogs are not born dangerous, aggressive or cruel. It’s people who raise them that way. If proper treatment and nice attitude is ensured, any dog will be loyal, friendly, cuddly and gentle with kids. So, don’t be afraid to adopt a Pit bull or a Boxer.
As we’ve already touched a theme of dog breeds, it’s necessary to mention that almost 25% of shelter dogs are pure breed ones. So, if you or your family has put an eye on a definite dog breed, check your local shelters to find a perfect match before addressing breeders and laying out a large sum of money for a puppy, encouraging and supporting breeding and making profit on dogs.
Nevertheless, mutts make perfect pets as well, as they have less health issues transmitted through the genes than pure breed dogs, they have an unrepeatable combination of both appearance personality and features of two (or even more) breeds. Besides, they tend to be friendlier and more active if compared with the purebred fellas and, as most of the mutt owners insist, they’re much smarter.
Check out kill shelters
As ordinary shelters and rescue centers keep dogs there till someone comes to adopt them and thus, they find a new family, kill shelters are probably the worst-case scenario for homeless and abandoned dogs. They’re not put there because of their aggressiveness or health issues, but because of the major overcrowding or peculiarities of local policies. Poor animals are not just waiting for their new owners there. They are on the verge of losing their lives. They need someone to come and rescue them ASAP.
That’s why I highly recommend visiting high kill shelters to adopt a dog in the first place, as pets are left there to live out their last days before they’re put down.
Consult with dog trainers or dog adoption experts
First of all, talk to an adoption expert to get acquainted with all the requirements you have to meet to be able to adopt a dog. Those usually include living conditions, income, personal information, schedule, etc. Basically, a shelter needs to make sure that you can afford having a dog and spend enough time with him at this point of your life. Also, use this opportunity to ask an expert several questions about how the shelter takes care about the dogs, what are their backgrounds. Maybe, shelter professional will help you find the right dog to adopt as well, as most people find it quite difficult to pick out just one out of many lonely dog soles.
Bring along a dog trainer to help you choose a dog as well, as he’ll give you some useful information on maintenance aspects considering each dog breed and size. This will help you understand if this or that dog suits your lifestyle and whether you’ll be able to take care of him or not.
Be ready to do some significant paperwork
You’ll have to fill in a pile of forms and papers regarding your family, living conditions, job and income, personal information, etc. Also, it’s better to bring several references which indicate that you can take proper care of dogs and that you don’t have any animal cruelty inclinations. Besides, a shelter’s representative will come to your house or apartment to see if it’s safe for a dog and if there’s enough space for him.
Yep, you’ll still have to pay to adopt a dog
Unfortunately, dog adoption is not completely free, although it’s definitely cheaper than buying a purebred dog from a breeder. Shelters explain that high costs of adoption are caused by the maintenance expenses they have to bare while keeping a dog and looking for a new family for him. Which is completely understandable, I think. They still have to pay their workers and vets, buy dog food, toys, bedding and simply pay for utilities.
So, don’t be shocked when you see the total adoption fee, as it may reach from $250 to $400 depending on your state and shelter’s policy.
Look for the one and only
I’m sure that you’ll fall in love with one of the dogs in a shelter instantly. But, there’re several things you may do to develop a special connection between you and your future pet to make the adoption and adaptation process easier and smoother for both of you. Those steps include establishing an easy physical contact (petting), taking a dog for short walks each time you come to visit, grooming it and so on.
Prepare the house for a new family member
You have to make sure that you have everything a dog may possibly need before bringing a new pet home. Food and water bowls, high quality dog food, a collar with an ID tag and a leash, a bed, a crate and several toys are the must-haves. If you’re adopting a little puppy that still needs to be potty- trained, pet pads will be one of your necessities as well.
If you have a garden, make sure that it’s safe for a dog to run around freely. The fence has to be tall enough and hole-free, so that the dog doesn’t get out to the streets and gets hit by a car. If you don’t have a fence, it’s not a problem. You’ll just have to bring a dog outside on a leash.
Do your research to learn how to take care of a dog properly, how to potty train a puppy, which dog food to opt for and how to establish a consistent and healthy feeding schedule, how to groom and bathe a dog, etc.
Take care of the dog’s health
When adoption process is over, take your doggy to the vets to check it health and figure out if he has any special medical conditions to be aware of or health issues to be fixed. Make sure that your pet has received all necessary vaccinations, as you won’t be able to walk him or introduce to other pets till that is done.
Visit HireRush.com to look for a licensed and highly qualified vet, who works within your local area, to ensure that your dog receives proper medical care and to monitor the state of his health on regular basis.
Adaptation and obedience training
You have to establish the house rules from the very beginning to make sure that the dog understands which behavior is appropriate and who is in charge at this house. Don’t hesitate to tell the dog off when he does something wrong, but don’t forget to praise and reward him for good behavior. That’s just how dogs learn to tell the difference between what’s allowed and what’s forbidden.
Obedience classes and command training also help the dog become disciplined and well-behaved, so you may start training your dog at home or hire a professional dog trainers for that matter after the first stages of adaptation are over. Check out one of my previous post to get some further tips on dog training.
Of course, obedience and housebreaking are essential to ensure comfortable coexistence of man and dog, but developing the bond is much more important. And, that takes love, patience and devotion.
