Adopt a Pet Dog

Harley is the latest addition to my family - and he came upon us quite unexpectedly!

We had decided to bring a new dog into the clan, and always intended to adopt rather than buy a puppy. A couple of dogs had caught our eye, but neither were suitable for our family circumstances (one not too sure about the kids, the other not able to be left alone).

Anyway, we continued to make our weekly visits to the local rehoming centre (mainly just to leave a donation)until one day I was approached by a member of staff and asked if I would like to meet a dog that had just come in - a 2 year old Labrador who had been handed in because his owner was moving house and was unable to have a dog in the new house. That dog was Harley. We all took to each other straight away, and six days later he came home with us, where he has settled right in. That was just over a year ago and he has been an absolute star!

There is no doubt that puppies are cute, cuddly and bundles of fun, so why on earth would you want to adopt a dog?
As the majority of royalties from this lens will go to support Dogs Trust, I have to point out that you can adopt puppies there too, but I would really like to get the point across that there are benefits to adopting an older dog too...
Here are a few reasons why you should consider adopting a dog:

• You get to see the finished package, warts and all. When you take home a puppy, it is easy to go for the cutest, or the most bubbly. What you will not be able to predict is how that pup will turn out as an adult. By adopting an older dog, what you see is what you will get. He will have been assessed by a behaviorist and you will know how he is likely to react to children, other pets, strangers etc..


• House training can be easier. Aside from any issues related to your dog adjusting to his new home, when you pick a dog to adopt, you can choose one who is proven to be already house trained, or is consistently clean in the rehoming kennels. This can be a big plus for some families.


• You can choose a dog based on your lifestyle. When you apply to adopt a dog, you usually fill in a questionnaire. This supplies the rehoming organization information about your lifestyle, your expectations from the dog and how much time and money you can afford to spend on your new pet. This means that there is more chance of you keeping your dog for life than suddenly finding you are not compatible with each other

One other "benefit" that can be a deciding factor for some is that the initial "cost" of adopting a dog (ie, the adoption fee paid to the shelter) is the same regardless of breed. Providing you are compatible with the dog, you can adopt a prestigious breed or a mongrel for the same contribution. Speculators be warned - if you adopt a purebreed dog with the sole purpose of then selling it, Dogs Trust (and probably others) will expect you to sign a contract stating that the dog is returned to them if you cannot keep it. Only loving, permanent prospective homes are welcome!

Just reading this lens is helping to support Dogs Trust! - 80% of the royalties from this lens will go to Dogs Trust, with the other 20% going direct to the ASPCA - so by simply leaving a rating or comment and sharing this lens with friends or by social bookmarking, you will be doing your bit.

There are other ways to help Dogs Trust, too - especially if you are in the UK or Ireland. Here's how you can help:

#1 Donate your time (by volunteering as a walker or foster carer) or cash directly to your nearest Dogs Trust shelter (don't forget to fill in a tax aid form, so they can get a bit extra from the taxman too ;-])

#2 Donate any spare dog food or bedding and toys

#3 Buy Dogs Trust merchandise! You can do that here: Dogs Trust Catalogue

#4 Recycle your old cellphones and printer cartridges for Dogs Trust. You can get pre paid envelopes to recycle them, with a contribution going to Dogs Trust for every item recycled Here

Bringing a dog into your family is a big decision, whether you buy a puppy from a (reputable) breeder, or go to your local shelter and pick a dog to adopt. Here is a list of things you should be ready to expect when you bring a shelter dog home:

Whining/barking
Your new dog has just come into a new environment, and is used to having lots of other dogs around her. She may spend the first few nights calling out to see if any other dogs answer, or call out to you because she is anxious. Although it is important not to give attention to a barking dog, you may want to avoid the scenario slightly by letting her sleep in a crate placed where she can see you for the first few nights and gradually move the crate to wherever you want her to spend her nights once she has gotten used to her new home.

Toilet Training Accidents
Even a housetrained dog may need a refresher course when introduced to a new home (this is also the case when you move house with an existing dog - all the strange smells can cause a temporary 'lapse'). Do not let your new dog have the run of the house straight away. This will help her tune in to her new surroundings.

Nervous Behavior
Are you spotting a theme here? Most of the issues your new dog will face will be due to a change in surroundings! The key is to give the dog a little time and not too much fuss at first. Shelters will usually suggest that you do not feed your dog for the first 24 hours after bringing her home to avoid her being sick or having diahorrea through the stress.

None of this information is here to scare you or put you off getting a shelter dog. You are still likely to have less problems bringing in a shelter dog than you are a puppy that has just been separated from her mom, brothers and sisters. Just be aware of what to expect and you will be fine

Deciding to adopt an older dog is likely to be a decision based on the lifestyle of you and your family. Giving a home to an older dog has many advantages to taking on a puppy. He may be more settled, already house trained, leash trained, and probably already spayed or neutered if it has come from a reputable shelter like Dogs Trust. However, there is still a great deal to consider before adopting an older dog, no matter where he comes from.

The first thing to research beforehand is the history of your potential new dog. Find out whether or not he was a stray (and, if so, where he was found). Older dogs are often calmer, having already gone through that mad period known as puppyhood! This will mean you can focus your efforts on more specific training methods when you take him home.

Next, find out why the older dog is now up for adoption. This makes a difference only if the dog has a violent background. It also makes a difference whether the violence was rooted in the dog's situation (eg, physical abuse or neglect) or if the dog simply possesses an aggressive dominance over his own environment. If your dog is going to be around children, it's extremely important that you know ahead of time how your dog acts when kids are about. The one thing you should always remember when searching for a dog to adopt is that most dogs in shelters are there through no fault of their own.

One factor that puts off potential owners from adopting an older dog is the potential health issues that come with age. Nowadays, this should not be a problem if you take on a dog with a "clean bill of health", as it will be really easy to get insurance against high vets bills. A big plus to taking on an older dog from Dog's Trust is that they will often contribute towards vet's bills for any pre-existing condition a dog may have, so that all dogs get a chance of ending their days with a loving family

There are some serious reasons why you should adopt a pet dog or puppy from a shelter rather than go to a pet store or similar buy one.

Let me firstly say that there are many responsible breeders out there whose only goal is to produce a wonderful puppy from excellent bloodlines. Every need of the pup and mother are catered for regardless of cost and both receive love and attention.

Unfortunately, you are not likely to come across one of these dogs in a pet store.

The simple fact is that pet stores and some less than scrupulous breeders are in it for pure profit. The more "product" they can create for the lowest cost, the better. The result of this is the equivalent of battery farming dogs. Conditions are cramped. Hygiene and health care are poor. Bitches are bred continually without rest until their bodies can take no more. At that time, they will probably end up being killed (inhumanely - because it is cheaper) or abandoned and left to fend for themselves. The lucky ones might be rehomed through shelters like Dogs trust if they are found in time.
Then there are the pups produced in this way. How healthy do you think they will be, having been born into such poor conditions? Do you think they get any health care other than the bare minimum to make them saleable? No.

If you want to find out more about puppy mills, you can find some useful information HERE, but please be prepared for some distressing images and videos

Do you think that your prospective shelter dog is bound to come with lots of "baggage" or that she has ended up there because she is "not right". Let's look at a couple of scenarios:

Mitsy is an 18 month old terrier mix. She ended up in a shelter because her owner had changed jobs and was unable to spend as much time at home with her. Because she was lonely, Mitsy chewed - a lot! Her owner could not afford to work less hours or pay a dog walker to come visit through the day. Nor could she afford to keep replacing her furniture, and Mitsy just would not settle in a crate for 9 hours straight (neither was it fair to expect her to).

So, reluctantly, Mitsy's owner signed her over to a shelter. Because of the way shelters evaluate both dog and prospective owner, Mitsy was soon matched with John, Ella and their two boys. They had assessed how much time the family would be leaving their dog home alone, how much exercise they could give and whether their home was suited to a dog. The shelter staff also ensured the family were prepared for the amount of exercise and stimulation the terrier side of Mitsy would need so that she did not chew or dig too much. Mitsy is now in a forever home, and even though she had to part with one of her human companions, she has not known a moment of cruelty. Even her being handed over to the shelter was through an act of love.

On now to puppy number 53642, who was bought at the local pet superstore three months ago and is now named Tex. He is a West Highland White Terrier sourced from a multi breed puppy mill. This is his life before finding his family:

His mother shares the whelping shed with 75 other dogs. She rarely sees the light of day, except when she is taken on the short walk to be mated each time she comes into season, then it is back to the small box where she will deliver her "commodity". It is unlikely that she will ever be checked out by a vet, unless there is a risk of aborting the pregnancy, when the loss of income from an aborted litter outweighs the cost of treatment. Her living space is rarely cleaned, and her puppies are born into darkness and filth. Puppy 53642 was born along with five littermates. His mom was given just enough food to keep her milk supplies going. She tried to keep him clean, but it was difficult with the faeces and urine of herself and six puppies to contend with.

At six weeks, the litter were taken away to be "prepared for sale". This basically means they were given a good clean to get the filth from their coats and a chance for the ammonia smell to air off them. They were then shipped off to the pet store, where they are likely to have received their first veterinary check before being declared fit for sale. Because all puppies look the same, it did not matter to the store staff that puppy 53642 was separated from the rest of his litter and put in a display kennel with unfamiliar dogs.

Within just a few days of being put on display, along came the Baines family. They are a good loving family, but were not asked to supply any information about how well prepared or suitable they were to take home a puppy. Their check cleared, so that was good enough. Tex was going to his new home.

I would like to say that Tex has a happy ending ahead of him like Mitsy. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, he has developed severe distemper, and because he was taken away from his mother sooner than he should, his immune system is unlikely to be strong enough to get through it. If he makes it through, he is still likely to have a shortened life expectancy and the chance of complications such as seizures and the shakes for the rest of his life.

After reading the two "life stories" - which dog do you think has the most baggage?

When you adopt a dog, there is a chance that he has not received the best training in the past, so it is important that you only use positive dog training methods.

Chet Womach is one of the best dog trainers I have seen who uses positive training methods. You can see a sample of his "hands off" training methods in This Video: (a new browser window or tab will be opened and you will probably have to click twice to play the video)

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