Adopting A Dog: Be Prepared To Offer Love & Affection For The Rest Of The Dog’s Life
This criterion is the most difficult of all to quantify, and it's also the most important. We live in a buy-it-now-and-throw-it-away-later society, full of disposable this and disposable that, and it's terribly disturbing to realize that so many of us have begun to think of living beings in those terms. If that statement sounds in any way over-cautious or discouraging, it's only because too many people adopt dogs for the wrong reasons: because they thought their kids might enjoy a pet, because they wanted a guard dog to protect the house, because they saw a particular pooch and thought it was cute, because it seemed like the right thing to
do at the time. Then, when dog-rearing becomes a little too much trouble or when life gets a little too hectic for comfort, they toss their dogs away like trash. It's sad, it's unfair, and it's distressingly common.
Adopting a dog means making a promise. When you sign a contract at an animal shelter, you vow not just to pay her adoption fee or get her spayed or vaccinated, but also to be her friend and guardian for as long as she's around. That means taking her outside even when it's sleeting, taking her to obedience class even when your feet hurt after a lousy day at work, and giving her tummy rubs even when you're mad at her for chewing up your favorite tube socks. It means making arrangements for her when you can't be around to look after her, and taking her with you if you move. It means treating her with respect, teaching her how to live among humans and sometimes just letting her be a wild and crazy dog.
That's a lot to promise. Of course, you'll get a lot in return, too: a wagging tail to meet you at the door when you come home, a tireless tennis-ball-fetching partner, a conglomeration of charming canine quirks for you to discover and enjoy. It's a fabulous deal as long as you're able to uphold your part of it. So before you start looking for a dog, examine very closely your reasons for wanting one.
? Are you looking for a friend who will depend on you for all her needs for perhaps the next fifteen years?
? Are you ready to give a dog all the care and love she needs, and to put aside your own needs now and then for her sake?
? Are you thinking as much of her happiness and need for companionship as of your own?
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Exactly!
I realized when I got my dog (even though not thru adoption) that it was just like adopting a child. You do the best you can at the time, trying to pick out a healthy and happy one but sometimes the previous owner will exaggerate or the shelter may not have enough info to give you a good idea of what to expect from your dog.
I was told my dog was house broken and used to being alone. Well, she wasn’t house broken and she was used to being alone- without humans, but with other animals in the house!
We both went thru some major adjustments at first and I was very frustrated but didn’t want to bounce her around any more than she already had been (no doubt over the house breaking thing).
Today she’s still not totally house broken (she uses pads though!) but she’s a happy and well adjusted dog. The difference in her confidence since she’s been in one home with one person for several years is amazing.
You can’t give up on your dog. If you don’t stick by them, who will?