Looking to adopt a puppy? A tip.

[JerseyJanice]

Now I don't know if this a regional thing or if will help anyone else, but I got some advice last year when we were looking for a dog that I passed on to a neighbor. It turned out well, so I thought I'd share it here.

I used to work with a woman who runs dog training classes. Last December when we were looking for a dog, I asked her to help me find a puppy, as she is connected with some animal rescue groups.

Her advice was for us to wait until February or March, then hook up with a rescue group. She said that a lot of people buy puppies, usually pure-bred, for their kids for Christmas. They aren't ready for a puppy or able to handle training one, so around February/March, they're ready to get rid of that Christmas "present."

One of my neighbors took a trip to WDW in November and told me she wanted to get a puppy when they got back, around Christmas time. I told her what the dog trainer told me about rescues in Feb/March, so they waited to see whether it was true.

Sure enough, last week, they adopted a beautiful 4 month-old labrador puppy with papers. She's going to take some re-training, but they're thrilled to pieces with her. She is one fine looking dog! My lab mix, Max, is very happy she moved into our neighborhood. We had a play date in her backyard yesterday afternoon.

Just thought I would throw this out for discussion. On one hand, it's sad that people think puppies are so disposable. On the other, this is a way for a family on a budget to get themselves a purebred puppy inexpensively.

 

[Serena]

That's a good idea Janice. The Humane Society and shelters have a lot more animals in the spring than any other time.

 

[phillybeth]

Sad to say it is true. Another big time for puppies coming into rescue in end of May/ beginning of June, as school lets out and college kids dump pets, as well as families getting rid of pets so they can go on vacation. End of summer is active too, as those Christmas puppies are now almost full-grown and not cute anymore, as well as being untrained. Kids go back to school, dog gets dumped.

 

[helenabear]

Oh that's a great tip, Janice! So sad to think about, but hopefully can help a puppy and a family out!

 

[stamper]

Unfortunately it is true. A good reason to NOT get a puppy as a Christmas gift or Easter gift, etc. !!

 

[Duchie]

We just adopted an adorable mix breed puppy. The lady at the local shelter said that they get a flood of puppies in the spring. I had no idea this might be the reason. We're thrilled with our little guy (we'll be more thrilled when he learns to poop outside ).

 

[JerseyJanice]

Duchie, an important training tip--do not allow your untrained puppy free roam of your house.

Rather, confine him/her to one room. If at all feasible, hang out with the puppy in that room during the training period. Watch his body language, and you'll pick up when he's ready to "go." They all give clues whether it's sniffing, whimpering, or trying to hide.

When you get the clue, whisk the pup outdoors. If you have a fenced-in yard, that's where to put him. If not, clip a leash on and run him outside.

Reward the puppy handsomely when he goes where he's supposed to. Lots of praise (good boy!) and a treat too, each and every time.

It took me 10 days to completely housetrain my lab/rottie mix using this method. And I never even owned a dog of my own before him.

 

[Jockaroo]

Make sure you research the breed characteristics for any pure breed dog you may wish to adopt. Not all dogs are suitable to all families. Cute puppies can develop traits that may annoy an owner, but be typical of the breed. Ex. Jack Russell terriers are cute as can be, but I could not handle a dog that hyper.

Adoption/rescue is a way to get a pure breed dog and is a wonderful thing to do. Too many pets fall into bad circumstances. But it is not always a cheap way to get a "nice" dog. My pure bred Scottie rescue is my little angel, but she was not cheap. The adoption fee was $60. Then we had vet bills and medical tests to check her for a health problem. Then we had two sets of obedience classes while we worked to socialize her. We spent as much on the adult rescue as we did our Scottie pup. Not every rescue will be neurotic, but before adopting make sure you are willing to accept the whole doggie personality, quirks and all. Adoption is a lifetime commitment. It is horrible when pets are surrendered multiple times.

I would not change anything with my little girl. She gives back so much to us and is worth every penny spent hundreds of times over.

--Recycle--rescue a pet!

 

[cindysteve]

My puppy turned 1 this week. We adopted her from a rescue when she was 7 weeks old. She was abandoned outside a rural animal control facility, after hours, covered in ticks.

 

[Nala217]

We just adopted a puppy on Friday from a rescue group. He was born on Christmas to a Mom who was days from death from starvation. Thanks to this group, her and her 6 pups are all healthy. We found him on Petfinder.com. They have listings from rescues and shelters from all over the U.S. You can do searches for age, breed, location, type of animal. I would highly recommend that site if you want to adopt. We couldn't have gotten a better puppy and we feel really good about giving him a home.

 

[ByTheSea]

We adopted our sweet Snow on Feb. 29th

She was a rescue pet and obviously abused, but has the sweetest disposition, she's just very timid and wary of new things, and still cringes and hunches over a bit if someone makes sudden moves near her that she mis-identifies as someone swinging to hit her - like reaching past her quickly to answer the phone.

I'm so glad she's in a safe place with us and will never get beaten again.

 

[DocRafiki]

Rescue is the ONLY way to go. Very good tip! Thanks for that!


However, about the people on a budget... it's amazing how many people do not realize that it costs MONEY to raise a pet. If you are on a tight budget, you should not be taking on the responsibility at all. When pets get very sick and the owners "didn't expect this expense" (well duh ), then those pets either get given up again or they continue to suffer and/or die. I see this probably 3 times a day on average, and I'm sick of it. That's why I'm so blunt and militant about getting my message across. Animals don't deserve to suffer just because they were unlucky enough to be taken in by someone who doesn't think.

Of course, these are usually the same people who just forked over their last $500-1000 to some pet store or "breeder;" then they can't even afford vaccines much less treatment for all the parasites and viruses that are rampant in those places.

 

[Pin Wizard]

I'm now finding out how unfortunate renting can be! I'm about to make a move and will have to rent for a while. I have two dogs. Some apartment complexes will allow one animal within a certain weight limit. I haven't been able to find one that allows two! One complex cuts it off at 70 pounds, another at 75. So what's my choice? I can board one dog for the three or four months I'm renting until I find a home, I can board both dogs because I can't imagine keeping one with me and boarding another. No matter what, I'm sure boarding will be costly. Or do I try to find one a home before leaving? It's not an easy "choice" at all! Renting stinks!

 

[DocRafiki]

I was afraid of that, PW. I know the difficulty well. This is why all the college kids with new puppies get a good lecture from me. They seem stunned when I mention planning for the NEXT 10-15 YEARS. But, PW, there IS a place somewhere in that town that will let you have your dogs. You just have to find it. Have you looked into rental houses?

There was a woman at my old clinic who boarded her cat with us for A YEAR while she was hospitalized. Kinda sweet, kinda sad, but that kitty got lots of attention from us.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Haven't looked at houses yet. Still working on it.

 

[DocRafiki]

Good luck, PW. When I moved down to FL, I spent a week in a hotel and found a job and apartment in that time. Neither one was ideal, but they served their purposes. I can't imagine trying to find a place without actually being in the area. So many of the rental houses aren't advertised by anything more than signs, and you just have to drive around and find them. It might be easier to convince them to let you have your dogs there, too, since you're usually not dealing with an employee in an office who has to follow policies. Do you know anyone there who can drive around for you?