Need some advice from the dog people here please

[Pea-n-Me]

I am reminded, with some of these posts about getting another pet after a loss, of this poem. Bolding is mine at the end.


Your Pets In Heaven
by Ken D. Conover

To have loved and then said farewell, is better than to have never loved at all.
For all of the times that you have stooped and touched my head, fed me my favorite treat and returned the love that I so unconditionally gave to you.
For the care that you gave to me so unselfishly.
For all of these things I am grateful and thankful.

I ask that you not grieve for the loss, but rejoice in the fact that we lived, loved and touched each others lives. My life was fuller because you were there, not as a master/owner, but as my FRIEND.

Today I am as I was in my youth. The grass is always green, butterflies flit among the flowers and the Sun shines gently down upon all of God's creatures.
I can run, jump, play and do all of the things that I did in my youth. There is no sickness, no aching joints and no regrets and no aging.

We await the arrival of our lifelong companions and know that togetherness is forever.
You live in our hearts as we do in yours. Companions such as you are so rare and unique.
Don't hold the love that you have within yourself. Give it to another like me and then I will live forever. For love never really dies, and you are loved and missed as surely as we are.

Your Pets In Heaven

it is hearbearking to lose a beloved pet. I have lost many. With each one I doubted I could love another as much as the last one. But eventually I did. Each new pet wormed their way into my heart as much as any other based on our time spent together, shared experiences, laughs, and ultimately, love. Dogs are so amazing!❤

 

[TippyThomas]

I've got an appointment scheduled with one of the directors at the pound where I will be volunteering to help with the dogs. I will eventually bring a dog home as needed for fostering which will help me learn more about them as well. I'm excited and scared all at the same time. I want this to go well. Thanks to all of you for your help and ideas. Looks like it might be happening some time in the future.

 

[RamblingMad]

I've got an appointment scheduled with one of the directors at the pound where I will be volunteering to help with the dogs. I will eventually bring a dog home as needed for fostering which will help me learn more about them as well. I'm excited and scared all at the same time. I want this to go well. Thanks to all of you for your help and ideas. Looks like it might be happening some time in the future.

Great.

You'll learn a lot. Also rescue dogs have a lot of baggage, so they needs lots of love. For example, my puppy that I rescued had mites, giardia, and was put on parvo watch all before I got him at 8 weeks. He also has a scar on his hip and nose. Poor guy. And now, he needs to get a puppy tooth extracted.

What you'll find is that dog that best matches your personality, which is more important than breed.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I've got an appointment scheduled with one of the directors at the pound where I will be volunteering to help with the dogs. I will eventually bring a dog home as needed for fostering which will help me learn more about them as well. I'm excited and scared all at the same time. I want this to go well. Thanks to all of you for your help and ideas. Looks like it might be happening some time in the future.

That is wonderful! I’m so happy for you! My DD’s boyfriend never had a dog before and it’s fun watching him really enjoying ours. You are about to enter a whole new world, and you will LOVE IT!!

One thing I will mention. I feel that we owe it to dogs to respect them for who they are. They are not children, they are dogs! Be careful in the shelter environment that your emotions like sadness and despair over some of the things you’ll see don’t affect your ability to help them become the best they can be - as dogs. And let me make it clear that doesn’t mean not showing them love and kindness or giving them the consistency that dogs thrive on. It just means don’t pity them to the point of stifling them by coddling them because of what they’ve been through. Treat them as if there is nothing to be afraid of and nothing is wrong. In other words, “just keep swimming”. Start new chapters with them. Dogs will thank you for it by becoming their best selves. There will be a lot of challenges, but time and patience is the best gift you can give them. Coddling can make them fearful and they may not progress. This is true of all dogs but rescues, as others have said, have special considerations.

Reference books have also been written on this subject. Two I can think of:

Second Hand Dog

Mutts: America's Dogs - another by Brian Kilcommons

I noticed he also has this one, which may be of interest to you:

Paws to Consider: The Complete Guide to Selecting A Breed

Many of these can be found used.

 

[TippyThomas]

That is wonderful! I’m so happy for you! My DD’s boyfriend never had a dog before and it’s fun watching him really enjoying ours. You are about to enter a whole new world, and you will LOVE IT!!

One thing I will mention. I feel that we owe it to dogs to respect them for who they are. They are not children, they are dogs! Be careful in the shelter environment that your emotions like sadness and despair over some of the things you’ll see don’t affect your ability to help them become the best they can be - as dogs. And let me make it clear that doesn’t mean not showing them love and kindness or giving them the consistency that dogs thrive on. It just means don’t pity them to the point of stifling them by coddling them because of what they’ve been through. Treat them as if there is nothing to be afraid of and nothing is wrong. In other words, “just keep swimming”. Start new chapters with them. Dogs will thank you for it by becoming theThere will be a lot of challenges, but time and patience is the best gift you can give them. Coddling can make them fearful and they may not progress. This is true of all dogs but rescues, as others have said, have special considerations.

Reference books have also been written on this subject. Two I can think of:

Second Hand Dog

Mutts: America's Dogs - another by Brian Kilcommons

I noticed he also has this one, which may be of interest to you:

Paws to Consider: The Complete Guide to Selecting A Breed

Many of these can be found used.

The emotional aspect of this is one of my biggest concerns. I hope I have the ability to walk away and let it go when I need to. That is most certainly going to be a big problem for me. I already discussed this a bit with the director and there are plans to have me performing tasks that will let me kind of work from the outside in, if that makes sense. We've already agreed that if it becomes too much for me to handle I should make it known and we can discuss options from there. I will simply be walking and playing with dogs during their outdoor time to start. I'm committed to that and will just feel it out for what I plan to do moving forward. Thanks for the book suggestions. I will look at my library website to see if they have them.

 

[jsmith]

So I am going to be just a bit of a voice of dissent. Rescue is a wonderful wonderful thing-but it is not the best fit for everyone. Rescue dogs can come with baggage, from bad habits to temperament traits that are not disclosed when you adopt them, because its the shelters job to find them good loving homes. Sometimes rescue dogs are recycled multiple times because of an issue that they may have that is not their fault but makes them a difficult fit in a family or home. You need to be prepared to be patient,get help with training if required, and to deal with a dogs special needs. You may or may not get an instant companion and it can take weeks or months for those bonds to build. All of those books are wonderful resources but your experience will not be the same as anyone elses. Since this is your first dog you may also want to consider a well bred purebred, dog or a dog from a breed rescue. Purebred dogs, from a reputable breeder, come with a life time of support for you and the dog and a breed community to assist you with finding training and other resources and to answer your questions. Purebred dogs have definable traits, physical and temperamental, and were bred for a specific task from being a lap dog to a herding dog or a hunting dog and have expectable behaviours. I encourage you to do research on both options, learn about the challenges and rewards of both options and take time to make the best decision for you and the dog.

 

[TippyThomas]

So I am going to be just a bit of a voice of dissent. Rescue is a wonderful wonderful thing-but it is not the best fit for everyone. Rescue dogs can come with baggage, from bad habits to temperament traits that are not disclosed when you adopt them, because its the shelters job to find them good loving homes. Sometimes rescue dogs are recycled multiple times because of an issue that they may have that is not their fault but makes them a difficult fit in a family or home. You need to be prepared to be patient,get help with training if required, and to deal with a dogs special needs. You may or may not get an instant companion and it can take weeks or months for those bonds to build. All of those books are wonderful resources but your experience will not be the same as anyone elses. Since this is your first dog you may also want to consider a well bred purebred, dog or a dog from a breed rescue. Purebred dogs, from a reputable breeder, come with a life time of support for you and the dog and a breed community to assist you with finding training and other resources and to answer your questions. Purebred dogs have definable traits, physical and temperamental, and were bred for a specific task from being a lap dog to a herding dog or a hunting dog and have expectable behaviours. I encourage you to do research on both options, learn about the challenges and rewards of both options and take time to make the best decision for you and the dog.

I'm going to use the experience assisting with the dogs at the shelter more as a tool to learn more about dogs in general. Their behaviors and instincts are not something I'm familiar with so just spending time with them will help me. I have not completely decided to actually bring one of them home yet and that is something that the director and I will discuss in the future depending on how all this goes for me. I really don't know where I'll find my future pet, or even if I will adopt a dog at all. I'm just trying to see if it's the right thing for me. I appreciate the input and thoughts because it is something I had considered as well and hearing it again helps me know it should be a real concern.