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Should you Adopt a Dog?

Pet adoption, just like regular human adoption, can be an extremely rewarding experience. It is an opportunity for someone seeking a new family member to help someone who desperately needs a family - whether that someone is 2-legged or 4-legged. There are many benefits to adopting your next dog, rather than purchasing a dog from a breeder or regular pet store. There are also many things to consider prior to taking that big step:

Prior to choosing to adopt a pet, consider whether you would have the time or dedication needed to train or retrain your new pet in order to make him/her more comfortable in your home or yard. Some pets available for adoption may have bad habits and will need to get this worked out of them. Some of them may develop anxiety issues as well because he/she has lost everything he/she has known and now has to adjust to an all new world. This can leave him/her feeling alone, lost, scared, and uncomfortable. You will need to take the time to help him/her feel at home, loved, cherished, and treated with consideration. Treats, toys, a comfy bed, and chew toys are going to be needed to help your new family member get used to the world.

If you feel that you can indeed take on this responsibility, then its time to consider the benefits of an adopted pet over a purchased pet from a breeder or pet store. Adopted pets are often required to be spayed or neutered prior to being adopted and will be up to date on all of his/her vaccinations. They also have a full health vet check completed prior to allowing you to leave. All of this is usually included in your adoption fee - making the overall cost of your new dog much cheaper than it might normally be otherwise.

You also get the satisfaction of giving a home to someone who wouldn’t have one otherwise. Puppies are cute and can almost always find a good home, but animals available for adoption don’t always have that promise of a good future home waiting for them. You are doing a good thing by giving one of these animals a permanent home where he/she can be loved and feel like part of a family once more.

Next you will need to locate a place where you can adopt a dog. There are usually three main places for animal adoptions - open access shelters, humane societies, and foster groups.

Foster groups work as “foster parents” for pets that don’t have a home. They provide temporary placement for pets while seeking new families for them, providing them with a comforting, “homey” place to live before their new family finally finds them.

Humane societies are considered private facilities and usually run off donations or contributions. The adoption fees they charge go to the caretaking of the animals and the running of the shelter, but it is usually a minimum fee. They tend to be open during certain hours but are available to the public in general. Contact your local human society to find out their policies and adoption fees.

Open access shelters are considered on the lower end of these types of facilities. They take in all stray animals and are run by a county or city. Many of these shelters have euthanization policies and will euthanize dogs if they cannot find homes for them. This is usually where animal control will take animals they find as well, and sometimes they end up with excellent animals who may have been abandoned, neglected, abused, or left behind. It can be quite heartbreaking to visit these facilities, but you will do a LOT of good by giving one of these animals a home.

Even the sweetest of dogs, however, have the potential to bite. The best way to avoid dog bites is through careful behavior. As sweet and cute as it may be to have your puppy lick your face, don’t let him/her do it! This breeds bad behavior. Dogs may easily confuse signals and think that he/she can play with you like he/she plays with other dogs. Dogs frequently bite each other in many places, including their faces. Your dog needs to understand that your face is completely off-limits. To do this, you may need to knock him/her away from your face whenever he/she tries to get too close. Don’t be afraid to push him/her away, smack him/her on the nose, and raise your voice. You do not want this bad habit!

Also, make it clear to your dog that playing with you is NOT like playing with other dogs. If he/she even attempts to bite your hand, even playfully, smack the dog on the nose and give him/her a sharp reprimand. Do NOT let him/her bite you, even playfully. This breeds bad behavior and may lead the dog to think that it is OK to bite you.

However, dogs may bite when afraid, anxious, or startled. You can avoid startling your dog by letting him/her know that you are approaching - announcing your presence verbally whenever possible. If your dog displays signs of fear or anger such as his/her hackles standing on end, tail tucked between his/her leg, growling with teeth showing, ears laid flat to the head, whites of eyes showing predominately, or other fearful/angry behavior, do not approach directly! Stay back and talk soothingly to the dog. Let him/her hear the comforting sound of your voice. Keep your voice low (not loud) and change your posture to avoid appearing as a threat to the dog.

Do not reach out with a hand! If talking gently to the dog does not help, give the dog some distance. Back away and wait the dog out. Eventually, he/she should realize you are not a threat and approach you. However, if this does not change, you may have a serious threat. Your dog could be injured, sick, or even have the dreaded rabies disease.  Something is probably wrong.

If you can see an injury on the dog, call a veterinarian to see what the best course of action might be. If you see foam around the dog’s mouth, call animal control! If there does not appear to be any injuries and the dog’s behavior still won’t change, you may want to contact your local veterinarian to see if they have a recommended course of action.

Another thing to avoid with dogs in order to be avoid dog bites is to keep young children away from your dog as much as possible - and never leave a young child and dog alone without supervision. Even the most tame and docile of dogs can react horribly to a child’s cries, pokes, prods, or general clumsiness. Kids do not know that a dog does not want his/her tail pulled and this can provoke a bite from the dog very quickly. Too often, people assume their typically docile dog would never hurt a child, only to experience the tragedy of their dog snapping at a child and injuring the child. Don’t let this happen to you, your dog, and your loved ones.

Dogs may also bite other dogs or animals, especially on first contact with that other dog or animal. The dog is doing one of several things: establishing dominance, injuring prey, or trying to “play” but not knowing his/her own strength. A dog may think your cat is a superb play toy - but your cat may not agree at all! As your cat tries to run away, the dog thinks this is either further play or the behavior of prey and could easily damage and hurt the cat in his/her attempt to keep “playing.” The cat can also damage the dog if he/she has any claws and is willing to use them. Too many dogs have scars on their noses from just that situation!

Bigger dogs are likely to pick on smaller dogs, as this is what would happen in the wild for such animals. In the wild, dogs are pack animals and the pack survives because the pack works as a team against others. The pack play fights together to practice their skills for real fights against prey and other predators. Weak, sick, or deformed dogs are not going to last long in the wild and will slow the pack down. Dogs are more likely to kill, damage, or abandon the weaker pack members if the weaker members cannot keep up. This is why your dog may not be safe around smaller, weaker dogs.

Adopting a pet can be a wonderfully rewarding experience, but you have to take it seriously. Think about your home - is it going to be big enough for your new family member? Will he/she have a safe area outside to romp and play and chase the butterflies?

If you feel you can handle a new pet, give it what it needs for a healthy life, and provide the love and nurturing environment the dog will need, then adoption may be the way for you! Good luck finding that new family member!