Posted by MollieQ on April 23, 2009, at 10:16:08
In reply to Re: Is it a bad idea for me to adopt a dog?, posted by Dinah on April 23, 2009, at 8:29:22
I'm with Dinah. I've always been a dog person, and she's right about those breeds.
One last thing for you to consider (!) in terms of where you get the dog. As Dinah said, there are breed-specific rescues in case you have your heart set on a given breed. The people at those rescues know everything there is to know about the breed and will help you decide it it is a good match for you. Rescues want their animals to go to good, permanent homes and never be given up again for adoption, so most will pre-screen adoptive owners as well. This can be helpful for both sides as it can help you think through the issues.
The shelters, e.g. ASPCA, even if they are no-kill, usually do not have the resources to get to know their charges as well as those from rescues. Many rescue organizations regularly visit the shelters (particularly kill shelters, those that do practice euthanasia when the populations are too high, which is the usual case; no-kill shelters will keep the animals until they find homes). The rescue people identify animals that look particularly promising for adoption, e.g. good health, good temperament, adequately socialized. They may adopt such dogs from the shelter and foster them for a while. They give them physicals, shots, and neuter them. The foster homes (just regular people with a willingness to take care of a foster animal) take these animals in, further socialize them, often start training them (incl house breaking, hopefully). They can then tell you lots of specifics about the animal's personality, habits and behavior, intelligence, training level etc. IMO this is the best and safest way to adopt a new dog, especially if you have not had a lot of experience as a dog owner.
There are many, many dedicated people out there, mostly volunteers, who are devoted to the animals they are committed to helping. Many, if they have enough human support, can be a good source of information and assistance to would-be and new owners. Most rescues will insist on your bringing the dog back to them if, despite everything, the adoption just doesn't work out.
Disclaimer! Note that I am generalizing and do mean to imply that any one group of adoptive agencies cares more about their animals than another. Also, what I describe goes for my part of the country and may differ elsewhere - although it is my impression from the internet sites I visit that most places do things similarly.
We have always gotten our dogs through rescues, and the last two dogs we've had came through the kind of rescue orgabnizations I described above. They came exactly as advertised and we knew exactly what we were getting. They have been absolutely wonderful pets and dear friends, and I cannot imagine not having had them in our lives. There is a lot to be said for unconditional love freely and warmly offered when the soul is weary.
Please feel free to b-mail me too. I love talking about animals.
Mollie
poster:MollieQ
thread:891981
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20090421/msgs/892309.html