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WHAT DO I NEED TO CONSIDER BEFORE ADOPTING A DOG?
Thanks for adoption option! Thinking about adopting a dog? If so, you came to the right place!
Adopting a dog can be a wonderful experience, especially if you have put a lot of thought and research into it first. In order to help you
with your search, we have put together all sorts of information that we feel is very important to think about before adopting a dog,
puppy, cat, or kitten
Things Everyone Should Ask Themselves Before Adopting a Pet:
What are You Looking for in a Dog?
- www.billfoundation.org /html/what_dog_ is_right_for _you.html
- www.peteducation.com/article_print.cfm?articleid=843
- Puppy or Adult?
- Male or Female?
Once a dog has been altered (spayed or neutered), there are no significant differences between male and female dogs. Spayed
females and neutered males are equally good companions. Rather than focus on the generalities of gender, it is more important to
look each dog individually. If you are worried about males "marking" his territory and having problems with
housetraining, please be assured that this is not a problem with a neutered male. If you already have another dog, the best
combinations are male-female. The male-male combination comes next (as long as both dogs are neutered). Most problems occur
with 2 or more female dogs. You are not allowed to adopt a Homeward Bound animal if you have intact (un-neutered or un-spayed)
animals. Chances of fights and other dominance issues arise between dogs significantly increases if one or more are still intact.
- Coat Type: Long-Haired, Short-haired &/or "No-Shed?"
All dogs shed, even those that are labeled as being non-shedders. This doesn't mean that all dogs shed the same, however.
The major factor in determining how much a dog will shed is their coat type (single-coated or double-coated). Coat length does
not determine how much a dog will shed. In fact, some shorthaired dogs shed more than longer-coated dogs. The primary difference
between the coat lengths is the way they shed - shorthaired dogs (Labs and Dalmatians) drop their fur year round whereas longhaired
dogs "blow" (lose the undercoat) their coats twice a year. The advantage with these types of coats is that they tend to
do most of their shedding all at once, with little shedding in between (as long as you take care of the dog's coat). Most shedding
can be maintained by regular brushings and groomings. For example, double coated dogs (German Shepherds, Pomeranians, Huskies,
Golden Retrievers, Collies, Shelties, etc.) do shed quite a bit if their coats aren't properly taken care of but if they receive
regular brushing, they don't shed too much (brushing also takes care of matting). Another way to maintain control over shedding is
to keep your dog indoors. Indoor dogs show noticeably less tendency to grow a winter coat because they have no need for it since they
are kept warm inside the house. This means their coats won't blow so much because they have less fur to molt. Besides keeping your
dog indoors and brushing him/her weekly, a healthy, high quality diet will also cut down on the amount of hair that sheds. What you
feed your dog is extremely important to his/her overall health so please go to our
What cat or dog food do you recommend? page to learn more about dog food.
"Non-shedders" & "Hypo-Allergenic" Breeds:
The breeds (besides the hairless
dogs of course) that are referred to as non-shedding actually do shed. After all, just as with humans, the hair on a dog grows
and dies. The hair falls out of follicles and falls out. However, what prevents the loose hair from falling to the ground is
the coat itself, which traps the hair until it is brushed out. This is why they need their coats to be brushed regularly because
otherwise their coat tangles. We often get emails from people asking for a "hypo-allergenic" dog due to allergies but
in truth there in not a breed that works for all allergy suffers. It isn't the fur that triggers an allergic reaction; rather,
it is the dander, proteins in the saliva, or urine. Please visit the following sites for more information regarding shedding,
allergies, and how to care for a pet if you have allergies.
- Purebred or Mixed Breed?
- Dog Breeds:
You need to read about the dog breed(s) you are interested in. It is extremely important to find out the personality traits,
grooming needs, prey drive, exercise requirements, size, etc. of a particular breed. Keep in mind that these descriptions are simply
generalizations of the breed and that not all Labs, for example, are the same.
"Guide to Picking the Breed That's Right For You"
Dog Breed Groups:
Descriptions of Numerous Breeds:
Breed Matchers:
Please keep in mind that these breed matchers are often not very accurate. For instance, I'm almost always told the
right breed for me is a Springer Spaniel and although Springers are wonderful dogs, I know that they would not be a good match
for me. What we like about these are the types of questions they ask you to think about regarding what you are looking for in a pet.
Best/Worst breeds for Children:
"Hybrid"/"Designer" Breeds
We get a lot of requests for "Designer Breeds" (Labradoodles, Schnoodles, Maltipoos, Puggles, Goldendoodles. etc.)
and often times people think these are purebred dogs. They are not - they are mutts with fancy names. Yes, some come with
"registration" or "championship" papers but these hold little value. These so-called registration or
championship papers can be purchased at a very low price from a number of registry services (most well known service is
the US Kennel Club). The truth is, the term "papers" is meaningless (the same applies to purebreds as well).
No responsible breeder would ever produce a "designer" or "hybrid" dog but backyard breeders and puppy
mills certainly have no qualms about producing more mutts! Don't get us wrong - we love mutts. We just don't understand
why anyone would purposely breed them when there are so many dogs already in need of homes. We've had "designer"
dogs in our program but we are always leery to call them by their catchy sounding names. Instead, we often call them by
what they really are - a Schnauzer / Poodle cross, for example, not a Schnoodle.
"Teacup" Sizes & All Their Health Problems:
Requests for Teacup sized dogs also occur, although thankfully this is occurring less as more people become aware of
all the health problems associated with them (they are more susceptible to both hereditary and non-hereditary health
problems). First off, being "teacup" sized is just a nice way of saying that
they are runts. They were never intended to have such tiny bodies and consequently are riddled with health problems,
most common ones being liver and bone problems, Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), Luxating Patellas (loose kneecaps),
diarrhea, and vomiting. Their vet bills will always be high because they'll need to have extra and expensive tests prior
to teeth cleanings and surgeries. They also have much more difficulties with anesthesia and require a special and pricey
anesthetic. Even finding a vet for them will be more difficult because you'll need to find one that specializes in tiny
dogs who have medical instruments and medicine that is small enough that the dogs can even take.
Small breeds are already notoriously hard to housetrain and "Teacup" dogs are even harder. So, if you are looking
for a small pooch with health problems, will be extremely difficult to housetrain, can't be around kids (their bones are
very delicate and break easily), can't be around rowdy dogs (their bones could easily break), shorter-life spans, and unstable temperaments, consider adopting this dog - your
vet will love you for it!
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