Adopting A Dog From an Animal Shelter

Animal shelters can be filled with animals that may become cherished pets for lots of families. Animal shelters help match the animals to new responsible owners. For the most part, shelters have both dogs and cats of varied ages.

Some of the animals in the shelters could possibly be purebred. Maybe, you may even happen to find a nice Poodle, if that is the specific breed you're looking for right now. Many animals in the shelters may have good behavior and habits. Shelter animals are in need of new homes with owners that sincerely want to care for them and bring them into their family.

The staff that work in the shelters are usually very dedicated and they help find good homes for many animals. There are several reasons listed below why animals could possibly be in a shelter.

Possibly their original owners were not able or uninterested in caring for them anymore.

Maybe, their previous owner could no longer financially afford the essential maintenance necessary for the dog.

There may have been a significant change in the household: children may not have gotten along with the dog, or possibly there was just a new baby born in the family; or there was a divorce, or a death or major illness in the family.

The family may have needed to move, and they were not allowed to have a dog in their new apartment complex or townhouse due to rules and regulations.

Change in lifestyle: employment and career changes may have included more traveling away from home or a significant shift change or numerous overtime hours in their work schedule. Or the family realized they simply did not have the necessary time required for a dog.

Medical reasons: someone in the family developed allergies to the dog or experienced a chronic health condition and was no longer able to properly care for their pet.

Possibly the dog had certain behavioral problems.

The dog could have experienced some training problems, such as house training issues.

Maybe, the dog was a homeless stray dog, or unfortunately he might have come from an abusive situation.

Certain shelters may provide an evaluation, which includes a history of animal health and behavior at their prior home, and a veterinary exam and screening. If you get a pet from the shelter, it would be helpful if you could acquire a written copy of the evaluation and any veterinary health records to keep, if at all possible.

Before you go to the shelter or anywhere to get a dog, there are several crucial things to consider when deciding if you should get a dog.

1. Did you do any research on the the type of dog or breed that you would be interested in? When you see all of the animals in need of good homes at the shelter, it may seem somewhat overwhelming. You should decide on the characteristics you are looking for in a dog, such as the size of the dog, the temperament, age, male or female, and any grooming needs.

2. Do you have enough time available daily to be able to properly care for a dog? Do you have enough patience and motivation for training your dog and helping him get the proper exercise, nutritious diet, and any necessary grooming?

3. Are you ready and fully committed to look after a dog and have him with your family for many years to come?

4. If there are children in your family are they old enough to know about the proper treatment and responsibility of safely caring for a dog?

5. Can you afford the veterinary health checks and proper food for a healthy and nutritious diet for your dog?

6. Do you have a secure and comfortable place to keep your dog when you are temporarily not at home for a few hours, for example when you might be at your place of employment, or doing all of your grocery shopping, or doing necessary errands?

7. Do you know what dog or puppy supplies that you might need to bring a brand new puppy or adult dog into your home to keep him comfortable, healthy and safe?

If you definitely know that you want to adopt a dog from the shelter, then here are a few things you may want to think about when choosing a dog.

The age of the puppy or adult dog.

Does the dog have a pleasant temperament?

Is the dog successfully house trained?

Has the dog been spayed or neutered?

Does the dog have any pre-existing or ongoing health problems?

Is the dog up-to-date with his vaccinations?

Does the dog get along well with children and other dogs?

Does the dog have any pre-existing behavior problems, such as aggressiveness?

How much prior training did the dog have in their previous home?

Does the dog look properly nourished?

Next, I will list a few steps that may be part of the adoption process.

Filling out an application

Choosing your pet

Signing a contract (the adoption contract may possibly have provisions such as the following: you will provide good housing, nutrition and health care for your new pet, and also you will return the animal to the shelter if you can no longer take care of him.)

It can be a very rewarding experience to adopt a dog from a shelter. People are so glad they could save a life of an animal by providing them a great, safe home with lots of love. Keep in mind that animals in shelters have had some stress. They might deeply miss their owner who had to give them up and their previous home environment.

They more than likely will welcome your patience, affection, guidance and love. Hopefully, you will choose a dog that matches your lifestyle. And maybe you can even find a nice Poodle in the shelter.

If you are bringing a new dog home you may be thinking about some specific items that you may be shopping for to make the transition easy for you and your dog in his new home. For example, your dog will need an appropriate place to play and sleep, and he will also need some items for daily maintenance. The list below includes certain items that many people may consider when getting a new dog.

Feeding and Water dishes

Appropriate dog food and treats

Dog brushes and combs

Appropriate dog collar and leashes

Possibly a dog pen

Safe dog toys

Safe and comfortable dog bed and dog blanket

Dog shampoo

Dog nametag or ID

If your dog is quiet and shy, just allow for some extra time for him to adjust to his new life. If you take good care of him and show him positive attention and love, he may be very devoted to you forever!

Are You Thinking About Getting a Poodle?

I wrote an inventory of some helpful things to think about when you are deciding if a Poodle is the right dog for you and your family.

1. Did you do your research about the Poodle breed? There are many informative books available as well as a great deal of online information regarding the Poodle, including the characteristics of the breed and routine care.

2. Do you have enough time available daily to be able to properly care for a dog? Do you have enough patience and motivation for training your puppy, and helping him get the appropriate exercise, healthy diet, and necessary grooming?

3. Are you ready and committed to take care of a dog and have him with your family for many years to come?

4. Are you interested in a dog that is playful, pleasant, and typically loves to be with people?

5. If there are children in your house are they old enough to know about the proper treatment and responsibility of safely caring for a puppy?

6. Are you able to afford the veterinary health checks and proper food for a healthy and nutritious diet for your dog?

7. Did you consider a plan for maintaining your new Poodle's beautiful coat? Are you able to afford routine professional grooming or do you plan on purchasing grooming supplies and learning how to do this yourself in the proper manner?

8. Do you have a safe and comfortable place to keep your Poodle when you are temporarily not at home for a few hours, such as when you might be at your place of employment, or doing your grocery shopping, or doing necessary errands?

9. Are you aware what dog or puppy supplies that you may need to bring a new puppy into your home to keep him comfortable, healthy and safe?

10. Do you routinely need to travel away from home for any job requirements? Do you always take a vacation away from home once or twice a year? If you need to be away from your home for more than a few hours, what are you planning to do with your dog? Are you planning on taking him on vacation with you and your family, if possible? If you are unable to bring your dog with you during your travel time away from home, are you able and willing to make the required arrangements for your dog to be properly cared for during that time period. Always remember the importance of your dog's comfort, health and safety.

Socializing Your Puppy

Your goal may be to have your puppy grow up and mature to be friendly, happy and very well-adjusted for their lifelong emotional well-being. Socialization is so essential for your puppy. You will want them to feel comfortable in their new world.

It is useful for puppies to learn how to cope with their environment, (which includes people, animals, places and things), in a healthy and positive way throughout their lifetime. You will want your puppy's socialization experiences to be positive.

A puppy is usually very eager to explore their new environment. Puppyhood is an important period for your dog's development. Positive influence in the early weeks of the puppy's life can be very beneficial. I read that the time before the puppy is 16 weeks old is an important developmental time period when he may be very receptive and influenced by his experiences. Praise and positive reinforcement are so important with socialization and training. Socialization begins on the day your puppy is born and continues for the remainder of his life.

Until your puppy has had all of his proper vaccinations, you may want to be guided by your veterinarian about socialization. I read that you should consult your veterinarian about when, as well as, how to introduce your puppy to other animals in a safe manner. 

Once you know that it is fine to socialize your puppy, you may want to gradually introduce your new puppy to some of your close friends or relatives in a pleasant, supervised manner. Your puppy can learn to get accustomed to people who are quiet or talkative, young (active), or old (possibly more inactive). You may wish to introduce your puppy to people wearing glasses or wearing hats or bike helmets, or to people carrying an umbrella, or wearing coats and gloves.

If your puppy seems scared about a certain object or specific person it may be a good idea to introduce that object or person more slowly, and you can try to associate the object or person with something positive, like a favorite treat. If your puppy is fearful of your grandfather who happens to be tall and speaks in a very loud voice, have your grandfather offer treats to the puppy.

You may want to get your puppy comfortable with handling, especially if they may need routine grooming in the future. You can safely and comfortably hold your cute puppy on your lap and help him practice being calm and relaxed with you. Your friends and family can help by gently handling the puppy the proper way. Positive reinforcement for your puppy may include lots of friendly praise and maybe also their favorite treats.

It may be lots of fun to safely take the puppy on short car rides, so he becomes familiar with riding in the car. This positive experience may make it easier for the both of you when you need to go for any future veterinarian office visits.

When the puppy is the appropriate age, you may decide to invite people that you already know that own pets who are friendly, healthy and vaccinated who can come over to your home for a little visit, and with your knowledge and supervision you can work on socializing your puppy.

If you happen to already have another pet in the home, you may want to make sure that you provide enough individual attention to your new puppy to help them develop their own personality.

You can even gradually introduce your puppy to a variety of items and sounds that are routinely around the house so they become a little familiar to them. Some sounds which may be new to your puppy are the following:

Doorbell ringing

Telephone ringing

TV and radio

Any music playing

Computer noises

Video games

Vacuum cleaner

Sound from a hair dryer, blender, or fan

Noise from a washing machine or dish washer

Any noise from your childrens toys

Thunderstorms

Any noise from electric grooming tools, if your dog may need grooming in the future

After your veterinarian says it is safe for you to take the puppy out into the real world, you can safely introduce the puppy to walks in your the neighborhood. Your walks together can be so enjoyable for you and your puppy.

In summary, if you are patient and consistent with socializing and training your puppy, he will likely be happier and feel comfortable throughout his life. Always keep in mind that praise and positive reinforcement are so important with socialization and training.