If you love dogs, you should consider that a new puppy for the family may be found at a shelter or breed rescue group. While the shelter will accept all breeds that it receives, rescue groups will accept only one specific breed, for example miniature schnauzers. Both attempt to prepare their dogs the best they can to be adoptable.
While shelters or rescue groups are preparing their puppies for a new home, they also try to find acceptable adopters. Both types of organizations place ads on the internet and in local media that describe available animals. Potential adopters might respond by phone, e-mail, or visit in person.
However, not all potential adopters make the grade. Many facilities have very strict guidelines and restrictions on who can adopt one of their puppies. The following criteria is standard for people looking to adopt a pup from a high-quality shelter or rescue group:
1) A stay-at-home parent should be present. This is because puppies shouldn’t stay by themselves in a crate for more than a few hours.
2) It helps if there is another dog in the family that the new puppy can learn from. This helps immensely in the pup’s socialization.
3) A fence is mandatory if there are children in the house younger than the age of six.
4) And finally, a commitment from the new owners to continue socialization and a willingness to take the pup to professional dog training.
Just as rescue groups and animal shelters are careful about who can adopt their puppies, potential adopters should be equally particular when they adopt a puppy.
1) There should be co-housing at the shelter. Puppies housed with other puppies is critical for proper socialization.
2) The premises should be clean, and there should be appropriate toys and bedding with the puppies.
3) There should be some sort of program or schedule for getting the puppies out of their cages to play with people and investigate different sights and sounds.
4) You should be greeted by a pleasant and knowledgeable staff member or volunteer. Both shelters and rescue groups should be able to provide information on why the puppy was brought there. The should also provide confirmation that the puppy has received its immunizations.
Once the shelter or rescue group passes your approval, you should look closely at the puppy you are interested in before making a final decision. A puppy that shows signs of illness or poor care should be avoided. The dog should look healthy, not have any diarrhea on his rear end or hind legs, should show an interest in you, and be active.
Adopting a shelter puppy or dog is an admirable thing for a dog lover to do and will help brighten the future for you and a once neglected but noble animal. It may be the best thing you ever do !
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June 23rd, 2009 at 10:12 am
I’m not so sure that adopting a puppy from a shelter is the best thing to do. It enables indiscriminate breeding and allows owners to casually surrender their pet. Most dogs are consigned to a shelter at around 5 months of age when little puppy behaviors such as mouthing become big problems. At five months, dogs become physically coordinated and are difficult to handle.
Also, rescue groups go to shelters early in the morning and get the best dogs, leaving the unruly dogs, usually pit bull mixes behind.