Posts Tagged ‘Animal shelter’

Adopting A New Dog: A Homecoming

May 13th, 2010

Why buy a dog when you can bring home a new best friend from a local animal shelter well-nigh for free? Purebred dogs come with health issues of over breeding and special grooming requirements – and these issues are often completely absent among dogs of mixed breed.

If you insist on a purebred – you should still go to your local shelter. On a recent visit, I saw one Great Dane, 2 German Shepherds, 2 Dalmatians and 3 Labrador Retrievers that were most definitely purebreds. They end up in a shelter because of owners who don’t know how to train them – or have no time for them. Labs in particular are often dropped off at shelters for “chewing things up” – but that is the nature of that breed when young. They are “mouthy” and will chew everything in sight until trained what is and isn’t permissible as a chew toy. Many Lab owners take drastic steps to control this chewing behaviour, buying special gates and pens or confining the dogs to special rooms when the owner is absent. When you need to pick up after then, remember to use your biodegradable dog poop bags!

Although it’s true that a few dogs may end up at the shelter due to barking or antisocial behavior, those problem animals are usually not considered adoptable by shelter personnel. Most shelter dogs simply need a bit of obedience training to become valuable companions.

Some shelter dogs may have been through various situations before landing at the shelter. They may have been abused, abandoned by a roadway, become lost and wandered alone for some time. They will not understand at first why they are being moved to another new location – they will not know that you are giving them a forever home.

The best method of helping your new dog fit to your home and family is to establish a regular schedule for the dog and adhere to it for at least a few weeks. Regular feeding times, regular walks and/or play time will help your new pet fit in good and quickly. Dogs are quick to adapt to the schedules of their people and some canines seem to have their own inner clocks. Many dogs have been documented going to the door where their owner will enter – and doing so while the owner is still miles away.

Dogs also can set their own schedules. Your dog may want to play early in the morning and again in the late afternoon – and may insist on bringing you his toys and trying to get your attention at those times of the day. For that reason, the schedule you have should be adjusted as you see what best fits your dog.

When disciplining a shelter dog, you should start with the barest minimum of correction – using your tone of voice to indicate approval and disapproval. That is often all that is requisite as a disciplinary tool. Remember that some dogs may have been mishandled or mistreated. If you quickly raise an arm or make a sudden movement and notice your dog will cower or growl – you know there is some history there to overcome. Kindness and patience will solve the problem but it will take time to gain the total trust of the animal.

From the first day you bring your adopted dog home, put your hands on him often. Look at his ears, his paws; look closely through his fur or at the skin of his belly. What are you looking for? Nothing. You are letting the dog know from the first meeting that you will be touching and looking at him closely. Many dogs will become very nervous at this attention but it is important to establish your “right” to do this as ease of grooming, dog baths and veterinary visits depend on being able to handle the dog in this way. When you walk then, take your dog poop bags with you.

You also start basic behavior training the moment you bring the dog home. Spoil him with doggie cookies – but make him “sit” before getting each biscuit. Take him for walks – but always go through a doorway first to establish yourself as his leader. Let the dog know what is expected of him and through your voice let him know what is good and bad. Knowing what is expected of him allows a dog to settle in and learn to trust his new owner.

Good luck with your new dog!

www.greendoggiebags.com

Preventing Cancer in Dogs (well.blogs.nytimes.com)
Purebreds vs. mutts (timesunion.com)

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Posted in Biodegradable Bags, training

Tags: Animal shelter biodegradable dog poop bags Dog dog poop bags dog waste bags Great Dane Labrador Retriever Train

The Top 4 Things Everyone Should Know About Pet Adoptions

May 11th, 2010

The following post is part of our weekly guest blog post from our good friends at Adopt a Pet!

Link: http://blog.adoptapet.com/ – Read More About Pet Adoption
Bio: Adopt-a-Pet.com is a non-profit pet adoption charity that helps shelters, humane societies, SPCAs, pet rescue groups, and pet adoption agencies advertise their homeless pets to adopters for free. We’re all about getting homeless pets into homes.

A healthy mixed-breed with shiny coat and brig...

Image via Wikipedia

Q: Common Questions One:
Although there are literally millions of pets in shelters, pounds and other ‘temporary housing’, many pet-owners-to-be don’t think about pet adoption when they’re looking for their new four-legged friend. Why do you think this is, and what can be done to turn that around?
A:

Many people who want to get a pet just are not aware of how many pets are available at shelters. They might also have the misconception that pets are shelters might be there because there was a problem with the animal. In fact, most pets end up in shelters not because of any problem pet behavior, but because an owner died, moved, or simply didn’t have the time or money to care for the animal. In some cases animals are lost and never found by their owners. These animals are healthy and very eager to please. Rescues pets are wonderful- just ask anyone who has one.

Some people are seeking purebred animals or puppies and think these are not available in shelters. In fact, nearly a quarter of all animals in shelters are purebred. Often someone buys an expensive purebred animal and then attempts to breed that animal to recoup their money. Often these puppies or kittens are not placed in homes, and end up in the shelter. Puppies and kittens often up in sheltrs as well, but it is important to note that your animals, especially puppies, require a lot of work and training and can be quite destructive (peeing on the carpet or chewing shoes). Puppies are great but often people are much happier getting a dog who is older, and whose size andtemperament is a known quantity.

With Adopt-a-Pet.com and without even leaving their home, people can search all their local pets and see pictures and descriptions of the animals. This way, they can find the exact pet they want, call the animal shelter or rescue group, and get information

Image via Wikipedion how to adopt that specific animal.

Q:Common Questions Two:

What are the 5 most important things a potential adopter should consider when choosing their new pet?

A:

We actually have a blog post on this highlighting the top 10 things we believe are important when adopting. Here are five, the rest can be located by visiting this page http://www.adoptapet.com/public/guides/permanentpets.html.
1. You need to make a real commitment to care for your pet for its entire life.
2. Verify in advance that you’re allowed to keep a pet where you live.
3. Never adopt a pet on a whim or because you feel it’s love-at-first-sight
4. Provide sufficient exercise and stimulation during the first few weeks, this will help the pet adjust.
5. Make any necessary modifications to your yard and fence to provide for your pet’s safety.

Image by The Mooncake Box via Flickr

Q: Common Questions One:
What are 5 positive aspects of pet adoption, and why it’s a good option?

A:

1. When you adopt an adult animal, you can see his/her size and temperament. This helps ensure that the pet is right for you and your family. 2. It feels great to know you have saved an animals’ life and everyone you meet will give you kudos for that for years to come. 3. Adopted pets are very loyal and know they have been given a new home. 4. Adopting a pet can be an important lesson to teach your children– both about the value of life, and also about civic responsibility and even recycling- in this case recycling a living and loving animal into a new home. 5. Choosing a mixed breed animal can help avoid many of the genetic health problems that have developed in purebred animal due overbreeding and inbreeding. Q: Common Questions One: If someone reading this isn’t in a position to adopt a pet right at this time, but still wants to help homeless pets, what are 5 things they can do to get involved?

Q: Common Questions One:
If someone reading this isn’t in a position to adopt a pet right at this time, but still wants to help homeless pets, what are 5 things they can do to get involved?

A:

1. People can do Social PETworking! They can run a search on Adopt-a-Pet.com, find a pet they want to help get exposure for, and use the share tools on our site to post the pet link on their Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or other social network page. Or, they can email the link of a pet in need form our site to their friends.
2. They can place a link/grpahic or even a search widget for Adopt-a-Pet.com on their personal website to encourage they users to see pets in need at local shelters. (hyper link “link” to our links page where we have graphics to be used as links)(hyper link “search widget” to our search module page which itself is a link form our links page)
3. People can add their info to our volunteer database (link) so shelters who need volunteers can find them.
4. People can search Adopt-a-Pet.com to find a local shelter, and make a cash donation to that shelter to help them with the costs of housing, feeding and medical care of shelter animals.
5. People can encourage other pet owners to spay or neuter their pet (link to our spay neuter page) to help prevent unwanted births.

USPS, Halo and Ellen Degeneres work together to support shelter animals (atomiurl.com)
Help Make All Animal Shelters No-Kill Shelters (socialactions.net)
Petland Celebrates Adopt-A-Pet Day (eon.businesswire.com)
Adopt-a-Pet.com and Bayer Animal Health Expand Their Efforts to Help Animal Shelters and Homeless Pets (prweb.com)
Half Price Adoptions at Franklin County Dog Shelter (greatestcityofall.com)

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Tags: Adoption Animal shelter Animal welfare Facebook Neutering Pet adoption Rescue group Twitter

How To Choose The Perfect Dog To Adopt

May 4th, 2010

: Image via Wikipedia

When adopting a dog, it’s best to confirm that you and the dog are an excellent match. No amount of preparation ensures your dog has the characteristics, temperament, and behavior that are ideal for you. Nevertheless, many tiny preparations can minimize the odds that you’re adopting the wrong dog for you or your family. Adopt the proper dog using the following criteria:

The Dog Breed

The dog’s breed is crucial in choosing a dog that will meet the characteristics you are trying for. Certainly, the breed’s temperament and characteristics are just approximations of how the dog would act when it’s full grown, as individual dogs have individual personalities. Still, the dog’s breed will still give you an idea of what to expect.

The Dog’s Function

Not all folks who adopt a dog do thus solely to have a pet. There are homeowners who look to put their dogs to use consistent with the dog’s activity or training. Some are made into therapy dogs, others as guide dogs etc. If you are considering a dog for specific purposes, you should select ones that have undergone special training or, generally, have the traits appropriate for the function.

The Dog’s Source

There are plenty of places you can visit when looking for a dog ready for adoption. There are the rescue teams, the animal shelters, and local humane societies for dogs. These have individual preferences about the dogs they take in, which should provide you an idea of what to expect in the dogs they shelter.

An animal shelter is the place to go to save a dog’s life. Animal shelters don’t necessarily keep track of the dog’s history thus you can expect surprises as the dog grows old with you. Additionally, they often accept mixed breed dogs or mutts who possess surprising characteristics. If you are not a big fan of surprises, you’ll verify the choice of dogs rescue teams have for you.

Rescue groups are, generally, the most effective sources for dogs that are sensible for adoption. These keep tabs of their dogs’ history and also the dogs’ previous owners. If you’re inquisitive about knowing the conditions from where the dog you are getting came from, a rescue team is the most effective place for you to start your search. Rescue teams are very specific concerning the breeds they accept. They conjointly shelter their dogs in actual homes, not in kennels.

Your Home

Where the dog is going to is also a crucial issue when adopting a dog. Some dog breeds don’t seem to be suitable for families with children, others are not comfy in confined places.

If you have kids in the family, the size and activities of the dog you are planning to adopt ought to be considered. Tiny dogs are likely to be abused when kids are around, children treat their dogs like they might their toys. Terribly huge dogs, on the opposite hand, are a big no-no for little kids. Youngsters could be hurt around powerful, muscular, and over sized dogs.

Also check into the policies of the neighborhood you’re living in. If you are living in an apartment, check with your apartment owner for their pet regulations. You don’t wish to adopt the right dog only to take it back to the shelter as a result of of your living area’s no-pet clause policy.

Whatever dog you choose to adopt you need to make sure he or she is flea and tick free. Frontline for dogs is one of the best ways for you to do this. Buy Frontline for dogs at a discount price by shopping around.

And when you get that dog, make sure you use biodegradable dog poop bags from Greendoggiebags.com