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"Why
on earth would anyone want to adopt a rescue dog? After all, aren't
they like used cars? Who wants someone else's problems? If the
dog is so wonderful, why would anyone give him away? If he was
a stray, why didn't someone try to find him? I'd rather buy a
puppy so I know what I'm getting, and besides they're so cute!"
Rescue groups often hear a variation of this conversation. Many
prospective dog owners are just not convinced that owning an older
(i.e, 6 mo.+) "pre-owned" dog is better than buying
a puppy. But there are a number of reasons why adopting a pet
from a rescue that carefully screens and evaluates its dog can
provide an even better alternative. Here are the
"Top
10 Reasons You Should Consider a Rescue."
10)
In a Word--Housebroken. With most family members gone during
the work week for 8 hours or more, housetraining a puppy and its
small bladder can take awhile. Puppies need a consistent schedule
with frequent opportunities to eliminate where you want them to.
They can't wait for the boss to finish his meeting or the kids
to come home from after school activities. An older dog can "hold
it" much more reliably for longer time periods, and usually
the Rescue has him housebroken before he is adopted.
9) Intact Underwear. With a chewy puppy, you can count
on at least 10 mismatched pairs of socks and a variety of unmentionables
rendered to the "rag bag" before he cuts every tooth.
And don't even think about shoes! Also, you can expect holes in
your carpet (along with the urine stains), pages missing from
books, stuffing exposed from couches, and at least one dead remote
control. No matter how well you watch them, it will happen--this
is a puppy's job! An older dog can usually have the run of the
house without destroying it.
8) A Good Night's Sleep. Forget the alarm clocks and hot
water bottles, a puppy can be very demanding at 2am and 4am and
6am. He misses his littermates, and that stuffed animal will not
make a puppy pile with him. If you have children, you've been
there and done that. How about a little peace and quiet? How about
an older rescue dog??
7) Finish the Newspaper. With a puppy running amok in your
house, do you think you will be able to relax when you get home
from work? Do you think your kids will really feed him, clean
up the messes, take him for a walk in the pouring rain every hour
to get him housetrained? With an adult dog, it will only be the
kids running amok, because your dog will be sitting calmly next
to you, while your workday stress flows away and your blood pressure
lowers as you pet him.
6) Easier Vet Trips. Those puppies need their series of puppy
shots and fecals, then their rabies shot, then a trip to be altered,
maybe an emergency trip or two if they've chewed something dangerous.
Those puppy visits can add up (on top of what you paid for the
dog!). Your donation to the rescue when adopting an older pup
should get you a dog with all shots current, already altered,
heartworm negative and on preventative at the minimum.
5) What You See Is What You Get. How big will that puppy be? What
kind of temperament will he have? Will he be easily trained? Will
his personality be what you were hoping for? How active will he
be? When adopting an older dog from a rescue, all of those questions
are easily answered. You can pick large or small; active or couch
potato; goofy or brilliant; sweet or sassy. The rescue and its
foster homes can guide you to pick the right match. (Rescues are
full of puppies who became the wrong match as they got older!)
4) Unscarred Children (and Adults). When the puppy isn't teething
on your possessions, he will be teething on your children and
yourself. Rescues routinely get calls from panicked parents who
are sure their dog is biting the children. Since biting implies
hostile intent and would be a consideration whether to accept
a "give-up", Rescue Groups ask questions and usually
find out the dog is being nippy. Parents are often too emotional
to see the difference; but a growing puppy is going to put everything
from food to clothes to hands in their mouths, and as they get
older and bigger it definitely hurts (and will get worse, if they
aren't being corrected properly.) Most older dogs have "been
there, done that, moved on."
3) Matchmaker Make Me a Match. Puppy love is often no more
than an attachment to a look or a color. It is not much of a basis
on which to make a decision that will hopefully last 15+ years.
While that puppy may have been the cutest of the litter; he may
grow up to be superactive (when what you wanted was a couch buddy);
she may be a couch princess (when what you wanted was a tireless
hiking companion); he may want to spend every waking moment in
the water (while you're a landlubber); or she may want to be an
only child (while you are intending to have kids or more animals).
Pet mis-matches are one of the top reasons Rescues get "give-up"
phone calls. Good rescues do extensive evaluating of both their
dogs and their applicants to be sure that both dog and family
will be happy with each other until death do them part.
2) Instant Companion. With an older dog, you automatically
have a buddy that can go everywhere and do everything with you
NOW. There's no waiting for a puppy to grow up (and then hope
he will like to do what you enjoy.) You will have been able to
select the most compatible dog: one that travels well; one that
loves to play with your friends' dogs; one with excellent house
manners that you can take to your parents' new home with the new
carpet and the new couch. You can come come home after a long
day's work and spend your time on a relaxing walk, ride or swim
with your new best friend (rather than cleaning up after a small
puppy.)
1) Bond--Rescue Dog Bond. Dogs who have been uprooted from
their happy homes or have not had the best start in life are more
likely to bond very completely and deeply with their new people.
Those who have lost their families through death, divorce or lifestyle
change go through a terrible mourning process. But, once attached
to a new loving family, they seem to want to please as much as
possible to make sure they are never homeless again. Those dogs
that are just learning about the good life and good people seem
to bond even deeper. They know what life on the streets, life
on the end of a chain, or worse is all about, and they revel and
blossom in a nurturing, loving environment. Most rescues make
exceptionally affectionate and attentive pets and extremely loyal
companions.
Unfortunately, many folks think dogs that end up in rescue are
all genetically and behaviorally inferior. But, it is not uncommon
for Rescue to get $500 dogs that have either outlived their usefulness
or their novelty with impulsive owners who considered their dog
a possession rather than a friend or member of the family; or
simply did not really consider the time, effort and expense needed
to be a dog owner. Not all breeders will accept "returns",
so choices for giving up dogs can be limited to animal welfare
organizations, such as Rescues, or the owners trying to place
their own dogs. Good Rescues will evaluate the dog before accepting
him/her (medically, behaviorally, and for breed confirmation),
rehabilitate if necessary, and adopt the animal only when he/she
is ready and to a home that matches and is realistic about the
commitment necessary to provide the dog with the best home possible.
Choosing a rescue dog over a purchased pup will not solve the
pet overpopulation problem (only responsible pet owners and breeders
can do that), but it does give many of them a chance they otherwise
would not have. But, beyond doing a "good deed", adopting
a rescue dog can be the best decision and addition to the family
you ever made.
Rescue a dog and get a devoted friend for life!
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Written
by Mary Clark at LABRADOR RETRIEVER RESCUE, INC. Permission has
been granted to freely reprint and distribute this document as
long as LRR, Inc at "http://www.lrr.org/"
is credited.
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