If you’ve always wanted a dog or a puppy, there’s a much better solution available to you than going to a breeder – adopting a dog from a shelter! Not only will you save a considerable amount of money, but you’ll be able to save a beautiful animal from a sad, lonely life, or worse – being destroyed. There are a few things to consider before you decide to adopt a pet, though. Choosing the right dog for your family and lifestyle is important, as the wrong choice of dog is often what landed the poor dogs in the shelter in the first place. In this blog, we look at a few things you should keep in mind to better inform your decision.
The adoption processes
Rather than just being able to waltz in and select a dog to take home, there are processes in place by organisations such as the RSPCA to ensure that families are paired with the right dog. For this reason, it’s important to carefully consider what type of dog you are after and the type of dog best suited to your family before you go to the shelter – it’s even a more time-consuming process than trawling through pet insurance reviews in Australia!
After you’ve found a dog you think you might like to take home, an adoption assistant will be able to discuss the specific needs of your chosen dog and its background. Part of this process will involve the family demonstrating the environment they wish for their dog to live in, as well as any other information related to other people the dog will come into regular contact with. All of this is important to ensure that the dog will find a permanent home with you and your family. After this, it’s just a case of filling an adoption form out and waiting over an additional 24-hour cooling off period.
What you should be keeping in mind
When bringing a dog or puppy home, it’s important to ensure that your new pet is given the time and opportunity to feel safe and comfortable in a brand-new environment, particularly if they previously came from a neglectful home. This may also involve a re-education process to ensure its properly accustomed to both the family and new surroundings, in addition to the provision of any feeding, health, training and exercise needs. While all dogs demand love, there are some breeds of dog that will require owners invest more than love into their new pet.
Some dogs have physical deformities that are the result of inbreeding (a process that occurs typically with purebred dogs). The exaggerated physical features that develop as a result of this create breathing, walking or birthing issues, alongside chronic and painful ear, skin and eye problems. With this in mind, when choosing your pet, it’s very important to know and understand the specific requirements and potential health issues that affect certain breeds.
Finding the perfect dog to adopt
It’s important to remember that when you decide to bring a new furry friend into your home by adopting a dog or puppy that you take your time to think about the right type of dog for you. This will mean you’ll need to think carefully about the kind of dog suited to the space at home, the physical needs of a dog and the people that will commonly come into contact with the dog. If you’re still curious about the process, going into a shelter and asking lots of questions is a great next step.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
