Bringing a Dog or Cat Into Your Family?
Fantastic!
How will you select your new pet and where will you find it? How do you choose the RIGHT pet? Puppy? Senior? Longhair? Shorthair? Hound? Bully breed? Active? Docile? Lap Dog? Running mate?
Lots to consider before bringing your new four legged family member home.
How you choose and where you get it COULD make the difference between life and death for your pet! Before you embark on your journey to find your four legged family remember, realize that just like people, each dog or cat is an individual with unique traits and needs. Recognizing this will help you start your search.
There is certainly no shortage from which to choose!
More than looks!
Many pet seeking individuals don’t spend enough time recognizing that their selection could be a decision that could affect whether the pet becomes a forever member of the family, or possibly is being set up for failure to end up bounced around from home to home or even surrendered to a kill shelter. In short, their fate is in YOUR hands and it often starts with your simple selection.
First question is do you have time for a pet and what is your motivation? Can you provide it with the love and care emotionally and financially? Does everyone in the family sign on to bringing a pet into the home?
If for some reason you could no longer take care of the pet, what provisions will you make to ensure its safety?
Once these questions are answered how do you choose your pet? Like so many things we choose, we often are predominantly influenced by the way a pet looks … large or small, white or black, spotted or solid or maybe brindle. Long snout or squishy face? Do you prefer a pure bred or mixed breed and why? Short hair or long hair? While looks and outward attributes may influence your decision, taking the time to educate yourself about the individual dog you are considering is vital to ensure the RIGHT match for both of you.
Another consideration is the age. Puppies and kittens are cute as can be! But are you willing to deal with the chewing, bathroom training needs, etc? Are you ok with a lifetime commitment for the likely life span of the pet? On the other hand, seniors are less active and more settled and you can assess their established temperament, but may have more medical needs.
Where will you get your new pet? With the major overpopulation of available pets of all ages, mixed breeds, and purebreds in rescue situations, we hope adopting/rescuing will be your first choice! Sometimes people want a puppy and have a specific breed in mind. If that’s your situation and you want to purchase one outside of the rescue network, WHERE and HOW you purchase your pup should be carefully researched. Online sales or pet stores that sell pets are known to sell puppy mill dogs (see our section on puppy mills for more details), so finding a reputable breeder should be carefully researched.
Taking the time to find the pet that best suits our lifestyle and needs goes a long way to determining whether many of these pets will in fact one day become part of the shelter & rescue system.
It matters. Learn more to make smart choices.
ASPCA Meet Your Match Program
You could be gazing at the animal of your dreams, but you just can’t tell what she’s thinking behind that furry face. What if you knew a little something about her personality and habits before you moved in together? The ASPCA’s Meet Your Match Program wouldn’t let you go home without knowing who’s in that carrier or on that leash. MYM is the only method in existence today that evaluates an animal’s behavior and interests and matches them to an adopter’s preferences so that you take home a pet you can really click with.
Are You Ready? Is It the Right Time?
Check out important considerations before bringing a dog into your home. Start with the Pros and Cons. Here are the first two of each provided by the Association of Professional Dog Trainers! Click on the link for the full list and other great info to help you choose, train, and understand your pet! PRO: Companionship – Dogs are social animals that thrive on companionship with their family. If you have the time to invest in a dog, the rewards are enormous. On the other hand, if your lifestyle means that most days your dog will be left alone for long periods of time, a dog may not be the best pet choice. CON: Impulse – Avoid the “doggie in the window” syndrome. Set yourself up for success by careful planning. Getting a dog is a life-changing decision which shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Free Resources, Workshops and More.
Your Dog’s Friend offers a wealth of information from selecting the right do to online articles, or free workshops in MD or paid training classes with the goal of educating dog owners to keep them happy and out of shelters! If adopting a rescue is not your choice for some reason, learn about the difference between one from a puppy mills vs. a responsible breede