Posts tagged "dog adoption"

By Dr. Marty Becker, via Vetstreet

Q. My daughter wants a puppy, but we've looked at the shelter a couple times and most of the dogs are full-grown. I don't want to deal with someone else's problem dog. I want to raise mine right. Is it time to buy a puppy?

A. If you're committed to the idea of a puppy, think carefully about where you buy him. I don't recommend buying from websites and pets stores, because those puppies often come from substandard breeders known as "puppy mills." Getting a puppy from a reputable breeder, however, who provides certification of genetic testing and raises litters inside the home with proper socialization is an option worth considering.

SEE ALSO: 8 Best Super Bowl Ads Featuring Animals

But honestly, I'd rather you wait for a shelter pup--or better still, I'd like you to realize how unfair you're being about an adult dog. The idea that an adult dog is somehow "damaged goods" as an adoption prospect is strangely pervasive, especially among people for whom an older dog would be perfect: novices with neither the time nor the experience to raise a puppy properly.

Last year, I adopted my beloved Gracie, a Labrador–Pit Bull mix no one else wanted. She's an absolutely wonderful dog, and I'm nuts about her!

Healthy older dogs have years of loving left, and they deserve a chance. An older dog can slide easily into your life and will bond with your family just as surely as the dog you take home as a puppy. Mature dogs of five years and older are also good candidates for adoption because you avoid the extended adolescence common in many breeds. And older dogs are everywhere, available from private homes, rescue groups and shelters. If you're interested in a purebred and are willing to take an adult dog, a rescue group specializing in your breed can be the deal of the century - these volunteer organizations may offer older dogs for lower adoption fees because they're harder to place.

SEE ALSO: Pet Adoption – What You Can Expect

An older dog can be a marvelous find, but you still have to be selective. While expecting to work on some things as your new dog gets used to you is reasonable, you do want to avoid those animals who have too many problems, especially if one of them is aggression. I highly recommend that you find a shelter or rescue group that evaluates their dogs and provides them with basic training. I also recommend signing up your new dog for a training class to help work through the rough patches.

Fostering dogs is a wonderful way for animal lovers to enjoy a furry companion even if they can't provide long-term, permanent pet care. Of course, anyone with a heart will become attached to a pooch even during a temporary stay, so it can be hard to say goodbye when the time comes.

When a Redditor adopted a puppy recently, they brought it home to find this incredibly sweet note hidden among its papers, obviously written by the child of the puppy's foster family. While the little boy or girl who wrote the note must be sad to have given up Garrison, we hope they understand the immeasurable good they did in helping the puppy find a loving home.

Now who's cutting those onions?

Today is the fifth annual National Mutt Day, which celebrates and encourages the adoption of shelter dogs and provides donations to local shelters. This year's goal is to save 10,000 mutts from euthanasia or a lifetime in a shelter. National Mutt Day founder and animal behaviorist Colleen Paige spoke to Paw Nation about why she created the day and ways you can help.

Paige has long invested her time in educating the public about the reality of strays, puppy mills and shelter dogs, and the idea of establishing National Mutt Day came out of her desire to do something on a grand scale. "National Mutt Day has helped save over 50,000 dogs since its inception," Paige explains.

The first goal of the event is to find forever homes for shelter dogs, but that's not your only way to participate. "People forget that if they aren't adopting, they can still help local shelters," Paige says. She suggests donating blankets, food, crates or your time as a volunteer. Of course, simple cash donations are always helpful, and Paige recommends asking your neighborhood shelters for their wish lists.

National Mutt Day is closely aligned with other humane causes -- like the importance of spaying and neutering pets, choosing responsible breeders rather than pet shops or puppy mills, and other issues.

To participate, please contact your local shelter directly. More information is available on National Mutt Day's official site.

Read about another worthy cause at Good News Now.

October is Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog month, and who better to promote the plight of homeless dogs than Martha, the chatty canine star of the bestselling "Martha Speaks" children's books and PBS KIDS television series.

Martha was once a stray in real life. "She was a kind of scrawny white dog with spots and ears that my neighbor found," Susan Meddaugh, Martha's owner and author of the "Martha Speaks" books, tells Paw Nation. Meddaugh adopted the dog and named her Martha.

One day, Meddaugh's then 7-year-old son Niko (who is now an adult) asked a question while eating alphabet soup with Martha by his side. "He said, 'Mom, if Martha ate alphabet soup, would she speak?'" Meddaugh recalls in a PBS video. It was an "a-ha!" moment that led to the "Martha Speaks" books.

Since becoming a beloved children's book character, Martha has been putting her gift of gab to good use. The conversational canine has been teaching kids new words through her animated PBS television series and educating children about shelter dogs.

"Just about everyone who works on 'Martha Speaks' has a cat or dog they love, so we are very conscious of the importance of supporting animal rescue and responsible care initiatives," the show's executive producer, Carol Greenwald, tells Paw Nation. "And of course, Martha herself is a rescue dog, so she is always reminding us of the importance of supporting our local animal shelters."

Name: Black Russian Terrier

Personality: A big-boned terrier with a fascinating history that's only starting to gain attention stateside, the black Russian terrier is a bundle of desirable qualities. The Black Russian Terrier Club of America lists calmness, confidence, courageousness, high intelligence and extreme reliabilit, as common traits -- all cloaked in what sometimes appears to be an aloof demeanor. But that's just the dog's self-assured exterior, says the BRTCA. In fact, aloofness really isn't in their make-up at all: "They want to be close to family members at all times and are very loyal companions."

Grooming: DogTime.com claims that black Russian terriers don't shed much. The recommended grooming regimen includes a weekly brushing of their double coats using three tools in tandem: an undercoat rake, a stripping comb and a slicker brush. This breed also boasts distinct facial hair, including a "beard," a "mustache" and old-man bushy eyebrows, but DogTime.com claims that these needn't be specially trimmed. Some owners take their black Russian terriers for yearly clippings to reduce the size of their long, somewhat bushy coats.

Common Health Issues: Besides the more common canine ailments (dysplasia and progressive retinal atrophy), black Russian terriers are not known to suffer from any illnesses or disorders unusually common to the breed.

Rounding up our favorite animal stories, photos, and videos on the web each week!

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  Dogs of War

  People Pets interviews the creators of the new television series "No Dogs Left Behind," which documents the journey of rescued dogs from Iraq. [via People Pets]

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  You're Back!

  As a response to Veteran's day, Mental Floss compiled a healthy list of videos depicting dogs reuniting with their soldier masters. [via Mental Floss]

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  Unprotected Koalas

  Australia's Koala population is in danger and could be gone within thirty years. The culprit? A sexually transmitted disease. [via Telegraph.co.uk]

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  I Haz Diploma

  Apparently many cats are quite educated and have diplomas. BuzzFeed has a list of cat professors who teach actual classes you can audit. [via BuzzFeed]

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  Shh!

  Chig Trib has discovered that if your little yipper yips a little too much, all you need is a scalpel. [via Chicago Tribune]

In honor of National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, we've asked our bloggers to share their stories of adopting shelter dogs and cats.

For several years after moving to New York City I wanted a dog so badly that I would stop strangers on the street to ooh and ahh over their pups like a woman cooing at a baby in a stroller.

"You can't get a dog!" well-meaning friends scolded. "You're never home!" I was single and had a full-time job. As much as I wanted a dog, I had never taken care of one on my own, despite having grown up with dogs as family pets.

Then one day, I was getting a Reiki treatment when the therapist asked if I had a pet. I said no. "That's funny," she said, waving her hands over my body. "I keep seeing a small dog around you."

It was a sign. Encouraged, I came up with a plan. I would walk my dog before work and hire a dog walker to take my dog out during the day. I would get a small dog that I could take with me around the city and on flights to California to visit my family.

I began visiting local animal shelters and contacting rescue groups. Soon, I discovered a distinctly New York City phenomenon: small dogs were scarce and the competition to adopt them fierce. I would submit an application to adopt a small dog, only to have the pooch go to another home. After the third rejection, I decided to open up my search nationwide. Obsessively, I began checking Petfinder.com.

How does anyone find a dog? Impulse? Research? Trial and error? Blind luck? Fate?

My fiancée Anna and I are looking to adopt a dog. We currently share a postage stamp-sized one-bedroom walk-up in the NYC border town of Hoboken, New Jersey with Nora, a cuddly, who-you-callin'-obese, 10-year-old tuxedo cat. (She and I have the same birthday, May 29.)

Over the next few months, we will navigate some serious life changes and first time experiences, starting with our wedding. Then we plan to add to the drama by expanding our little family to include a dog or a puppy, which may well necessitate expanding our domicile.

From a canine perspective, we come from opposite backgrounds. Anna always had dogs growing up -- a Springer Spaniel, a Westie, a mutt and an English Bulldog -- while I never had house pets (my mom said she was allergic). Both of us feel ready and capable of caring for a dog, but what will be the best breed for us, and how will we find him or her?

By visiting shelters and breeders and speaking with friends and experts, we offer ourselves up as guinea pigs in this process, deconstructing and reporting the ups and downs of our quest for man's best friend. Every week I'll report back with stories about our search.

This week, the basics: Anna wants a smart, well-behaved pup who's good around kids, while I'm hoping for a friendly, small bugger who is not hyperactive or prone to barking.

Then again, who knows? We may just meet a puppy personality that's extraordinary enough to make us toss our preconceived ideas into the trash.

In any case, we'd love your input. How did you go about finding your dog, and was it a successful match?

England's ugly duckling has found a place to call home.

Last week we reported on E.T., a rare Mexican Hairless dog, who was living in a shelter in Essex and having a hard time finding a home. He received a slew of media attention for being one of only 27 Mexican Hairless dogs in all of England. Well, we are happy to announce that E.T. has been adopted!

A spokesperson for Hillside Kennels told Paw Nation that E.T. will be joining his new family on Thursday. Although many of you had suggested in your comments that he be shipped to the U.S. for adoption, his new owners are local so E.T. won't have to travel too far to find his home. Here's hoping his new fam thinks he's as special as all of you did!

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