TIPS FOR ADOPTING A DOG

Your Dogs Health.

For your dog adoption to be successful, your dog needs to be in excellent health. This is an important beginning for the relationship you are going to start developing with him.

You can begin verifying the status of your dog’s health by requesting for your dog’s health certificate from your dog breeder. What does the health certificate cover?

The health certificate is one way of verifying that the dog you are interested in has been checked by a veterinary doctor. The information in the certificate should show the current status of the dog’s health. Hopefully, he or she should be free from illness and has received all the necessary vaccinations and any other routine maintenance like de-worming for his or her age.

Some dog breeders would even go the extra length of giving you a written guarantee about the dog’s current condition. Some of the conditions of the guarantee may include a refund of your money or an exchange for another dog. Guarantees like this are usually for a time period after the purchase.

Even with all this, you still need to visit your own veterinary doctor to confirm. This will confirm the authenticity of the health certificate and help you to start developing a relationship with the veterinary doctor.

Finding a good veterinary doctor should be a top priority for you, especially now that you are preparing to adopt a dog. If you don’t have one, you should begin your search. Visit as many Veterinary clinics and hospitals as you can. Most good veterinary doctors would not even object to you taking a tour of their facility and would willingly answer your questions.

Remember that any veterinary doctor you choose would be in your life and your dogs’ life for a very long time. It is important that you develop a good relationship with him. If in the beginning, the vet doctor keeps your interaction professional, it is a good sign. This is an indication of how he or she takes the work.

Another good indication point is how the veterinary doctor and his team of staff treat the pets in their care. How they treat the animals in their care is an indication of how your dog is going to be treated. If you notice something you don’t like when you are there, chances are it will be worse when you are not there.

Another important question to ask your veterinary doctor is what you should do during an emergency. If he provides such services, then you are good to go, but if he doesn’t, then he is likely to direct you to another practitioner who provides emergency services.

The veterinary doctor you choose should be able to direct you properly on how to take care of your dog’s health, routine checks you can be doing for your breed, and when the next stages of immunization should be done.

Just like you are able to build an initial rapport with your dog, watch how your dog behaves around the veterinary doctor. Most dogs are tense when they go to the clinic, but a good vet doctor is able to deal with their fears and treat them of their illness.

It is also important to bear in mind that a dog’s psychological well being is as important as his physical well-being. A good dog breeder will bear this in mind while taking care of the dog. Even at this, it is important to note (because of the individual nature of dogs) that some dogs will come with their own attitude.

That is why it is so important to meet your dog prior to adoption and see if you two click.

Some dogs still have behavioral problems even after being taken care of psychologically.

It’s up to you to decide if you can tolerate such behavior from your dog and if you will have time to control or fix it.

As you can see, a dog’s health both physically and psychologically can be a deciding factor on whether you will enjoy your adopted dog or not. The little time you put in confirming their status can make a whole world of difference both to you and your dog.

The Long-Term Implications of Adopting a Dog.

People are surprised to see the life expectancy of the dog breeds they want to Adopt. When you see some of the life expectancies, you will start to understand why adopting a dog shouldn’t be something done on a whim.

The dog you are going to adopt is going to be with you for a very long time (an average of ten years) This is one of the reasons why you shouldn’t be in a hurry to adopt one without proper planning. Adopting a dog is a long-term commitment. You are telling yourself that you are ready to give this dog a good life and that you are capable of committing yourself physically and emotionally to his or her life.

Commitment is something a lot of people run from. Not thinking it through and adopting a dog will still come with the same kind of problem. You have to commit to the day to day care of your dog, not just feeding him or her. You have to commit to socializing, exercising, training, and most importantly bonding with your dog.

There is also the health aspect when it comes to taking care of your dog. Scheduled visits to your veterinary doctor, emergencies, accidents, etc. Your dog can develop complications at any time and would need to be attended to.

It is always a wise decision to get a health insurance policy for your dog. People get surprised at some medical bills that can come with having a dog and having health insurance for your dog will go a long way in minimizing the expense that comes with their medical bills.

As you can see, a lot of commitment is involved in taking care of your dog. In all this commitment, you need to sacrifice your time to see that all things necessary for your dog’s upkeep in done.

So many people get sad when they realize that they are unable to put in the time and effort to take care of their dogs. Dogs are sensitive to these disparities. They know when time is spent with them willingly and lovingly and when it’s not. The problem of not spending time willingly with your dog is that it becomes stressful and a burden for you and the dog.

Unfortunately, spending quality time with your dog is the only way to bond with your dog. There is no short cut for this.

For those who travel a lot, you must not only make arrangements for taking care of your dog when you are not around. You must also work into your schedule when you are around to spend quality time with your dog.

Dogs are perspective creatures and would adapt to the environment they find themselves in, especially when it is done willingly and with love.

Dogs who lack the attention they need develop psychological problems and worse physical health problems. Dogs can feel isolated and not needed even when everything is being provided for them.

On the flip side, dogs that are cherished and loved are always in high spirits and happy. You will see their emotions clearly in the way they would interact with you and their environment. There is calm around them, which some would describe as a show of confidence even when they are around strangers. So always make sure there is that human touch to your interactions with them.

The summary of all this is that you need to think beyond today and tomorrow when adopting your dog. If there are doubts in your mind that you might not be interested in the coming years, you may need to re-evaluate your decision of adopting a dog. What’s worse than a dog living badly in a household is giving the dog up to another household because you couldn’t take care of him. It doesn’t take much for a dog to love his or her owner.

When you take all the points raised here into consideration, you will be in a better position to decide on the type of dog you want and how exactly you want to live with him or her. The truth is that in the long run, having our adorable canine counterpart in our lives will bring in both amazing and rewarding experiences.

Bringing Your Dog Home.

Now, you know everything you need to know before adopting a new dog and you have made your choice and adopted your dog successfully. The next step is to bring him or her home.

By now, you are excited at the prospect of having a new pet at home. However, it’s not surprising to have some anxiety and even some apprehension at acquiring a new dog. Especially if it is your first time.

Some doubts may start to creep in. You start asking yourself questions like is my family really ready for this? Am I really ready for this?

These feelings are normal, but to further calm your mind on this issue. You have already done your due diligence and followed all the steps outlined in this article. There is not much that can be done, even for professional dog trainers. At this stage, everything that might be a problem is already dealt with.

The only thing that can be done at this stage is to look forward to the homecoming for your dog.

To calm yourself, just do a quick check on the things you are supposed to get ready before your pet comes home. Is your home pet-safe now? Are his supplies ready? Have you decided on a spot for him?

If you are the sole owner, bringing the dog home at a time where you will be able to give him or her full attention is necessary. A weekend usually works best for this. You will have time to help the dog get used to you and the house before your busy days start.

Bringing your dog home to a calm and quiet environment is usually a good thing. It will help the dog to feel relaxed and comfortable in the new environment.

If you are bringing him home to your family. It would still be a good idea not to introduce him or her to everybody at once. Let the dog relax into the environment, then you can start bringing the family members around. Remember, the whole idea is not to agitate the dog.

The dog should be moved straight to the preferred spot for him or her, with the feeding and eating bowls already prepared and some dog toys around the place. When he or she starts to understand that this spot belongs to him. He will start to feel more relaxed and at ease in your home.

If you have kids do not forget to constantly remind them of how to behave around the new dog. Normally during the first few days, it is not advisable to leave your children alone with the dog.

They will be allowed to see the dog only under supervision until the dog gets used to them.

At the end of it all, what you want is a smooth transition into your home life for your dog.

Whether the process takes a few weeks or some months to adopt your dog. You having prepared properly for him or her will make the experience worthwhile for both you and the dog.

In Conclusion.

Now you have finally adopted a new dog, all that is left now is to start enjoying his or her company. This is actually the easy part, but here are a few tips to point you in the right direction.

The first few days of ownership are important both to you and your dog. Even though there will be a lot of miscommunication, the way, and manner you try to communicate with him during this period is very important.

Always use a calm tone and make your dog understand that he or she is welcome in your home.

This is the beginning of the strong bond which you will build with your dog. Your dog will understand that he or she is appreciated and welcome and will love you for the opportunity to be what all dogs desire. A worthy companion.

Apart from his daily feeding and health upkeep, make sure you create a daily routine for your dog. Do it constantly till your dog comes to expect these things every day. You see, dogs are creatures of habit and don’t like lots of surprises in their life.

Setting a daily routine will help him or her to understand what to expect and at what time of the day. From eating to exercising to sleeping and even waiting. They want to know what to do and at what time.

You setting up these daily routines tells your dog what is expected of him or her daily. In a way, you make his or her life easier by establishing these routines.

Lastly and most importantly, everything you do must be done with love. Dogs are attuned to this kind of vibe. Even when you make mistakes, the dog instinctively understands that you mean no harm and will readily work with you till you guys get into a rhythm.

Once you achieve this, there is no limit to what you and your dog can do. You would understand each other perfectly which is the ultimate goal for both man and dog.