Dog Adoption- Care and Concern

By dnp-team On Mar 13, 2012

Dog adoption:- care and concern

“Money will buy you a pretty good dog, but it won’t buy the wag of his tail.” We all would definitely agree with this thought of Henry Wheeler Shaw. In a true sense, we never buy a dog; we bring a new loving companion into the family. So, if you are planning to get one…just give stray adoption a thought or bring home an abandoned dog and sprinkle happiness in their lives…and yours too.

We all are aware of our community dogs’ stories of loyalty and dedication for ages. They are part of our lives since childhood. Community dogs have been mutely guarding us against dangers for ages, expecting little care and concern in return. Chilly winter nights, long rainy spells or scorching sun…they are always on alert…guarding us 24×7.

The great Indian dog…our pariahs

Community dogs, also known as ‘Pariah dogs’ are mixed breeds and not pedigreed. The term refers to any population of street dogs who live near human settlements. Street dogs consist of stray or abandoned pets, litter born of a stray, or from unwanted litters dumped by some irresponsible dog owners.

Adopting… a friend for life

If you are planning to bring home a dog, it would be good idea to check out a few dog shelters as well. The innocent eyes, longing looks and need for belongingness…the dogs at the shelter can make the most hardhearted persons go weak in the knees. And we bet, if you are a true dog lover, you won’t leave the shelter without losing your heart to at least one of the inmates. The dogs at the shelters are either pariahs or abandoned and are craving for loving family like yours and you can expect oceans of unconditional love and loyalty for them.

Caring…pariah

Regardless of breed, dogs are always loyal, loving and caring…and if we are a compassionate animal lover, then their pedigree, breed and looks will not make a big difference. Besides, there are quite a few good reasons to adopt pariahs…be ensured. People have a lot of myths about them, which are totally baseless. Here are a few of them :

Community dogs have germs and can pass to humans : Hygiene needs to be practiced, be it a stray or pedigree.
Vaccination dilemma : Before putting a dog for an adoption, animal shelter ensures that she is properly vaccinated and sterilized. Even though, as a responsible pet parent, we should take the community responsibility of getting strays vaccinated and spayed.
Community dogs are more prone to falling ill : The immune systems of pariahs are strong. That is not to say that your dog won’t fall ill, but she will for sure fight diseases more successfully.
Abandoned pets will not adjust : The abandoned dogs put up for adoption by animal shelters are already housebroken and comfortable with people. Give good amount of love and care to make them feel comfortable and in no time they will adjust to you and your family.

By adopting a stray and homeless dog, you are not just doing an act of compassion, but also bringing home a friend for life, who will bless us with her ‘dogged’ devotion, loyalty, and companionship forever. Let’s all make a better place for our canines and spread the message ‘Each One Keep One.’

– by Chhandita Chakravarty

http://www.dogsandpups.net/puppy-special/720-adopting-a-child-careconcern-and-canine

Tips for dog adoption:

For many households, bringing home a puppy is an impulse thing. Let’s get a puppy, which breed, the discussion starts and finally the hunt begins and ends in no time. But there is much more to it…

Match the puppy with your lifestyle: Each breed is different, not just in size, colour, coat etc, but in their unique traits which enable them to do a particular type of work. You have to see if those traits match your personality and lifestyle. A mismatch is always uncomfortable, more so for the dog. So don’t just go by the looks of the dog, choose the right breed keeping in mind his requirements and yours.
Choose a responsible breeder: If you are going for a pedigree puppy, choose a reputed breeder who has time to talk to you regarding the breed, his needs, the parents and of course the puppy and his care. A responsible breeder will and should also be interested in the person buying the puppy and how he or she plans to keep him and if it will be a good match. The breeder should not just be interested in selling the pup.
Do not just pick up the puppy on impulse: Most people see a litter of adorable pups and choose the one who looks sweet, without even realizing if that puppy is suitable for them or not. In fact, you can determine the personality of a puppy by seeing how he behaves in the litter. For example, an over-confident pup may be a handful for some to handle.
Get him home at the right age: Age does play a vital role in the pup’s/dog’s personality to be developed in the coming months and year. I have been noticing that when pups are taken away at about six or less weeks of age they mostly tend to have some behavioural problems. The right age to get a puppy is at least eight weeks. The reason for this is that the mother and the siblings teach the pup a lot during this time and it is very important for them to be together.
Weaned off: Pick up a pup only when he is weaned off mother’s milk.
Be ready to pay the right price: Another important observation is that generally breeders tend to try and sell their pups as soon as possible. This is because as the pups grow, they need a lot of care and the cost of feeding them can go up quite a bit, especially in giant breeds. At times, this is also heightened by the prospective puppy owners as they want a cheap puppy, so if you cut out the rearing part of the puppy which should be done by the breeder, you can get a cheaper puppy as the cost is then transferred to the new owner. But that is not right. Quality does come for a price and prospective owners should be ready to pay for it as the puppy they buy will generally live for the next 10 plus years with them and hence they should get a mentally sound, pure bred and genetically healthy puppy rather than an unhealthy one who may have problems later on in life, whether medical or behavioural.

http://www.dogsandpups.net/puppy-special/390-6-tips-to-bring-home-the-pawfect-bundle-of-joy

Adopting an adult dog

Adult dogs are available for adoption in many sizes, breeds and temperaments, and not every breed is right for every lifestyle. Think about your lifestyle, family size, the size and location of your home, and the time you are willing to spend with the dog. Accordingly, bring home happiness in the form of your four-legged buddy.

http://www.dogsandpups.net/advertorials/1134-adopting-an-adult-dog