You’ve watched a bazillion YT videos about happy dog-owning people. You find yourself being urged by your dog-owning friends to take the plunge and get a dog. But before you do, answer Yes/No to these eight questions. If you have more yes’s, you’re ready. If you have more no’s, DON’T Adopt! Question #1: Are you ready for a baby? Are you ready for a child? A puppy is a 4-legged baby; a dog, a 4-legged child. If you are not ready mentally, emotionally, physically for a baby or a child, then please do NOT adopt...
Not everyone who dearly wants a dog is a child or “young” adult. Our parents/grandparents also crave the companionship and love of a dog. If you’re a senior, or know someone who is, here’s my list of considerations seniors should think about before looking for the right dog to adopt. Vision/mobility Disability (if any) Strength/Fitness Home Income Plan for the inevitable Let’s take them one at a time. Vision/Mobility The last thing seniors need is to trip, or lose their balance and fall, because they can’t clearly see the dog. Toy/small dogs are usually the...
Is there ever a time when you, in all good conscience and sleepless nights, know that giving up your dog is the best thing you can do for your dog and yourself? The short answer is yes. I did. Her name was Lexus. She went to a better home. But my decision still haunts me to this day. This is Lexus’ story. Beautiful Lexus Lexus was a female Doberman Pinscher. I adopted her as a puppy shortly after my 93-year-old mother, who had been living with me, passed away. I already had two Boston Terriers,...
There are hundreds of social media videos and articles about the German Shepherd Dog (GSD), what great dogs they are, how they’re good with children, how protective they are, their work in the military and police forces. But how many of these videos and articles address the characteristics and traits that are found in successful German Shepherd owners? German Shepherds are the 4th most surrendered dog to shelters across the country. And why do you think that is? My point of view — people getting in over their heads and not realizing how much work...
This is the second of a two-part series about adopting a shelter dog. In Part 1, I took you through what to expect when you arrive at the shelter. In Part 2, I take you through what to expect when you bring your shelter dog home. Whether you’re an experienced dog owner who has decided to get another dog to replace a long-departed best friend, add a second dog to your home, or are a new dog owner who needs some coaching, here are some tips I hope you find helpful. On the Way Home...
This is the first in a two-part series about adopting a shelter dog – knowing what you’re getting into and can expect. In this post, I’ll take you through what to expect at the shelter, and in Part 2, if you find the right dog, what you can expect when you get it home and how to prepare. What Kinds of Dogs are at the Shelter? There are literally all kinds of dogs at shelters, and by shelters, I’m referring to the city or county public shelters usually know as Animal Care & Control (ACC)....
If you think that only first-time dogs owners make all the mistakes, rest assured that is not the case. I saw this post recently on one of my social media feeds. In short, the owner of two Bernese Mountain Dogs, aged three years and one year, wants to rehome younger of the two. Why? Because the older dog, who is recovering from double elbow surgery, and going to physical therapy can’t handle the puppy exuberance the of one-year-old. But, wait! There’s more! After the initial rehoming post, the owner has now paused the request, because...
I’ve owned, loved and cared for dogs for over 30 years, and I want to help you form and have the same special relationship with your pup that I’ve had with all of mine. And that includes dealing with the problems that occasionally crop up that leave you wondering “am I the only one with this problem” – no you are not. Let’s talk. But first, know this. If you surrender your dog to a shelter that’s run by your city or county, know that this kind of shelter is a kill shelter, because that’s...
Should You Adopt a Rescue / Shelter Dog? At the time of this writing, now that we’re just a couple of days away from Christmas and then the New Year’s holiday, some of you may be making the final decision as to whether to adopt a puppy or a dog, whether to yourself or family. And should you get a rescue, shelter dog? Well, I’ll answer that question with a question – are you prepared mentally, emotionally, financially, and physically to care for dog. I have an 8-part YouTube series, To Puppy or Not to...
No One Came What do these dogs have in common? They were all dumped by their owners at a shelter. They were all euthanized. From Left to Right: Honey, 14 yrs old. Yes, you read that right, dumped at 14 years old. Why? Because a child acted out at a family gathering and the dog nipped, probably out of fear. Knotty, 2 yrs old. Dumped because he’s fearful. Rip Roy, 1 yr old. He was heartworm positive, and too much trouble. Milo, 2 yrs old. The owner never bothered to train him and he was...
Adoption is forever – If you’re not prepared, don’t do it This short video, that a friend of mine shared on Facebook, has haunted me and struck a nerve. The video is about 4 minutes, but is very powerful, and has over 39 million views. The ending is unexpected and the film says more about adoption in three minutes than some films, speeches and websites can say in paragraphs and pages. If you know someone who is seriously considering adopting a pet, please share this video. So many people who want to adopt pups, start out with...
Passing along a blog /vlog that is worthy of your time Being a long-time dog owner, I am always a sucker for the websites that have anything to do with all things dog, or animals in general (except reptiles — can’t get into those). I’ve been a long-time follower of this site, The Orphan Pet, which began as a blog in my inbox one day, and then later developed into a YouTube channel, Patreon, and a Facebook page as well. The Orphan Pet is a labor of love by Valia, the owner of the channel, the photographer, videographer and most importantly,...
Rufo, the shelter dog, waits six years for his perfect person This is a brief story and video that will warm your heart and feed your soul. I found this originally on Lifewithdogs.tv, which, by the way, is a great site for both informative videos and et cetera if you love dogs. We’ve all read the “Lassie, Come Home” type of stories and seen the woman rescues a dog, man loves dog videos, and this one is in the latter category. But, this one IS different. A municipal shelter homes a dog, Rufo, for six years and...
