When one decides they want to get a puppy or even an adult dog, there are several decisions to make. One of the first ones is should I buy a dog or adopts one? My opinion is one should always adopt a dog. Whatever your decision is a puppy or adult dog there is always one waiting for a good home. We recently adopted an eight-week-old Australian Shepard/ Border Collie/ Black Lab mix. He is the best dog in the world strictly from a non-bias view.
Some dogs move in and out of several homes before finding the right one. Unfortunately, a large number of dogs never find a person willing to make a lifetime commitment. These poor dogs usually end up euthanasized if they are not in a no-kill shelter.
Dogs are put up for many reasons. Puppies usually end up for adoption because the dog was pregnant when brought to the shelter or a dog owner was irresponsible and ended up with unwanted puppies. This should never happen with responsible pet owners because they have their dog spayed or neutered. In addition, a dog could be in a shelter because their owner died or became too ill to care for them. In addition, man dogs end up in shelters under court order due to neglect or abuse.
Dogs in shelters come in many sizes, ages, and breeds. Giving a second chance to a homeless dog can be a fulfilling experience. Some adoptions do not work out well but the majority does. This results in a lifelong companion for the whole family.
Another reason for adopting a dog is purebred dogs from breeder’s costs hundreds of dollars if not thousands. Adoptions from shelters can range from 50 to 100 dollars. Keep in mind there are many disreputable breeders as there are reputable ones where you will pay a high price for a less than purebred dog. When you purchase a purebred dog you are paying for certain standards of that breed such as size, weight, type of coat, color etc.
Many people go to shelters to adopt their dog because they want an adult dog and not a puppy. Having a puppy is really a lot of work. You have to housebreak, supervise, and train a puppy. When adopting an adult dog most training has usually been done. A downside of adopting an adult dog can be that they were not trained. They may have undesirable habits that were not addressed when they were a puppy. It is not impossible to train an adult dog it is just harder.
Purebreds aside many random mixing of breeds have produced many great dogs. Mixed breeds can be the spice of life in the dog world. A large number of dogs adopted from shelters are mixed breeds. How does mixed breeding occur? Well usually, someone’s roaming Labrador followed his nose to the home of a female Border collie in heat. The result would be “Labrollies.” A few of the puppies might be given to friends the rest end up in shelters.
Why are there so many mixed breeds in shelters? Here is my opinion. Most mixed breeds are due to irresponsible dog owners. A good dog owner does not let his or her male dog who has not been neutered to roam the streets or allow an in heat non-spayed female dog be outside unsupervised. This will lead to puppy dumping at the local shelter. Breeding accidents do happen but not often.
For more on dog adoptions contact:
Pet Adoption Network
www.petfinder.com
Homeless Animals Rescue Team
www.hart90.com
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