5 Reasons to Find Your New Pet at a Local Rescue Organization

If you’re looking for a pet, the best place to go is your local rescue organization. Shelters have to find home for a large number of pets, and they can help you find the perfect companion for you. Which dog is right for you will be different, depending on your family and living arrangements. Fortunately, there are other great reasons to go to a shelter instead of contacting a breeder, which you’ll learn about here.

Save a Life

It’s not really a pleasant thought, but have you ever considered what happens to unwanted cats and dogs in your area? When pet owners get tired of caring for their animals or have to give them up for other reasons, they get a second chance at your local shelter to find a permanent home. Unfortunately, some of them don’t – for different reasons. As a result, some of them have to be euthanized, especially when the shelters are full. There are many no-kill shelters in your area, and their staff works diligently to find new homes for all their pets. By contacting the rescue organization first, you can save the life of a pet, for which they will be forever grateful.

Choose from Different Breeds

Many people prefer certain breeds over others. They may go to great lengths to get a certain type of dog for different reasons. It could be sentimental. Maybe their childhood dog was a Labrador Retriever, and they want to have a dog just like they had when they were little. It’s also possible that they did their research and determined that a certain breed would work best for their family.

Your local shelter has many different dogs to choose from, including a large variety of breeds. You can find purebreds, but you can also find a lot of mutts. In fact, there may be some good reasons to choose a mixed breed, because they’re often healthier than highly bred dogs. Even if the dog of your dreams isn’t currently available, your rescue organization can keep an eye out for the kind of animal you’re looking for.

Pay Less

When you purchase a puppy from a breeder, you can spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars – depending on the dog’s pedigree. Shelter dogs are not nearly as expensive. Generally, you have to pay an adoption fee, which covers the cost of spaying and neutering. Additionally, you have an idea of what you’re getting. Shelters won’t hide information from you, because they want to ensure the dog goes to a permanent home. On the other hand, some breeders may not be as honest, or the dog’s flaws may simply not be apparent when they’re a puppy.

Medical Care

Pet shelters are well-run organizations. They perform health checkups on all their animals, and they ensure the dogs are up to date on their vaccinations. If the pet needs extensive medical care, the organization will often make sure these procedures are performed before they offer the animal up for adoption. Shelters also work together with a local veterinarian, and you can continue seeing the same doctor and receive continuance of care. 

Less Work

Getting a puppy can be a lot of fun for your family, but it’s also a lot of work. Having a young dog is not unlike having a baby or toddler in your home. Puppies get into everything, chew on valuables, and can generally be rather destructive. It takes a lot of time, dedication, and work to train your puppy properly. It starts off with training the dog to do their business outside all the way to teaching them to stay in their kennel or sit on command.

When you adopt a grown dog, it’s quite possible that they were already trained by their previous owner. The shelter organization can give you more information on what the dog has learned how to do. You can also take some time to get to know the dog before you adopt them by spending time with them outside and going for a walk with them.

There are lots of great reasons to adopt a dog from your local shelter instead of finding a breeder. These dogs are all looking for a loving forever home where they can feel safe. Rescued dogs can show a devotion to their owners that isn’t often found elsewhere. If you’re ready for a new pet, get in touch with us, and we’ll help you find the dog that’s right for you and your family.

Why Dogs End Up at a Shelter

Many people are reluctant to adopt a dog from a shelter, because they think there's something wrong with the pet. However, there are many reasons why dogs become homeless that have nothing to do with the animal itself. For example, their owners may have moved, died, lost their job, got divorced, or not had the time or ability to properly care for their pet. Many people also end up with unplanned litters and simply cannot take care of all these pets.

Major Life Changes

Everyone goes through several major life changes. Some of them may necessitate letting go of a pet. For example, if a dog owner gets married to someone who is allergic to dogs, it could mean having to get rid of the pet. That’s not an easy decision to make, but there’s often nothing else that can be done.

A move or change in financial situation can also lead a pet owner to find a new home for their dog. For example, many families were deeply affected by the financial crisis in 2010. As a result, many had to downsize their homes. If you’re moving from a big home with a yard to a small apartment where big dogs are not allowed, you would be forced to give up your pet.

Of course, economic reasons could force someone to give up a pet even if they don’t have to move. If they’re unable to pay for medical care for their pet or purchase pet food due to a layoff or downsizing, the humane thing would be to find a new home for your dog. Financial hardship can happen to anyone outside of an economic crisis, as there are many reasons that could lead up to that, including divorce, medical bills, or a job loss.

Limited Time

People have pets because they want to spend time with them. A dog is a great companion, but you must have time to feed them, pet them, and take them for a walk. It’s quite possible for someone to have new time restrictions that don’t allow them to take care of their pet any longer. Maybe they’ve had an addition to their human family, such as a new baby or caring for an aging parent. They could have been promoted at work and are now required to put in more hours. Some people also have to get a second job to make ends meet, which leaves less time for family and pets.

It’s okay if you don’t have time to play with your pet every day as long as it’s temporary. However, if you anticipate not being able to hang out with your dog for the foreseeable future, finding a new home could be a better option. Generally, having a baby doesn’t exclude you from having pets, although the dog may feel neglected in the beginning. Eventually, you’ll get into a routine and take the dog for a walk while pushing the stroller. 

Inability to Care for Your Pet

It’s not always time or money that’s lacking. In some cases, the owner is no longer physically capable of caring for their pet. While this may be more likely to happen with an aging dog owner, it’s a possibility at any time. Whether the owner was injured in an accident, has a disease, or is slowing down with age, it may be necessary to find someone else to help with the duties of caring for the pet.

It’s important to understand that the companionship of a pet is incredibly valuable to any individual, even if they’re no longer able to care for it. If it’s possible to get help from family, friends, and neighbors in caring for the pet, it may be worth a try. An aging individual may feel lonely without their dog, especially if they’ve had the pet for many years. But if the owner has to move to a new home, such as a nursing home, the dog may also need a new home.

A Second Chance for the Dog

As you can see, in many cases it’s not the dog’s fault for needing a new home. Rather, it’s the circumstances of the owner that lead them to find a new home for the dog. It’s also possible that the dog you’re trying to adopt was part of an unplanned litter. In any case, it’s a good idea to check with your shelter when you’re looking for a loyal four-legged companion, because all of them are waiting for their second chance at happiness.

How to Help Your New Dog Get Along with Other Dogs and Cats

When you bring home your dog from the shelter, there are lots of new things to learn about. The dog may feel overwhelmed at first because they have to get used to a new home, new people, and occasionally other pets. It’s important to take your time in introducing your dog to other pets in your home. If you go about it the right way, there’s a good chance you’ll have a big, happy, furry family as a result.

 

Introducing Your Dog to Your Cat(s)

In most cases, cats and dogs can live together peacefully. It’s important to understand that some dogs are very aggressive towards cats and may never be able to live with a cat. However, most of the time the shelter staff already knows when that’s the case and won’t let you adopt a dog like that if you have cats.

Certain rules must be followed when putting cats and dogs together. Your cat needs to have a safe space where the dog can’t get to it. The litter box, cat food, and water dish must also be out of reach for your dog. Dogs don’t have any qualms about eating your cat’s food, and they may even ambush a cat in the litter box. Keeping these things away from the dog in a private place ensures that your cat won’t relieve itself elsewhere or doesn’t get enough to eat.

When you first introduce your new dog to your cat, the dog should be on a leash. At first, you just want the dog and cat to be in the same room with each other. Pet them, talk to them, praise them, and give them treats. If your cat is skittish, you may want to keep her in a carrier. You want your dog to stay calm around the cat without bolting towards them. Use commands like “sit” and “leave it” to make sure the dog leaves the cat alone.

If your dog stays calm for several days, you’re ready for the next phase. This is where you can let go of the leash, but you still must be prepared to grab it. At this point, your dog may approach the cat. You can expect the cat to swat the dog on the nose, and that’s often all it takes for the dog to leave the cat alone. If your cat is still a kitten, has been declawed, or is otherwise unable to defend itself, you may need to exercise more caution when you make the introductions.

Meeting Other Dogs in the House

Introducing your dog to other dogs in the house is an important step you need to take. Some dogs are really easy-going and like almost every other dog, but you probably don’t know that ahead of time. There are different ways to introduce dogs to each other, but one of the methods is the exchange of smells. 

For example, you can use old shirts you no longer use and let you established dog sleep with it. Then you’ll take it to the shelter and let the new dog sleep with that same shirt. You can do the same thing in reverse for the established dog to help both get used to the other dog’s scent. Before they meet, you can exchange the shirts and have the dogs wear them. The same thing can be accomplished by using a pheromone spray. The goal is to help them familiarize themselves with the smell and make them like each other before they even meet.

When you introduce the dogs, it’s a good idea to do this on neutral territory. The best way for two dogs to meet is to go on a walk with each other. In the beginning, you want to go single-file and have one dog follow the other with adequate distance. Eventually, if they show signs of wanting to play together, you can take a walk next to each other. 

It’s a good idea to keep your dogs separate while you’re away until their relationship has become established. Incidentally, putting your dogs in separate rooms or crates will also reduce the likelihood of them making a mess of the house while you’re gone. It may be necessary to keep the dogs apart for the first day and only have them meet for 20 minutes at a time. During that time, the new dog may need to stay confined to one room of the house.

How to Help Your Dog Get Along with Your Children

A friendship between a child and their dog is special. Kids often form very close bonds with the family pet, and the relationship is beneficial for both of them. However, you must take the appropriate steps to ensure the relationship is off to a good start. It’s also important that both the dog and your child understand the ground rules from the beginning to ensure everyone’s safety. Here are some tips for making this work.

Choose the Right Dog for Your Family

It goes without saying that you must choose the dog that is right for your family. Dogs come in all shapes in sizes, but they also have different personalities and temperaments. While it’s not nice to stereotype, some dog breeds are also better suited to be family pets. This has to do with their disposition and their task in life. For example, breeds that were traditionally used for herding other animals may easily adopt your family as their herd and care for it just as much. On the other hand, a hunting dog may not be as likely to be the children’s playmate – unless their favorite pasttime is exploring the neighboring forest.

Let Them Meet before You Adopt Your Dog

A shelter is probably not the best place for young children for various reasons. Some kids don’t like loud noises, and a shelter full of dogs is certainly not a quiet place. Additionally, it can be difficult to cope with the fact that all of these dogs need homes. A child may want to save them all, which is understandable but not necessarily feasible for your family.
Nevertheless, it’s a good idea to let your child or children meet the dog before you adopt them. Maybe you can take the dog on a walk together or spend some time with the dog in their kennel. It’s okay for the dog or your child or both to be nervous, but neither should exhibit hostility or terror at meeting the other.

Give Everyone Personal Space

It’s important to make sure that your child and the dog always has personal space to retreat to when they feel overwhelmed or need to be alone. You may want to make your child’s room off-limit to the dog, at least in the beginning. This ensures that your child won’t be unsupervised with the dog and gives them a chance to have the room to themselves.
Your dog also need a retreat that nobody will follow them to. It could be a dog pillow underneath a desk that doens’t get used much or a cozy blanket next to the fireplace. The best hiding place is an area that doesn’t get any walk-through traffic to ensure your dog feels at peace. This could be the same spot your dog sleeps in at night, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s important that every member of your family respects the dog’s place and never disturbs the animal when they’re hiding there.

Take It Slow

It takes time to get to know someone knew and form a bond to them. It’s no different with a pet. Even if your child has wished for a dog for a long time, they may not fall in love with the new pet at first sight. That’s okay, because it takes time to build a friendship. Given some time, your child will get attached to the dog. As they play together and get to know each other, they’re bound to fall in love. Incidentally, it may take you some time to appreciate your new dog, too. It will also take your dog some time to get to know you and adopt you as their new best friend.

Teach Them about Each Other

It’s important to teach both your child and your dog how to behave around each other. For example, your dog must learn not to jump on your child, because that can be very scary – especially with big dogs and small children. Your child has to learn to be gentle with the dog, because pinching and pulling can hurt him – unlike a stuffed animal. These teaching opportunities will present themselves sooner or later, and it’s important not to miss them. The sooner your dog and your child learn how to behave around each other, the more likely it is that they’ll become the best of friends.

How to Groom Your Dog

Proper grooming is an important part of dog ownership. Your dog loves to run around outside and get dirty, but they’re not really great at keeping themselves clean. Unlike cats, dogs don’t spend a lot of time on grooming themselves, although they may try to remove fleas from their fur with their teeth. The good news is that your grooming routine doesn’t have to be complicated. However, part of caring for your pet includes trimming their nails and fur, washing and combing your dog, and keeping their paws clean.

Trim Nails

Your dog’s nails keep growing through their entire life much like your own. This can become a problem, because their nails can be quite sharp. They may also get snagged in the carpet when they’re walking. Since dogs don’t need their nails to climb trees outside like cats, it’s a good idea to keep them trimmed to prevent broken nails or scraped floors. You know it’s time to trim your dog’s nails when they just about touch the ground when the dog is walking across the floor. You might even be able to hear the clicking of the nails when the walk on hard flooring, such as your kitchen.

Ideally, you’ll get your dog used to nail trimming when they’re young. In any case, you’ll want to watch for the quick (blood vein that goes through the nail) and trim bit by bit before it. You may want to reward your dog with a treat after clipping each nail to get them to stay calm for the entire procedure. If necessary, you can trim a little bit now and do another trim a week later. It’s also a good idea to use a nail file to remove any jagged edges.

Brush and Shampoo Your Dog’s Fur

Keeping your dog’s hair neatly brushed and shampooed prevents it from matting together and looking unruly. It can also reduce the amount of shedding as well as the number of dog hairs that stick to your couch. How often you need to brush or shampoo your dog depends on the dog. A short-haired breed won’t need to go in the tub as often. You probably also don’t have large amounts of dog hair all over your house.

If you have a long-haired breed, you’ll probably want to brush or comb them every day. In that case, it’s important to establish a routine. Brushing can be great bonding time both of you can enjoy if you can get your dog to cooperate. Treats may help in the beginning, but many dogs love being brushed.

It’s also a good idea to give your dog a bath if they’ve gotten really dirty. Similarly, you may need to give them a flea bath if you’re dealing with an infestation at home. It’s not always necessary to blow-dry your dog’s hair, but some dogs really enjoy the warm air on their coat.

Trimming

Dogs may need their hair trimmed occasionally, especially medium- and long-haired breeds. If you don’t want to do this yourself, you can take them to a dog groomer. Trimming their hair can make it easier to keep their fur looking neat. It may also reduce tangles. A dog groomer can even give your dog a bath using special dog shampoo to make their coat shine again if it starts to look a little dull.

Keeping Paws Clean

One are of dog grooming that’s often neglected is the paws of your pet. Dogs don’t wear shoes, and when they go for a walk or run with you, they touch the ground with everywhere. Since dogs are known to lick their paws to clean them, it pays to pay attention to what they’re stepping in.

It’s really important that you clean your dog’s paws if they’ve stepped in something potentially toxic – whether that’s paint or oil on the garage floor or tar from the newly finished street. You may also want to clean their paws if they stepped in something you don’t want them spreading around in your home, whether that’s sticky gum or spilled juice. Your dog’s paws may also get salty if they’ve been to the beach with you. When you come home, you should rinse their paws with warm water.

Occasionally, your dog may get something stuck in their paw. If you notice that they’re spending a lot of time trying to dislodge something, it’s a good idea to take a look. Injuries to paws can also happen if your dog stepped on glass or something else that was sharp or pointy. If you’re not sure what to do, it’s always best to call your veterinarian for guidance.

How to Keep Your Dog Safe & Healthy

If you’re like most pet owners, you want the best for your dog. That includes keeping him or her safe and healthy all year round. Not only do you need to provide adequate nutrition and exercise for your dog, but you also want to schedule regular checkups. Below you’ll find some tips on the most important aspects of keeping your pet healthy.

Spay or Neuter

If you adopted your dog from a shelter, you already know that there is an overpopulation of dogs in your area. It may seem unnatural, but spaying and neutering is the only option for preventing additional puppies that need homes. When you get your dog fixed, you also prevent them from roaming the neighborhood unnecessarily. Dogs in heat will go to great lengths to find mates, and this instinct could jeopardize your pet’s safety, especially if you live on a busy street.

Tag and Microchip

Your dog should have a collar and a tag that identifies you as the owner. You don’t have to put your address on the dog’s collar, but it’s a good idea to list your phone number on there. If your dog gets lost, it will be easy to return him or her to your home. If your dog has a tendency to escape or roam or refuses to wear the collar – you may want to consider getting them micro chipped. Micro-chipping is a minor procedure that includes inserting an identifier on your pet. Animal services can scan this microchip to find you if someone turns the dog into them.

Immunize

Regular appointments with your vet are important for your pet’s health. Most dogs should have an annual checkup to ensure they’re healthy, prevent problems, and diagnose diseases early (if that’s the case). An annual checkup can give you and your veterinarian a lot of information about your dog, such as their weight. This will help you track their health over the years.

At the vet’s office, you may also choose to vaccinate your pet. In most areas, annual rabies shots are required. There are additional options for immunizing your pet, and you may want to discuss these with your vet. An older pet or a dog with existing health issues may not be the best candidate for immunizations. Similarly, animals who are primarily indoors may not be at risk for certain diseases. Last but not least, you may have personal reservations about vaccines. In the end, it’s up to you to decide which immunizations make the most sense for your pet, and your veterinarian can help you make the decision that’s right for you and your dog.

Nutrition

For humans and pets, proper nutrition is the key to a long, healthy life. That’s why it’s important for you to do your research and select the right food for your dog. Your vet is an important partner here as well and can help you make this decision for your pet. In most cases, dogs do best with a diet that’s low in carbohydrates, because that’s their natural food. You can even prepare your own food for your dog if you prefer to minimize preservatives and know the ingredients. Of course, you don’t have to go this far to provide good nutrition for your dog.

In addition to picking the right brand and type of dog food, you need to feed your dog the appropriate amount of food. Generally, a puppy won’t eat as much as an adult. However, both younger and older dogs tend to eat as much food as you let them have. A combination of this tendency to scarf down any food they can get and limited exercise can make it so easy for a dog to gain too much weight. Unfortunately, an overweight dog will be prone to health problems, which is why it’s best to regulate their food intake from the beginning or consider a diet if it becomes an issue.

Exercise, Training & Love

Every dog needs exercise. Some dogs need to run fast or for long distances every day, others just need a walk around the block. It depends on the size, age, and temperament of your dog. Dogs are also very smart, which is why it’s a good idea to put some time into obedience training. Dogs can learn new tricks at any age. Last but not least, your dogs needs to spend time with you. Whether you play with them, take them for a walk, or cuddle up next to your dog on the couch – pets want to spend lots of time with their humans.

5 Top Indoor Activities to Do with Your Dog

Florida winters are mild, but there will be some days when it’s not nice enough to take your dog outside. You may also be required to stay indoors because one of your family members is sick. However, your four-legged friend will still feel energetic, so it’s a good idea to think of some things to do to keep your dog busy indoors.

Teach Your Dog a Trick

Dogs are very smart. You can teach them to obey a variety of commands, and they’ll enjoy the learning session. It’s important to watch your dog for signs of inattention, because that’s when they can no longer focus on the lesson. For example, younger dogs may only be able to focus for a few minutes, but you can repeat the training session several times throughout the day.

Teaching your dogs can be simple and basic in the beginning. For example, your dog needs to learn how to sit and come. But you can also teach your dogs a few fun things, such as these:

• High five
• Army crawl
• Dance
• Collect garbage
• Kiss

Play Hide and Seek

If you played hide-and-seek with your dog, you would lose every time. They have an amazing sense of smell and will find you wherever you are. What could be fun is to play hide-and-seek with their food. Instead of putting the food in the usual place, let them find it around the house at feeding time. It could be fun to watch, but don’t expect this to last very long.

Play the Cup Game

This game is popular with children, but it works just as well for your dog. For this, you’ll need 3 cups, and you put them upside down. You’ll hide a treat under one of the cups and leave the other two empty. Then you rotate them around for a little while and let your dog find the treat. 

You can experiment with letting your dog watch you shuffle the cups and doing it while he’s not watching. It will be interesting to find out if he uses his memory or his nose to find the treats. Your dog may even have a favorite color cup and keep trying the same one. Of course, you should let him have the treat when he finds it.

Play Tug of War

Dogs are smart, and you need to exercise their brains. That’s what teaching tricks and playing hide-and-seek games are for. But they also need to exert themselves physically to stay healthy and happy. Dogs that don’t get enough physical activity are more likely to get in trouble. One indoor game that can make a big difference is tug of war.

For that, you can use a thick rope and let your dog have one end while you hold the other. Now it’s time to see who can keep holding on to the rope. Medium-sized and big dogs are strong enough to pull you across the room, but that doesn’t mean you should let them. Instead, you could try catching them off guard. Keep the rope slack and don’t pull on it until they’ve also let loose a little. Of course, you should do this in a room of the house that’s safe to play in – at least put any breakable items out of reach before you start.

Teach Your Dog to Do Chores

You would have so much more time to do fun things if it wasn’t for household chores. Whether that’s doing dishes, cleaning the bathroom, or sweeping the floors – it takes time to keep your house looking neat. Why don’t you teach your dog how to help you? It will be fun for both of you and eventually, cleanup will be done sooner.

You can start by letting them put things away. As long as the items aren’t particularly fragile, your dog can be a huge help. They can carry things where they need to go. You can put up a bin for them to put their dog toys in and start teaching them how to do that first. They could even learn how to take the garbage out and put garbage into the trash can.

There are lots of other things you can do with your dog indoors. For example, nothing beats cuddling up to a good movie for a thorough petting session. Your dog doesn’t have to be active all the time, either. Your four-legged friend always appreciates when you spend time with them.