What to look for when finding The Right Fit for your family.

Adopting a homeless pet is a wonderful, rewarding experience. Adding a canine family member to your household is a big decision and every adopter should be prepared and committed to providing the right environment for their pet. You want this new addition to fit into your life style, so that both you and your new dog are able to enjoy your new life to the fullest!

So what should you look for when finding the right fit?

Social Butterfly or Wall flower?

Do you have young children? Cats, other dogs? Do you throw dinner parties and poker nights? Is your new dog going to the office with you? It is most important that your new dog have the proper social skills to keep up with your social life! Make sure the pet is able to get along with All family members including other animals. If you are always surrounded by people or have a high traffic home be sure your new dog will enjoy all the extra company.
Or do you have a quiet home? Are you single, retired? Find a companion dog that will enjoy quiet evenings at home. Maybe even consider a dog that is shy or insecure.

We believe that all dogs deserve a second chance, but it is crucial that dogs who exhibit ‘problem’ behaviors be matched with adopters who are willing and able to work with these behaviors. Do you support our mission? Are you an experienced dog owner? Then consider adopting a special needs dog.

Wild Child or Lazy Dazy?

Consider your activity level; are you on-the-go, active, outdoorsy or a laid back, homebody. It is important for a potential adopter to consider how much time they are willing to spend exercising their new pet.
If you live an active lifestyle and are looking for a dog to join in with your daily activities then a high drive breed, or young dog or puppy may be the perfect fit for you. However, if  you enjoy lounging around the house with an occasional walk around the block then it is important to find a dog that is content lounging around with you. An older dog would be a much better choice, as a young dog or dog with a high energy level will get frustrated and likely act out due to boredom. Often times behavioral issues- ranging from destructive chewing and digging to aggression issues- can be due to lack of exercise and stimulation. To put it simply- they get bored.

Sporting Breed or Toy?

Even though all dogs have their own unique personality it is important to consider their breed. Often times there are significant differences among dogs of the same breed, and an individual dogs personality and temperament can differ greatly from what you read in a breed book. However breed still tells us what this dog was designed to do. You can never guarantee what a dogs behavior will be, but understanding what they were bred for can add some insight on what type of behaviors and personality traits they may develop or what activity level they might have.

Puppy or Adult?

There are many advantages to adopting an adult dog.  You already know the size and the disposition of your pet, something not known of a puppy. Often times adult dogs have had a little training, housebreaking or some learned good manners-again something that you won’t find in a puppy. When adopting an adult dog it is important to understand that they have had to adjust to many different situations, so it is crucial that you be patient and allow them time to adjust to your routine. Just because you rescue an adult dog it doesn’t mean they don’t need training, and it sure doesn’t mean that they can’t learn new tricks! Any dog, regardless of how much they already know, will benefit from continued training and socialization.
Adopting a puppy is loads of fun! And loads of work. So be prepared for both. Adopting a puppy means housetraining, cratetraining, obedience training. Several sleepless nights and a few pairs of chewed up slippers! Many families like the idea of adopting a puppy because they believe that they can mold and shape the dogs personality . This is true, however genetics play a huge role in the temperament of a dog, at puppyhood it is nearly impossible to see any genetic behavioral tendencies the dog may have. As an adopter it is important to properly socialize and train your new puppy from the very first day- this is all you can do to help insure that your puppy becomes the pet you want them to be.

The ‘P’ word.

It can be hard to ignore the media. We depend on them to give us our daily news, to keep us apprised of current events, to warn of us possible danger. And it seems the the ‘Pit Bull’ keeps making headlines, and not in a good way. If you are considering adopting a dog, regardless of what breed they were born, always do your research. Doing so will show you that Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers- all those dogs considered ‘Pit Bulls’ are truly great pets. They make excellent family dogs, wonderful and loyal companions, they can be good playmates for other pets and are the best cuddlers of the bunch! Remember the old saying “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”… Nobody likes a stereotype, not even a dog. And Pit Bulls are just that- Dogs.

Please ask yourself, “Where do shelter dogs come from?”  All shelter dogs were once perfect puppies- that were abandoned or surrendered – most often because they developed annoying behavior, training, and behavior problems, simply because their owners did not train them. Many homeless pets where given up or left behind by their owners because it was no longer ‘convenient’ to keep the pet. Make sure you are ready for the commitment- it is lifelong and it doesn’t come with any clauses. Through thick and thin, good times and bad……