Are you thinking about adopting a dog from Québec Newf Rescue? You are very generous! Adopting an abandoned animal gives it a second chance at a happy life.
BEFORE YOU ADOPT, HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT ALL OF THE FOLLOWING?
* A dog requires daily exercise.
* Feeding a dog is quite expensive.
* What will you do with the dog when you go on a vacation?
* If your dog is sick, you will need to pay for the vet bills and medication.
* A dog is not an object;
it’s a living creature with its own character and needs,
including the need to love and to be loved.
* For the next ten to fourteen years, you will MEAN THE WORLD to that dog.
Adopting a dog is an act of love! It’s the beginning of an amazing journey.
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Please read before you adopt.
Sources: Communicanis
Written by two behaviourists: Danièle Mirat and Françoise Gaudron
Your great
gesture can turn into a nightmare if you are not aware of the mistakes you need
to avoid when adopting an abandoned animal; if you take in a dog only to reject
it 15 days later, you are going to cause the dog – and yourself – more harm.
You need to consider your own environment, availability and expectations before you adopt a dog; choosing the right breed will help establish a lasting relationship. Large breeds such as the Newfoudland are appealing, but they take a lot of space in the house and in the car, a yard to run around in, time for walks, regular grooming and quite a big food budget.
The Newfoundland needs a responsive owner who is capable of being gentle and consistent. Newfs need a lot of human contact; if you live with your parents or with a spouse, you need to make sure the dog is welcome. If you have kids, you can try to find out if the dog is used to being around them and what its behavior was towards them.
As a future adopter, you also need to know that an abandoned animal can sometimes be a puzzle. Shelters or organizations rarely truly know about a dog’s past. Some owners have failed to understand the dog’s undesirable behaviours such as destroying, barking, having accidents in the house, etc., so they reject it.
Others realize that the small fur ball they fell in love with has become very big, and needs to be walked, fed, and taken care of daily; they don’t want to deal with all of that and prefer to get rid of the dog.
Why and how has the dog you’ve chosen to adopt been abandoned? You will probably never find out, but what you know is it has suffered and will need time to regain its balance and sometimes its trust in humans. It has experienced abandonment, sometimes errancy, and maybe even mistreatment.
Some Newfs have been categorized as “aggressive” only because they have growled. Growling is often times a natural reaction and a way for a dog to communicate. These types of behaviours are therefore sometimes “installed” on an animal due to toxic environments, a bad education or a lack thereof. Growling is not necessarily bad; it sometimes just mean the situation makes him uncomfortable.
Before you pick up that irresistible dog with puppy eyes that made your heart melt, make sure to study these few tips in order to be prepared for a happy future.