Adopting a Rescue Dog for a Family Pet

Rescue refers to dogs that have come to rescue groups because of a variety of possible reasons. The dogs may have come from dog pounds, dog shelters or puppy mills. They may have been a stray dog. Possibly, their original owners were no longer able to care for them anymore. There may be several reasons why dog owners may give up dogs of various ages. The important fact is that rescue dogs are in need of new homes with owners that want to care for them and bring them into their family. You may even happen to find a nice Bichon Frise or a Yorkshire Terrier. My Yorkshire Terrier Care blog offers additional information on the following topics: dog care and training, adopting rescue dogs, socialization of a puppy, developmental stages of a puppy, separation anxiety, puppy proofing the house, along with lots of house training and puppy care tips.

Some of the reasons why dogs may be in a rescue shelter are the following:

Possibly, the owner could no longer afford the necessary expenses required to maintain a dog, such as routine veterinary check-ups, the cost of dog food, cost of grooming, or any medication that may be needed for the dog.

The dog may have chronic health problems, and the veterinary expenses that are needed to properly take care of the dog are too expensive for the owner.

There may have been a change in the household. Maybe, the children did not get along with the dog, or there was just a new baby born in the family. There could have been a divorce, a death or major illness in the family. The family may have needed to move, and they were not allowed to have a dog in their new apartment or townhouse due to rules and regulations.

The original owner could have experienced a major change in lifestyle. Their employment and career changes could have involved more traveling away from home, or a major shift change with lots of overtime hours in their work schedule. The family may have realized they just did not have the necessary time required to take good care of a dog.

There could have been medical reasons for the owner to give up their dog. Someone in the family may have developed allergies to the dog, or experienced a chronic health condition and was no longer able to properly care for their dog.

Possibly, the dog had some behavioral problems.

The dog could have some training problems, such as housetraining issues.

It is important to note that a rescue dog may or may not come from an environment where he was mistreated. Any special needs of the rescue dog, such as health related issues should be considered when selecting a new home.

When you are thinking about adopting a rescue dog, you may want to consider the following:

The age of the puppy or adult dog.

How much prior training did the dog have in their previous home?

Is the dog successfully housetrained?

Has the dog been spayed or neutered?

Does the dog have any pre-existing or chronic health conditions?

Does the dog routinely take any medications prescribed by a veterinarian?

Is the dog on any special diet?

Is the dog up-to-date with his vaccinations?

Does the dog get along well with children and other pets?

Does the dog have any pre-existing behavior problems, such as aggressiveness?

Does the dog have any problems with socialization or separation anxiety?

Does the dog look properly nourished?

Does the dog have a nice temperament?

If you are thinking about adopting a dog from a rescue group, you may need to fill out an application and also be interviewed. The rescue group may need to assess your ability and time to take care of a dog, and provide a safe home.

The wonderful reward of owning a rescue dog may be that the dog will, hopefully, provide lots of unconditional love and great companionship in return for the proper care and love that it will receive!