Older Dogs Often Make the Best New Pets

By Justin McClelland, December 6, 2009

LEBANON — Amy Neal and Ruth Bertagna are adamant that old dogs can learn new tricks.

As two volunteers at the Humane Association of Warren County in Lebanon, both insist that older pets can provide a lot of value and love to families looking to add a four-legged member to bring to their home. And the biggest trick these volunteers are looking to perform is to find homes for the shelter’s increasing older pet population.

“There are lots of positives to adopting a senior,” Neal said. “Puppies and kitten can take a lot of patience to train and figure out their personality. With older pets, what you see is pretty much what you get.”

Mari Lee Schwarzwalder, executive director of Warren County’s Humane Association, said the animal shelter has seen a steep increase in older pets — both cats and dogs — in the past six months. Many of these pets were left behind by families who had to move for new jobs or were forced to locate to smaller apartments that didn’t allow pets.

“It’s not usually their first choice to leave the pets,” Schwarzwalder said.

Such is the case for Hudson, a 7-year-old black Labrador mix whose family had to leave him behind when they left Lebanon for an out-of-state job. He is excitable and friendly, and also already housebroken and eager to show affection.

“Older pets have a tremendous amount of love to give,” Bertagna said. “This may sound silly, but they really do understand and appreciate being rescued.”

Neal said that older pets often are more mellow and require less strenuous exercise (in the case of dogs) to care for.

“They often make an easier transition to a new home than a puppy,” Neal said. “They enjoy easy living.”

Animal Friends: Rescue animals need time to warm up to prospective owners

By Linda Goldston, Mercury News

Betty Skatoff of Los Gatos was devastated when she lost her dog, Lizzie, a terrier mix who died at the age of 12. Like many of us, she wasn’t sure she could get another dog because the pain of losing them is too great.

But her other dog, Tucker, who is very friendly and social, persuaded her to try again.

So Betty started looking for a Lizzie look-alike and found “a small version of Lizzie at a NARF (Nike Animal Rescue Foundation) adoption fair in San Jose.” That dog, named Monroe, was a small terrier mix about 11/2 years old.

“He looked very sweet and was all black like Lizzie,” Betty said. “I reached out to pet him and thought he was very cute. He was OK for a bit but then snapped at me.”

Betty realized she’d have to think about it. Nobody wants a dog that bites, and Lizzie had been so sweet.

Back home, “I tried to understand his behavior,” she said. “I thought that perhaps he was just stressed because all of these strange people were ‘pawing’ him. So I called the rescue group and asked to meet Monroe again.”

Betty went to the foster home where Monroe had been staying while he awaited adoption and spent some time with him. He didn’t snap at her this time, and he seemed to hit it off with Tucker.

She decided to adopt him.

“Fast-forward many months and Monroe, now named Marlowe, is the new love of my life,” Betty said. “He is so affectionate, so sweet and so loving. He adores me and my husband.

He idolizes Tucker and follows him everywhere. Even Daisy Mae, our shy cat, has accepted him.”And if that weren’t enough, Marlowe “has an incredibly charming personality and is, in fact, the center of attention of everyone in the household. We all love him to pieces.”

The moral to this story, Betty believes, is “if you’re looking to adopt a rescue animal, remember that they are in a strange and probably stressful environment. So give them time to get comfortable with you. Come back and see them again if you have to. I’m sure glad that I gave Marlowe a second chance.”

Betty speaks from experience. She volunteers at a couple of animal shelters and notices that people looking to adopt animals pass them by “if they don’t react to them immediately. If they don’t come up and say ‘hello,’ they keep on walking,” she said.

“Give them a chance before you write them off. They will end up being great pets.”

It must be terrible for animals to have had a nice life with someone, and then suddenly be moved to a cage with the people they had loved nowhere in sight. So do give them an extra moment, even if you don’t take them home.

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Home Fur-ever endorses these thoughts and hopes that you will have patience with the animals you are considering adopting, and recognize the trauma that they have experienced prior to their rescue.  Give them a bit of time, and a bit of attention, and you could end up with a wonderful pet to share your life – and rescue a very deserving animal!

10 Reasons to Adopt an Adult Dog

10 Reasons to Adopt an Adult Dog

When it comes time to get a dog, many people consider adoption over purchasing. If you’re one of them, why not look at adult dogs? Puppies are a lot of work, and adult dogs bond just as well as puppies. Besides, there are quite a few advantages to getting an adult dog.

1. An adult dog has an adult bladder. Puppies can only be expected to “hold it” for as many hours as they are old, plus one. Therefore, a four-month-old puppy can only be expected to hold it for five hours. You probably plan to be home for the first weekend — even a long weekend — when you bring your dog home. But what about after that? Have you made arrangements to walk the dog or let her out every three, four, five, six or seven hours over the next six months? Is there someone home during the day with your dog. If not, consider an adult dog. They can be housetrained even if they’ve never been housetrained before. And best of all, the can hold it until you come home.
2. An adult dog is past the puppy chewing stage. This stage, from two months to two years of age, is when much of the home destruction happens. Chewed cabinets, sofas, shoes, window sills, and clothing can cost you plenty. But an adult dog, given chew toys and bones to keep him occupied, is no longer in a chewing frenzy.
3. An adult dog is as big as he’s ever going to get. With puppies — especially puppies whose heritage is unknown — you never know. My cousin got a “Beagle mix” who is now nearly 50 pounds. Many apartments have weight restrictions on the dogs they will allow, so if you rent, you may need to get a smaller dog. In addition, food, vet care and boarding are all more expensive for bigger dogs. If you’re sure you can’t end up with a bigger dog, get an adult.
4. Adult dogs are better able to focus, and this comes in handy during training. Although puppies can and should be trained, ask any trainer and she’ll tell you it’s often easier to train dog who’s mature. And don’t give in to fears that an adult won’t bond to you, or that you can’t teach an old(er) dog new tricks. Both are false. Every day is a whole new day for dogs, and the bonding that takes place during training (or retraining) is every bit as rewarding as that with a puppy. Plus, you don’t have to get up in the middle of the night to take him out!
5. What you see is what you get. Some dogs are very active as puppies, then mellow out considerably as adults; others are very cuddly and passive as puppies, then develop the energy of a squirrel on crack cocaine as they grow. An adult dog’s baseline personality is pretty well set, and shelters are full of dogs who became the “wrong” match as they grew up.
6. If you’re a fan of a particular breed, getting an adult purebred might be easier than you think. Breed rescues take in dogs from shelters and breeders … dogs who may have lived in comfortable, loving homes prior to coming to yours. Don’t assume that all rescue dogs are street urchins with no training who will not withstand being on a leash or being brushed. Then there’s the added bonus of getting a dog who’s very ”typey” and a good representative of the breed you like. Remember my cousin who wanted a beagle? Her dog (whom she adores, by the way) looks more like a smaller Irish Wolfhound. I loved collies all my life, and got a puppy from a breeder. His mom and dad were both gorgeous examples of the breed. He was a ball of fur with good coloring as a puppy, but as he grew, he began to show some conformation faults. His ears didn’t stand up. They drooped all his life. His back legs pointed outward, like ballerina feet. He grew and grew … to 90 pounds. He looked very gangly because of a very long back and high hips. His coat was so thick that our groomer, who had show collies, said he had three coats. Most people didn’t recognize him as a collie. Several people asked if he was a collie mix. Don’t get me wrong; I loved him dearly until the day he died. But as collies go, there are others who are better representatives of the breed. If you want a Papillon or a Pug that looks like a Papillon or Pug, consider an adult dog.
7. The first year is a lot less expensive with a grown-up dog. All those trips to the vet to give your new puppy round after round of innoculations can really add up. A healthy adult should only need to go to the vet once a year.
8. Most adult dogs are already socialized. Puppies must make mistakes and be corrected by dogs and humans to learn how to interact with others. Most adult dogs have already had run-ins with other dogs, so they know how far they can go. They want to keep the peace, and this is what socialization is about. The first time my young Lab got a correction from a Husky at the dog park, I could see her working it out in hear head. In hear world, everyone loved her, and everything was hers. But suddenly, she was put down hard by another dog. It was a necessary learning experience. An adult has been around the block and will be more aware in social interactions with kids, dogs, and you.
9. Instant companionship is yours when you get an adult dog. Puppies have to wait until they get their last round of shots before they should be around other dogs. They can’t run very far, and are easily knocked around by kids and other dogs. They’re uncordinated, untrained, and must eliminate, eat and sleep often. An adult dog can go running with you today!
10. If you’re adopting a dog to save a life, consider this. Most people get swept away by the cute factor of puppies. They come to shelters looking for puppies, therefore most puppies in shelters have a much better chance of being adopted than most adult dogs. When you adopt a dog, you’re saving a life. Why not save a life that’s running out of time, with fewer chances at being adopted? Many people say, “the dog knows.” Owners of adult adopted dogs often say that these dogs are grateful and happy dogs. One thing’s for sure; you’ll never regret it.

Which Dog Best Fits Your Family’s Lifestyle?

So you’re thinking about about getting a dog.  Have you figured out what type of dog you want?   Almost every breed has a fancier’s web page, detailing the habits and characteristics of the breed. Check out these pages and you’ll learn a lot. Talk with people about “the best dog they ever had”. You’ll start to form some ideas about the best dog for you.  Do some dog sitting.  You’ll be everyone’s best friend and get an idea if a pug mix or a dane mix might be the right dog for you.

The large majority of the dogs rescued by Home Fur Ever are mixed breeds. Sometimes their lineage is very muddled, but many times we are able to discern some breed lineage. It’s a good idea for potential adopters to have some basic knowledge of breed characteristics prior to adopting to make a good lifestyle match. For instance, many people sought out Jack Russell terriers because they are small and short haired. Jack Russells are a very, very active breed. They have strong herding instincts and tend to have dominant personalities. Many people were unprepared for the needs of this working breed to “keep busy” and “have a job”. Thousands of these dogs needlessly ended up in shelters and rescues because people did not do their homework.

Once you decided on the type of dogs you are most interested in, you need to honestly assess your lifestyle.  If you’re a couch potato you’re going to feel harassed by the needs of active, young dogs. You might however, love a senior pet or a “lap breed”. If you are a clean freak you might want to choose a low shedding breed.

Consider your family – Young dogs of active breeds can be great companions for “outdoorsy” active children. They can be far too boisterous for toddlers or elderly people, and are not a good choice for homes where a quiet, sedate lifestyle predominates. Many people want toy breeds because they are small. Many of these breeds, however, are not tolerant of noise and distraction and require a calm, predictable household.  Consider your present “pet family” as well. You may be thrilled about your new puppy. It may be torture for your 14-year-old cat.

Consider your time – We ask those who adopts from us to enroll in formal obedience classes with their new family member, particularly if they’re not heavily experienced in owning and training pets.  This is a great socialization experience for your pet, as well as the best way to teach the animal manners and your expectations. In addition to class time, trainers recommend a minimum of 20 minutes per day dedicated to training. We can’t say it enough. Dogs require exercise. A fenced yard is frequently not enough. Does your family have the time to walk the dog or take it to a safe, confined area, like a dog park?

Consider your finances – Expect to pay a minimum of $200 per year for well-dog veterinary care. Some dogs require professional grooming which runs around $60 per session.  All dogs should have their nails cut periodically. Adopters should also factor in the cost of high-quality food, toys, treats, leashes and boarding, if necessary.

Have you done your self-assessment and your breed research? Are you ready for a 15-year commitment?  Now comes the fun part…picking your new family member.

Why Adopt? Pet Adoption = Instant Friend for Life!

Ask anybody who has adopted a rescue pet, and they’ll swear their bond with their rescued pal is as deep as they come. When you open your heart and your home to a pet who needs help, they really do show their appreciation for the rest of their life! Dogs or cats who have been uprooted from their homes, or have had difficult beginnings are likely to bond completely and deeply with their new human caretakers, whom they regard as heroes. Pups and kitties who find themselves in the shelter or at a rescue because of a death or other tragedy in their former human family usually go through a mourning period. Once they are adopted, however, they usually want nothing more than to please their new hero—YOU! No matter what circumstances brought them to the rescue, most cats and dogs for adoption are exceptionally affectionate and attentive, and make extremely loyal companions.

Is a Puppy Right for Your Home?

Puppies are cute! At eight weeks they are sleepy, cuddly little bundles. At 5 months they are nonstop balls of energy with teeth. All puppies chew. They will chew their toys, your children’s toys, your furniture and your clothing. Puppies will have accidents. Crate training helps, but all puppies will have accidents in the house. Puppies need lots and lots and lots of exercise. Sporting and herding breeds, in particular, need frequent and vigorous exercise from the ages of 3 months to 2 or 3 years of age. Failure to provide sufficient exercise can result in destructiveness, separation anxiety and even aggression. Puppies need training. They need training to curb their natural instincts to jump up. They need training to learn indoor manners, to walk well on a leash and to come when called. An untrained dog is a nuisance to family members and guests in your home. They can be a danger in the community.

Puppies need socialization. They need to meet many people, experience new situations and encounter other animals. Failure to properly socialize a puppy can result in shyness, fear aggression and submissive urination.

Puppies are cute! They are also a lot of work. Families should thoroughly acquaint themselves to the task at hand before falling for that darling little bundle.