{"id":12197,"date":"2015-09-29T16:00:42","date_gmt":"2015-09-29T06:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/puppy.kreatology.com\/?p=12197"},"modified":"2024-01-19T14:06:39","modified_gmt":"2024-01-19T03:06:39","slug":"the-five-biggest-myths-of-dog-adoption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/puppytales.com.au\/the-five-biggest-myths-of-dog-adoption\/","title":{"rendered":"The Five Biggest Myths of Dog Adoption"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dog adoption is a life-changing experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only are you adding a wonderful new fur-\u00admember to your family, but you get an opportunity to make a huge difference in the life of a dog and, sometimes, to save their life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Countless dogs are available for adoption each year, however, many are overlooked or left behind in shelters for reasons that, in fact, aren\u2019t always true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are the five biggest myths of dog adoption and why they shouldn\u2019t prevent you from considering the adoption path when looking for your next dog or puppy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Myth 1: You can\u2019t adopt puppies through rescue<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many people\u2019s preference is for puppies over adolescent, adult or senior dogs. I get the appeal, I really do, puppies are so incredibly cute after all! It\u2019s also a generally held belief that puppies are not available through adoption at shelters and rescues. This leads to looking to purchase a puppy through other avenues and overlooking the adoption option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs someone who fostered around 200 puppies for one rescue over a 6 year period, I can attest to the fact that puppies are indeed plenty available through rescue… but once their adoption advertisements go online, they do tend to have a lot of applications and rehome pretty quickly.\u201d  ~ Tracey<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Puppies do exist in the rescue world, but like all things cute and desired they are often snapped up quickly. That\u2019s great for the puppy that\u2019s found its forever home, but sometimes a little disappointing for people looking to adopt a puppy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My advice is to check multiple rescue websites daily for new listings, contact rescues to make enquiries and leave your details and to ask around with people involved in the rescue. Sometimes puppies don\u2019t make it to be publicly listed so becoming friendly with the group may just give you a little head start. With a little extra effort and patience, I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll find the perfect cute puppy to welcome into your home in no time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"BlackPuppy Gracie is a Rescue Pup who\u2019s now found her forever home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth 2: Puppies are easier to train<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Continuing on from myth number one, people usually prefer puppies over dogs because they think that puppies are easier to train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jill adopted both her current dogs through rescue. She adopted Roy her Boxer cross as a 4-year-old and Flame, her Red Heeler cross as a 12-week old puppy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTraining Flame in obedience was easier, she is a quick learner and picked things up faster than Roy did. But her manners and puppy behaviours (chewing, digging and nipping) are things I hadn\u2019t experienced before [with Roy]. I am not sure whether it is easier or harder to adopt a puppy rather than an older dog\u201d  ~ Jill<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having trained both puppies and adult dogs, I agree with Jill. I wouldn\u2019t equivocally say that one is easier than the other. When you adopt a puppy you play an important part in moulding their character and personality. When you adopt an adult dog, their character and personality is usually fairly established, meaning you may need to rehabilitate some bad habits. Both scenarios present their own set of rewards, and challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are considering adopting a puppy, I would recommend evaluating if you have the time, energy, resources and patience that are required to raise a puppy. If the answer is \u2018no\u2019, then adopting an adult dog might the better and more responsible option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommended further reading – <\/strong>Is a Puppy Right for you?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth 3: Purebred dogs aren\u2019t available<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Have you done your research on the perfect breed for your family? Perhaps you have fond memories of past purebred dogs? Welcoming a dog through a breeder is not the only option to finding a purebred dog or puppy. All dogs, including purebreds, can, unfortunately, end up in rescues and shelters \u00ad through surrender, being lost or from closed puppy farms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s estimated that 20\u00ad30% of dogs in shelters are purebred. There are also an increasing number of breed-specific rescues that you can look to if you have your heart set on a particular breed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"SiberianRescue dog Archer was a purebred Siberian Husky<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, adopting a purebred through can be a very similar experience to adopting a pup \u00ad they don\u2019t last long once they\u2019ve been advertised! To increase your chances of finding a purebred, look to the purebred rescues, check their new listings frequently, see if they have a waitlist or can notify you when the dog matches your requirements. It\u2019s also worth calls to local shelters to see if they have the dog you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Don\u2019t forget, there is quite a bit of research and individual expert opinion that suggests \u2018mutts\u2019 or crossbreds might be healthier compared to purebred dogs, so make sure you do your own thorough research prior to committing to a breed and understand any health implications they may have).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth 4: Rescued dogs have baggage<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There is a common misconception that rescue dogs have \u2018baggage\u2019, however that couldn\u2019t be further from the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe adopted Kenny (Pomeranian X) when he was just 12 months of age and he adapted well to his new environment. Because we had an older dog at home (Bella); we didn\u2019t have to spend much time teaching him tricks or commands as he observed what we did with Bella and quickly learnt the tricks of the trade. One of the things I love about Kenny is that you can just speak to Kenny without using any specific commands and he understands you perfectly! I do not believe that all rescued dogs have \u201cbaggage\u201d and even if that was the case, with enough love and care, I am sure every dog can move on from past experiences\u201d ~ Stephanie<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All dogs, regardless of age, breed, from the shelter or from a breeder will need time to adapt to a new environment. During this time, it is realistic for an owner to have to teach the dog what is or isn\u2019t acceptable in their new environment which may be mistaken as \u2018baggage\u2019 at times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Foster<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rescue dog Dora was fostered by a dog trainer. She was a beautifully trained dog when she became available for adoption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth 5: You need the experience to have a rescue dog<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Following on from Myth 4, often people think that they aren\u2019t experienced enough to deal with the \u2018baggage\u2019 that a rescue dog may have. The great news is that there are loads of rescue dogs available that are suitable for your experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI rescued both my dogs as \u201cyoung adults\u201d (just over 12 months old) \u2013 Banjo was a stray and Matilda was surrendered by her time\u00adpoor owners. I hadn\u2019t owned my own dog before them, except for the family dog when I was growing up. I wanted to adopt a dog because I didn\u2019t have the time for a new puppy, and there are so many that need a home. It was important going into the adoption to be mindful of the past life they might have had, but in the end, both dogs had almost no problems settling into our lives. The worst of it was that Matilda was extremely shy. They\u2019ve both become integral parts of family life and I would definitely adopt again\u201d ~ Karen<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re ready for the long term emotional and financial commitment that comes with owning a dog, then I encourage you to consider adopting. On top of the incredible feeling and connection of a dog in your life, it\u2019s a wonderful feeling to have rescued a dog that may have otherwise had a horrible fate.<\/p>\n\n\n