Chapter 1
A Month Before:
Should You Get a Rescue Dog?
There are so many good things about owning a dog: companionship,
protection and unconditional love. Dogs are also good for
our health, with research indicating that people who own dogs
have lower blood pressure and lower levels of stress hormones in
their blood. But, owning a dog is also a tremendous responsibility.
If you’re considering sharing your life with a dog, it’s important
that you stop and think before you leap into this commitment.
A dog should never be an impulse buy, even though it’s hard to resist
those soft brown eyes and wet nose, you are adding a living being
to your family, a family member that relies on you for their every
need. The average lifespan for an American dog is 12 years, and
you will need to meet your dog’s every physical, mental and emotional
need for his entire life.
Use the month before adoption to consider what you can comfortably
offer a dog that joins your life. Spending a bit of time to figure out what kind of lifestyle commitments you can make will help you decide whether a dog is right for you at this time of your life, and will help you make better decisions on what type of dogs make sense for your family.
ADMIN NOTE -
This great little booklet will give many people new to pet ownership some things to think about before bringing your new dog home and may serve as a guide in the first few days, he is at home with you. But some of the suggestions should be researched further before you follow them. An example is Alpha Training. Most Animal Advocates, today have rejected Alpha Training and you should be prepared to do your own research on various training methods before you decide which is right for you.
You should also be prepared to do further research into Canine Nutrition and Vaccination Protocol. There have been several changes in both areas in the past few years.
The Rescue Resource Collective members have written on all of these topics in the past two years and we are here to answer any questions you may have on these or any other Canine Topic.
Lynne Fowler