RESCUE DOG

The most important thing on my list when considering adopting a dog is that it's a rescue! I don't believe in supporting puppy mills and over-breeding by shopping at pet stores with overpriced puppies that will likely have multiple health issues due to the breeding that takes place. Overall, there are plenty of dogs lined up to die that are sitting in shelters waiting to be adopted. It's the cold hard sad truth. Plus, every time you adopt from a shelter or animal rescue, another spot opens up for an animal on the kill list. Another exciting fact about dog adoption is that it's usually pretty cheap! For instance, Atlanta Humane Society prices right now are $100 for a dog over 6 months and $175 for a puppy under 6 months. The best part is... it includes everything! The dog comes microchipped, spayed/neutered, up to date on shots, a wellness exam is included, and even a small bag of food! Personally, I think that makes it all worth it if you weren't convinced already. The wellness exam alone can run around $150.

Another thing people use as an excuse to buy instead of adopt is that they don't know everything about where a dog came from or what the dogs tendencies will be. This is the very opposite of what the case may be. Usually you have a pretty good idea of what the dog is mixed with and, more-so, people get to know these shelter dogs! Most of the time they know if they're good with kids, if they're potty trained, if they enjoy love or want to be left alone, energy level... the list goes on! That's a lot more than you can say about a puppy that sits in a glass case all day.

There's just something about a shelter dog and the story that comes with them as you give them a lifelong home. Do you agree? Share your story!

Gender Neutral

Another thing I've found to be a big preference for me is gender. Now, this isn't necessarily true for all dogs but I've found male dogs to have more of a protector personality while female dogs seem to be the more lovey dovey type. While this obviously varies quite a bit and you really just have to feel it out when you meet the dogs, I've noticed in my experiences that females seem to give me the loving attention I prefer and want the same in return.

For instance, my dog from birth to about 8 was a male West Highland Terrier. I remember him following me around but he wasn't very lovey and probably just tolerated me most of the time.
However, Dixie was a whole different ball game. She was a little mutt that followed me everywhere, slept in bed with me, and overall just had an amazing personality.

This is not to degrade any male dog versus female dog. Again, this is just personal preference in the differences I've noticed in personalities. Do you have a preference regarding male or female dogs?

Dog Days Ahead

My experiences owning dogs have led me to multiple conclusions and discoveries. This time, I want to share some of the thoughts I go through as I embark on my process of finding a dog. You should know, I never look at a dog as just a dog; it's a member of the family. Believe it or not, there are many aspects to consider while searching for a dog and I do believe everyone should consider every aspect, issue, and fur ball. Why is it so important to realize the ins and outs of a dog before taking the new member home? Well, how would you like it if your parents decided you just weren't a good fit for the family and they could return you? Now, don't get me wrong, I made my mistakes as a young college student itching to get a dog. Let's look at Barkley for example. 

Barkley seemed like the most perfect dog in the world the second I laid eyes on him and he was. We got along great, enjoyed visits to the park, and he even had a special spot in bed. After 2 years of having Barkley, I knew more about him than anyone could imagine. The problem was, it wasn't all good and I wasn't all that mature. For starters, Barkley would try to attack friend's children. This was completely innocent as he's a dog. If I had a problem with that behavior, I should have questioned it before taking him home. He was just the type that didn't understand what the heck these miniature creatures were no matter what I tried. Heck, he'd even growl and snarl at new people he just decided he wasn't going to like. Still, it was no reason for me to get rid of him. I could never justify that. It wasn't until one day that I received a notice on my door that I had never paid the pet deposit for Barkley. Unfortunately, that was $400 I just didn't have. I came to the conclusion that I hadn't been fair to Barkley in the recent months and had barely been home enough to give him the attention he deserved. Funny enough, this is an excuse that upsets me on a daily basis now. Lucky for me, my ex agreed to take Barkley. Giving him up was the hardest thing I ever had to do. It seemed like it was in Barkley's best interest at the time. It seemed selfless. While there may be some truth to that, the real truth is that you know you're committing to taking a dog for the next 15+ years when you adopt them. You know what your pet deposit will cost or you find somewhere else to live. You know the details of the commitment and you would never just decide to find a new home for your child. Barkley was like my child. So, while Barkley was a learning experience for me, I've started this blog in the hopes that someone else can learn from my mistakes. I was lucky enough to be able to give Barkley a home with someone he already loved as much as me but dogs have feelings and hearts just like humans and it's possible there's something missing without me in his life.

If you don't believe me, I would strongly recommend the following video of a woman reuniting with her dog. Take a look HERE. 

Stay tuned for more! Thanks for reading!