Pluto prior to arriving at Redemption Paws dog rescue
Our rescue, Redemption Paws, began in 2017 and since then we have had the amazing honor to save 3,000 lives from euthanasia. However, this isn’t just because of us, it’s because of all of you who have decided to adopt. Thankfully over the years, the trend has become to #adoptdontshop, which means more lives are saved, but that also sometimes leads to complications for all involved.
We want to start this blog by stating that although we are a rescue, we are in massive support of “adopt or shop responsibly”, meaning that if you are to buy, go to a reputable breeder where you can have assurance, and records of health and temperament testing, as well as ethical breeding.
When you welcome a dog into your home, you should only be doing so if you have the time, energy, and finances needed to take care of it. You never know, whether you adopt or purchase from a breeder, if the dog will later develop a health condition, get an injury, develop allergies, reactivity, etc. all of which can cost money to correct. This is especially true with rescue dogs who often have unknown pasts full of trauma, and unknown medical history/genetics. So although the adorable adoptable chihuahua you see can be yours for only $900, instead of a $3,500 puppy from a breeder, both can still rack up a bill. After all, no matter how a dog enters your life, it is a living, breathing creature that is fully dependent on you for its safety, and well-being.
When it comes to adopting, there is also the misconception that because normally those available are adult dogs, it is thought that they are fully trained, and properly socialized. Although many times this can be the case (stray dogs often can be better socialized than the typical pet dog due to the situations they have encountered) it is not always, and again, this goes back to unknown traumas they have been through. This then can lead to welcoming a full-grown dog into your house and needing to help leash train it, teach it obedience, maybe even housebreaking, all of which require dedication, patience, and love.
Now we are not telling you all of this to scare you away from adopting, but to make sure you are fully prepared for the effort needed on your end to help the dog you choose to welcome into your life thrive, and feel safe.
So if you were to adopt today from Redemption Paws, here is a general synopsis of what you could expect.
- A decompression stage where the dog learns to trust you. It is important to note though that depending on the dog, a decompression stage can be anywhere from 15 minutes to several months, but as their new owner, and protector, it is part of your responsibility to give them the patience and time they need to adapt.
- Training. Even if the foster who had your dog prior to you worked with them every day, there will be the need for you to reinforce their training to help the dog realize that whatever it learned in another environment, will follow into their new home. If you do not put the time in to reinforce skills or teach them to begin with, then there can be regression (forgetting of habits or routine).
- Accidents. Now many different types of accidents can occur, but in this particular instance, we are talking about pee/poo in the house. If any of you have ever moved with a pet you will already know that it is common for even the best-housebroken dog to have accidents while getting used to a new space. This can be due to stress, or just trying to spread their scent in the home. Do not stress though, as this usually only occurs for a short period of time, and just requires you to be extra diligent.
- Patience. No matter how a dog comes into your life, they enter being fully dependent on you. To feed them. Keep them clean. To exercise them. Teach them how to behave in a scary or stressful situation, and most importantly, to love them through it all. To help them figure it all out you need to grant them patience, which means not giving up on them if they don’t want to cuddle a few days after you adopt them. Or because they growl at dogs on walks. Your patience and guidance is the only thing that can help them, and after all they have been through, it is the least they deserve.
If you read this and are not sure if adopting is for you, we recommend you take time to research the difference between rescuing and shopping responsibly, and figure out which route is better for you. We want to make sure that no matter how a dog enters your home, you are prepared, and are set up for success.
If you have specific questions about our adoption process, or are wanting to adopt but are now unsure if you are a proper fit for a rescue, feel free to send us an email.
*To read further about this topic, click the links below*
- How to Adopt a Dog: Process, What to Expect and How to Prepare (petcube.com)
- 10 Reasons You Should Probably NOT Adopt a Rescue Dog (topdogtips.com)
*To get to know us more, or to browse our adoptable dogs, click the links below*