Welcoming a furry friend into your life can have a surprising amount of health benefits for you. Your doctor probably isn’t about to write a prescription that says “get a dog,” but research has shown that dog owners are actually healthier than those without four legged friends. People with dogs are more active, they are less likely to experience depression, they suffer less minor health problems such as headaches, backaches, colds and insomnia plus they have a lower risk of heart attack, they have lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure and lower triglyceride fats in their blood than non pet owners. Additionally dogs help people relax, which in turn reduces stress.
While owning a dog has a long list of emotional and physical benefits, dog ownership also has its drawbacks. So before you rush out and buy a puppy or adopt a dog you should put a great deal of thought and research into getting a dog because you are making a life-long commitment to that dog.
Being a responsible dog owner starts long before you bring your new dog home. There are some key questions you need to ask yourself before deciding on what type of dog would best suit your lifestyle. Can you afford the dog? Larger dogs cost more to feed and their vet bills are usually higher. Does lots of shedding bother you? Where will the dog stay if you need to leave town and can’t take him or her with you? You also need to make sure that the size, energy level and temperament of the dog is in line with what you can handle. This is where adopting an adult dog has a lot of advantages.
Most people seem to think they need to buy a puppy. Wrong! Yes puppies are cute, but they are also A LOT of work. You have to deal with teething, house-breaking, basic training and let’s not forget the un-ending supply of puppy energy. You don’t exactly know how big the puppy will grow up to be and you can’t be totally sure that he’ll have the type of personality you’re looking for. When you adopt an adult dog from a shelter or rescue organization you already know the size and temperament and the added bonus that the dog may be wholly or partly trained.
There are millions of homeless pets out there, all patiently waiting to find their perfect forever-home. A dog will end up in a the rescue system for a variety of reasons, but regardless of their background shelters and rescue groups will evaluate the dog’s temperament to ensure that they are adoptable. Evaluating the dog also helps to determine what kind of permanent home will be the best match for both dog and human.
Most everyone knows their local shelter is a wonderful place to adopt a homeless dog, but not everyone know about the massive network of animal rescue groups. These are groups of volunteers that are dedicated to “rescue, rehabilitate and re-home” both mixed and purebred dogs.
Typically these rescue groups have people that perform a variety of jobs. Some keep an eye on local shelters for dogs that need helping, some people assist with transporting if a dog needs to be moved any great distance, some people focus on fundraising and some people open their home and become foster parents to a dog in need. These foster homes help get dogs out of already crowded shelters, giving other dogs more space and time. An added bonus when you adopt a dog that has been in a foster situation is that you are able to learn a lot about the dog from the foster parents. They can tell you exactly how the dog behaves in certain situations and they can inform you about any quirks the dog might have (and all dogs have their own special quirks). Plus these foster homes can be a valuable resource for advice and information if you ever have any problems down the road.
So now that you’ve decided to adopt a dog and you’ve researched what kind of dog would suit your lifestyle, what next? Where to start? There is a rescue group for every imaginable dog out there, but because they are all individual, volunteer organizations the trick is finding them. One great place to start is www.petfinder.com. Petfinder lists dogs from shelter and rescue groups from all over the country (though you can look for your specific region). Another website that lists rescue groups nation wide is www.dogbreedinfo.com (click on the rescue link when you get to the home page). Finally, a local Arizona rescue website to check out is www.azrescue.org.
Good luck on your search and never be afraid to ask too many questions. Adding a dog to the family is a big commitment and the more you know going into the adoption the better it will turn out for all humans and canines involved.
