Adopting a Pet, Maybe
I have been thinking about adopting a pet, maybe. I mean it is a big commitment and I have a lot of demands on my time. That seriously puts a kink in what type of pet I can adopt. Though I know that I will be adopting from a shelter if I choose to go through with it.
When you adopt from a shelter you are shaving a life. And that means a second chance on life.
Older animals have the hardest time being adopted; people see them as a risk, sickly, and weak. And that it why most of them get passed over for fear of medical expense and other health issues like incontinence, however unfounded they might be.
There are a lot of benefits to adopting an older pet. As a child my family only adopted and all of our dogs were older. My dad actually had a "no puppy" rule. And his reasoning was simple: puppies need to be house trained, they have ample amounts of energy, chew constantly and have needs most babies and children do.
An adult dog has all of this behind her and yet they are just as affectionate and "cute" just in a different way. And you will be able to leave them alone longer. They won't pee inside and your sofa will remain un-chewed.
All of which should be seen as positive points.
If they are under a year old they are still pretty much a puppy. Depending on the breed a dog can still be seen as young when they are two or three. Not that that means that they are still a puppy mind you.
While this all speaks for an older dog and an adoption it is important to note that you still need to be careful when adopting.
If the dog is aggressive – regardless of what it promoted online and by experts – dog aggression cannot be trained out of an animal regardless of the breed though the behavior is more apparent in fighting dogs. The best animal behaviorists agree on this. And if the dog is in the shelter for aggressive behavior you should be very mindful of what that means.
One of our dogs was a collie and lab mix. She had been relinquished to the shelter because she had been purchased as a farm dog. She wasn't ideal for that life though. And since her previous owners wanted a working dog they relinquished her. She was a timid little girl with the name Brenda, I'm serious. We named her Buttercup or Butter for short, and we never looked back. She was really timid at first because they left her chained up behind a barn for over a year. She had a raw spot in her neck where the chain wore the fur away and it took a long time for it to heal.
She lived with us for most of my childhood but due to hip dysplasia which became less an less manageable with time (medication and surgery helped little) her quality of life deteriorated until finally. Well, it was the hardest day of my life.
Buttercup was one of several dogs my family has given another chance.
Right now I don't have the time to properly care for a canine companion. Though I love dogs they have to share my love. It would be better to say that I love other animals equally. And I know that it would be unfair to expect a dog to function with my schedule. Because of that consideration I am contemplating adopting a cat.
I will keep you informed on my decision.