Fostering Dogs
Rescue a Dog
Animal shelters are interested in getting their dogs a good home and will try to match the dog with a compatible owner. There are many mixed dog breeds in animal shelters and you will be able to rescue a dog from a shortened life and gain a wonderful canine companion for much less money than you would have spent on a purebred dog. These rescued dogs seem to know when they have been saved and they are very grateful and loving pets.
Then, there are rescue groups or rescue organizations that take unwanted or abused pets and attempts to find new, caring homes for them. Most rescue groups are created by and run by volunteers, who take the animals into their homes and care for them—including training, loving, playing, handling medical issues, and solving behavior problems—until a suitable permanent home can be found.
There are many sound and practical reasons to adopt a rescued Springer:
- The dog may already be house trained. Even adult dogs, with little experience living inside a home, are surprisingly easy to train.
- Older dogs enjoy playing with toys and learning new games.
- Unless they are puppies, dogs are their full size when they are adopted.
- Re-homed dogs are eager to learn the ways of their new home.
- With careful screening, our organization helps find the best match possible for your household.
- The dog’s shots are current, and they are spayed or neutered.
I have had the privilege of fostering many dogs for my local humane society since 2007 and can say these dogs have been eager to show their unconditional love.
A mixed breed dog is a fine dog for most homes and families. Mixed dog breeds may also be hardier health wise and will not be as susceptible to the illnesses that can strike purebred dogs. Your mixed breed dog can add joy and love to your life so do not overlook a dog’s value just because it is a mixed breed.
Choosing Your Dog
If you’re looking to acquire a new dog, the first and perhaps most important decision is to carefully select a breed that is most likely to fit into your family temperament and lifestyle. There are many breeds to choose from, and there is at least one to fit every situation. There are breeds that are predisposed to retrieve, to guard, to pull sleds or carts, to snuggle, and to lie by the hearth. There are active breeds and calm breeds. There are breeds to satisfy the desire to comb long strands of silky hair and breeds that require only an occasional rubdown to keep coats healthy.
There are breeds that can withstand cold climates and breeds that can cope with hot, muggy temperatures. There are breeds that love children and can put up with a toddler’s teasing, poking, and pulling and a 10-year-old’s rough-housing. What’s important is that you choose a breed that fits well into your lifestyle.
There are also numerous mixed dog breeds from which you can choose. Mixed dog breeds do not have registration papers and are not eligible for them either and some of these mixed dogs can look closely like a purebred dog but its mixed ancestry will prevent the dog from getting its registration papers. A mixed breed is not eligible to compete in the American Kennel Club competitions although it can compete in obedience competitions.
Mixed dog breeds are not for people who want to know exactly what the dogs will look like as they mature and they are also not suitable for someone who wants their dog to perform certain tasks such as hunting and herding because it is unknown how much of the desired traits it will exhibit unlike the behavior expectations that can be had with a pure breed dog. A mixed dog will have an even chance of displaying the traits, good and bad, of any of the breeds in its family history.
Mixed dogs are less expensive that purebred dogs. Mixed dog breeds produce a very nice dog that will be just as fine and loyal of a companion as you could desire from any purebred dog. You can train mixed dog breeds with as much success as you can have with purebred dogs.
