Adopting a Dog - Are you ready?

Bringing any animal into your home is a huge decision and, is something that should be done with the future in mind. Too often, pets are adopted only to be returned to rescue or otherwise "dumped" because a family finds themselves overwhelmed by the reality of pet parenthood.

Granted, life happens and sometimes there are circumstances that leave some families no other choice but to re-home much loved pets. However, when a Rescuer hears the phrase "get rid of the dog" as a result of humans not doing their due diligence and adequately preparing themselves for all aspects of animal guardianship, our hackles might rise just a teeny bit.

Because we want every family and every pet to succeed and thrive, The Pack Project has put together a little list of tips, tricks & pointers to help you all get settled in and adjust to your new family dynamic.

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• Plan to adopt from a Rescue or Shelter.
• Shop accordingly in advance of bringing home your new family member;
  •   Food, bowls, bed, collar, leash, treats, chew toys, kennel
• Choose a Vet you are comfortable with and, can afford.
  
• Have a training method selected.
• Be prepared for an adjustment period, for all of you.
• Consider your work schedule and have a back up plan for days that you work late.
• Have a feeding and exercise schedule in place.
• Be aware of how much exercise your chosen breed requires.
• Research licensing and insurance costs, can you afford little unexpected expenses like tick testing and treatment, grooms and, nail trims?
• Where will your pet go when you go on Holiday?
• Renters, is your residence pet friendly? If you have to move will you insist on a pet friendly place to live or is giving the dog away an option? (NOTE: a yes to this question is a huge red flag)
• Is everyone in the residence 100% on board with getting a pet? Talking someone into bringing an animal into the home against their will is a breeding ground for intolerance.
• Are you positioned to do the clean-up required when you share your home with an animal? Hair gets into absolutely everything and, there is the yard and/or litter box maintenance to manage.
• If adding a second (or third) pet, has a pre-adoption meet and greet between the animals been arranged? Animals are just like people, they pick and choose who they love, tolerate and unfortunately, can't stand to share space with.
  
• Does someone in the home have allergies? Are you sure? Allergies is a big reason why many animals get returned to rescues and shelters. Find a way to check this out. Visit a shelter or the home of someone with the kind of animal you plan on adopting. Allergies make themselves known pretty quickly!
• Be prepared to take an animal through its senior years through to its passing.
  

A really good question to ask yourself when considering adding a pet to the family mix is, am I prepared to completely provide and care for a being who will rely wholly on me for it's day to day needs for the next 10 plus years?

A pet can and should add to the joy and happiness of any household, whether it be a single person or a bustling family. Because they are so innocent and huge hearted, make sure the decision to provide an animal a forever home is the right choice for everyone.

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