Unfortunately, not all doggos get the love and respect they deserve. Lots of them end up being abandoned and have to wait to be adopted at animal shelters.
Adopting a dog isn’t a decision that you should take lightly: they’re not an impulse buy that you can return within 14 weeks of the purchase. Owning a pet is a lot of responsibility and you have to be sure you’re ready for such a weight. Once you sign the paperwork, changing your mind would mean you hurt the dog’s feelings even more by making it feel unwanted. So make absolutely sure you’re ready for a Good Boy or Girl beforehand.
According to Ockelford from the RSPCA, on average, it takes 38 days to rehome a dog under their care. "Sadly, some wait much longer. Rhodesian Ridgebacks wait the longest, with an average stay of 118 days, while English bull terriers stay for 97 days, and American bulldogs wait 76 days."
"Staffordshire bull terriers, the dogs we see most commonly coming into our centers, wait for 47 days on average to find a home. A dog's age also makes a huge difference as to how long they wait in our kennels. If a dog is under six months, the average wait is 15 days while a dog aged between one and three has to wait 41 days and a senior pooch (seven and over) has to wait, on average, 48 days," she told Bored Panda.
Ockelford explained that "the important thing to remember is that all dogs, no matter their age, breed, or background, are individuals and will have different temperaments, personalities and traits."
"It's vital that owners understand this before they adopt a dog and are aware that their dog's needs may change over time. If you have a particularly nervous dog or a dog who struggles with certain behaviors, such as separation anxiety or being reactive around other dogs, then we'd advise speaking to your vet who may refer you to a clinical animal behaviorist for help. There's also lots of advice for people adopting an RSPCA dog in our pre-adoption pack and on our website.
Ockelford noted that the RSPCA works "extremely hard to find homes for all of the dogs in our kennels but, sadly, for some, that wait can be longer than others."
"If we're struggling to rehome a dog from a particular centre then we might move them to a different area or try to find them a foster home. We've had some dogs in our care for years before we were able to find them the perfect home. But we will wait and do all we can until we find them their perfect match."
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According to Wide Open Pets, you ought to decide on the house rules before bringing your adopted doggo back to its forever home. That way you’ll communicate what you expect from the dog with your body language and a confident tone. If you know what you want, the dog will know what you want. And that leads to a healthy, happy household.
Different dog breeds have different levels of energy. But all of them need at least some exercise. So be ready to give them plenty of exercise. That means that if you’re a couch potato now, you’re going to have to change your lifestyle. Otherwise, your energetic buddy will turn into a couch dogtato. [Accepts award for probably the worst dog pun of all time.]
You should also consider signing up your dog for at least some basic training. After all, you don’t know what bad habits the animal might have picked up previously. Also, schedule a meeting with a veterinarian to make sure that your new best friend is feeling at the top of its game and ready for some hilarious and cute adventures.
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