- What are the advantages of adopting an older dog?
First
of all, you know what the dog’s temperament and personality is.
When you buy a six or seven week old puppy you really have no idea what
it will be like when it is six months old or a year old. Most rescue
dogs are between the ages of 1 l/2 and 2 l/2. By that time their personalities
and temperaments are pretty obvious.
Second, you don’t have to
mess with the chewing and other mischief that puppies get into. By the
time they get to be about a year old much of this destructive puppy behavior
is behind them. And third, you don’t have to worry about housebreaking
the dog.
- But can you bond with a dog that is not a puppy?
Absolutely
yes! People who foster dogs will tell you that you bond very quickly
with most dogs. Many people who volunteer to foster a dog end up adopting
the dog because they cannot imagine giving the dog up after even a few
weeks.
- What does “rescue” mean?
Dogs wind up in
animal shelters for a wide variety of reasons. Sometimes they are strays
picked up by animal control and they are unclaimed by their owners. Sometimes
they are turned into the shelter by their owners. Animal shelters have
dogs coming in all of the time, and they cannot afford to keep dogs for
an indefinite period of time because they simply don’t have the
room. If dogs are not claimed or adopted within a certain period of time
they are euthanized.
If it looks like a purebred Lab is going to be euthanized
the shelter workers call a Lab Rescue organization. If there is a foster
home available or the organization has somewhere to board the dog,
the dog is “pulled” or “rescued” from the shelter.
The rescue organization treats the dog for any medical problems, spays
or neuters the dog, tests for heartworms and parasites and finds an
adoptive home for the dog.
Sometimes Good Samaritans find Labrador Retrievers
and are reluctant to turn them into a shelter for fear or their being
euthanized. These Good Samaritans can contact a rescue organization and
if they are willing to foster the dog or if there is a foster placement
open, the dog will be taken into the program and “rescued”.
Sometimes owners must relinquish their dog. This is a very sad event
in the life of any dog. Lab rescue organizations try to help these
owners find a loving home for the dog so that the dog does not end up
in a shelter and run the risk of euthanasia.
- Why are labs the most popular dog in the world?
The
Labrador Retriever is one of the most loved breeds in the world. In the
United States, the Labrador is leading according to the AKC statistics.
What attracts people in the Labrador Retriever? The dog has wonderful
personality traits, working qualities, and is a favorite of children.
The breed is very active, yet not hyper.
It is used mostly as a companion. However, the Labrador is the most
popular guide dog. As a matter of fact, the breed has a lot of uses.
It is friendly and devoted, which contributes to the qualities of the
dog.
Labs are people dogs. That is why they are so often used as seeing eye
dogs, service dogs, for drug sniffing, and for bomb sniffing, etc. Labs
love to be around their people and to work with people.
- Is a Labrador Retriever the best choice for my family?
Labradors
are very popular because they are known as good family dogs. They generally
get along well with children and with other dogs. They are usually very
gregarious. They are also very active dogs and require a great deal of
exercise. Can your family set aside time every day to play ball? Is your
family willing to regard a Lab as an “inside” dog? Labs really
prefer to be “inside” dogs. They don’t want to be relegated
to the backyard. They want to be with the family.
Is someone in your
family willing to make a commitment to take the dog for obedience training?
Labs can weigh in from 55 pounds to 95 pounds and are considered “big” dogs.
Nothing is more obnoxious than a poorly mannered “big” dog.
Nothing is more enjoyable than a well- mannered Lab! You can find books
on Labrador Retrievers at the local library and at pet stores. You can
also find a great deal of information about the characteristics of the
breed on the internet. And, you can visit with a Lone Star Lab Rescue
volunteer or foster and meet some of the dogs up for adoption. This can
help give you a “feel” for what Labrador Retrievers are like
to live with. It is important to do your homework before you make the
decision to adopt a lab.
- Will an adopted Lab get along with my children?
Labrador
Retrievers are known as being good family pets. Many people have infants
and small children and one or two Labs living in the same house with
the family. A young, energetic Lab might inadvertently knock a toddler
over. Toddlers are known to be very resilient, however, and this is generally
not a problem.
It is important that children be taught how to treat dogs.
They should be taught not to tease them, not to take a bone away from
them or their food away from them and to leave them alone when they
are eating or chewing. Generally speaking Labs are very good natured
but it should be remembered that they are dogs and special care should
be taken to always monitor both children and dogs when they are in the
same room together.
- Can I get a Lab to surprise someone?
No! This is
always a bad idea! Getting a Labrador Retriever should always be a carefully
thought out decision made by the person who will be caring for the dog.
- Are dogs that we get from a Lab rescue organization healthy,
trained and housebroken?
When Lone Star Lab Rescue brings
a dog into the program it is immediately taken to a veterinarian
where it is examined, given all vaccinations, a fecal test and a heartworm
test. The dogs receive a bath, an Advantix to kill fleas and ticks,
and if the dog does not test positive for heartworms it is given
a heartworm preventative such as Sentinel.
The dog is also treated for any
medical conditions such as hookworms, tapeworms, ear infections, skin
infections, kennel cough, etc. The dog is also either spayed or neutered
if this has not already been done. If the dog is heartworm positive
it is treated for heartworms. If a dog is not heartworm positive it
is usually ready to be adopted in about two weeks. If it is heartworm
positive it will not be ready for adoption for at least a month to
six weeks.
Thus, when a dog is ready for adoption it is healthy and “ready
to go.” Lone Star Lab Rescue does not train dogs unless there
is a serious behavioral issue. Foster homes work on house manners and
sometimes work on basic obedience. Usually, however, the obedience
training is left to the adoptive family. As a general rule all dogs
are housebroken when they are put up for adoption. However, some dogs
that are pulled from shelters have been “outside” dogs
all of its lives and come into the program not housebroken. This
is something the foster works on. In cases like this it might be
that when the dog moves to his permanent home he might have an accident
or two. This is a very stressful period for a rescue dog and just
as you would expect a child to have an accident or two when he is
being potty trained, you might expect something similar with a dog.
This is another instance where crating is very very helpful.
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