Well, life has been a whirlwind of sorts since Harvey arrived and left. New Orleans was prepared for the worst and we ended up with a non-event. That is great; it allows us to help out our neighbors in western Louisiana and TX. I am not a member of the Cajun Navy, and we don’t have a boat, but we do what we can and we support those doing more than we can!
One of the rescues that we are proud to work with, Take Paws, has joined forces with The Inner Pup to help as many dogs as possible in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Determined to leave no dog behind, they reacted to shelters being evacuated because of flooding by building a new one. Among others, they have taken in five pregnant dogs that were being shuffled around because of the storm. Volunteers are working diligently to give these stressed dogs a safe place where they will be cared for until they can find their forever homes. Thank God for the people that step up. 
With so many dogs needing homes, how do you decide if bringing a dog home is right for your family?
After a crazy summer with 8 to 9 dogs in the house at a time, we had finally scaled down to a more reasonable 5. It was nice. It was easy. But rescuing is what I love doing, so I chose to help out by taking in more foster dogs. We took in Murray, our yellow lab from Ascension Parish, and 8-week-old lab-mix puppies, Marshall and Rocky, from Nola Lab Rescue. We also took in Lewis, our adorable dachshund-mix pup from Zeus Rescues. Lewis was evacuated from flooding in St. Landry Parish. He was one of several transports of dogs and cats that Zeus’s took in. I went to their facility to pick a dog to foster. I was just about to grab a little black lab puppy when Lewis caught my eye. He gave me a pleeeaase take me home with you look, and it worked. So, woohoo, 9 dogs again, and rain, and mud! What fun! 🙂
If you are considering fostering or adopting a dog, how do you know if you are ready? What should you do to get ready?
You may picture yourself snuggling up with a puppy on the couch, taking long walks, playing fetch. You will have all of that, but there are other things that you need to be prepared for as well– pee, poo, and muddy paws, even worms. There are unexpected veterinary costs. There is begging for food and teething, and sometimes chewed shoes or furniture. Dogs have personalities and needs that you may not expect. Today we had one adopted dog returned and one about to be adopted dog left behind because it wasn’t going too work out. If you or someone that you know are thinking about getting a dog, see below.
The little puppies that we took in, Rocky and Marshall, were scared of the big dogs when they first arrived, so we set them up in a pen in a separate room and over two days we slowly brought in one dog at a time to meet them while they adjusted to life in a new place away from their momma. By day 3, they were fully integrated into the pack. It just took a little time and patience. Puppies require a lot of work – and potty training – but they are also so much fun! They snuggle up on you and make everything in the world ok. I highly recommend fostering and adopting puppies; just have lots of paper towels and Lysol wipes on hand, be prepared to take them outside often, and praise them like it’s a miracle if they pee or poo on the grass. Don’t feed them from the table if you don’t want to face years of a dog begging at the table. Set limits and be consistent.
Young puppies are little and cute. Its easy to forgive their little transgressions. Murray is a big puppy. He looks like a full grown Lab at 45 lbs. but still behaves like a puppy. He is less than a year old. Labrador Retrievers are basically puppies for their first three years. They are active, teething, and testing limits. They are also very intelligent, trainable, loyal companions. They are worth the effort. You just have to know what you are getting into. Know the breed and be prepared. It takes patience. It’s like having children (that don’t talk back, but do pee on the floor). Just like you have to be prepared to welcome a new baby home, you have to be prepared to welcome a new dog. I am constantly amazed by people who abandon their dogs at the shelter because they have too many potty accidents (you have to train them), chew on furniture (give them appropriate chew toys, and train them), chase chickens (OMG, they are dogs, check your breed if you have chickens!). My personal favorite is, “we are having a baby next week, this dog has to go now” (hello, most dogs are great with babies, very loving and protective, but they are NEVER disposable family members). Most dog issues can be fixed with training, and it is not difficult to do. It requires consistency and a little patience, just like good parenting.
Today is Saturday, Rocky and Marshall were both adopted at the end of the week, but Marshall has just returned to the Cecchine Hotel for Dogs. Even though we do interviews and check references and do home visits, people are not always prepared for the realities of having a dog. Marshall was returned to us because he had two potty accidents. Two! He is a 9-week-old puppy who was in a brand new place. Accidents happen. He has been working very hard on potty training, but he is still learning. So, back he comes. We have another potential adopter excited to meet him on Sunday. Paws crossed.
This morning it was Murray’s turn to meet potential adopters. He was so excited! Murray’s potential adopter was very excited to meet him too. She has an 11-year-old Lab and two 8-year-old Shitzus and she is ready for a younger dog to join her pack. She spent about an hour at The Cecchine Hotel for Dogs, but left without Murray. He is an eager, excited, active, big puppy. He even peed on the floor in the house and jumped on her just in case she didn’t know what to expect from him. She realized that Murray was going to be too much for her calmer, older dogs. Labs are a handful when they are young. The thing is, she met everybody here, and she and her daughter just fell in love with Lewis, the dachshund-mix. I think he gave her that same pleeeaase take me home with you look. Lewis is around 1 year old, we think, but MUCH calmer than his foster brother Murray. He is great with all of the dogs. He crawled right up onto her lap and kissed her, a lot. It looks like she will apply to adopt Lewis instead. He is here with me at least until he gets neutered next Friday. Paws crossed, he will have a forever home after that! I am going to miss him. He is an awesome dog. We are happy that the family found a dog that will fit with their lifestyle.
We aren’t sad for Murray, we will find him a great home. We will continue to work with him on peeing outside (and we will keep cleaning the carpet). We will love him and care for him as long as he needs us, and we will make sure that his adopters are ready for his level of puppy-ness. He is a great dog. Murray needs an active family that will smile at his little faux pas and help him to become the properly behaved Lab that he can be. He just needs time, patience, and more training.
We may be getting a 4-month-old lab this week who will be adopted by the parents of one of my foster lab adopters! She will be going to North Carolina for her happily ever after in a few weeks. For now she is with another foster.
This is how we help. One dog at a time. It feels great to do it, and I’m happy to share that I have inspired two others to start fostering as well. Be a helper, in whatever way you can. You never know when you will be the one in need of help and it will come back to you.
If you are thinking of getting a dog, be prepared. Be honest with yourself. Are you ready for a very active puppy or does a couch potato better fit your lifestyle? There are plenty of older, calmer dogs who need a home. If you have your heart set on a young dog, ask yourself a few questions.
- Am I willing to clean up potty accidents? (over-and-over-and-over until they get it…)
- Am I okay with minor furniture damage? Just like with young kids. Teething dogs and really nice furniture are not a good match.
- Am I going to freak out if the dog digs up my garden? This can be mitigated in several ways: vigilance, keeping watch and redirecting if digging occurs, and also by burying some poo where they have been digging. They will generally not mess with that area again.
- Are my kids ready for a teething, jumping puppy? Those little teeth and nails are sharp. Puppies need lots of teething toys. Redirect.
- Do I have legos and stuffed animals and toys with small pieces in my house? A swallowed piece of Lego can lead to a costly visit to the vet. Dogs don’t know the difference between a favorite child’s toy and a dog toy. You can use baby gates to keep dogs out of children’s play areas.
- Do I like to vacuum/am I ready for the reality of shedding? Think about the breed. We once had a Siberian Husky that shed as much as 4 or 5 labs.
- Am I ready to deal with a dog jumping on me? Teaching basic good manners requires persistence and patience. I have a two year old that still jumps on people that she’s happy to see.
- Do I want to wake up early to take the dog out? Is there an morning person in the house who is willing to do this? Puppies don’t generally sleep in. They will whine and bark because they need to go outside.
- Am I willing to play with the dog and walk it so that it gets the necessary exercise, even if its raining – freezing – or hotter than hell out? A bored dog or a dog that is crated for too long can turn destructive.
- Who is going to watch the dog if I travel? Boarding a dog is not cheap and can be stressful for your dog.
- How much do I think this dog is going to cost? Food, leashes, collars, toys. They have routine vet bills and need monthly preventative medecine and they can be expensive. It’s a good idea to get pet insurance to cover the non-routine, bigger expenses that can pop up.
These are all things to think about. Dogs are a big commitment. They are a part of the family. Think about your lifestyle and how much you are or are not willing to change it for a dog. A pet is a commitment. Are you ready to commit?
If you are, that’s great. If not, that’s okay too. I lived without dogs for a very long time because I was working long hours/ then moving countries too often/ then I had young children. Pets did not fit my lifestyle. They do now. I’m so happy to be settled down in one place with a whole, big, happy pack of dogs!
