Adopting a dog: seven things to think about
The Every Paw Has a Personality campaign puts a better match at the heart of adoption.
Sometimes the needs of the dog you adopt turn out to be very different from the life you lead.
That mismatch is one reason an adoption can break down. An informed choice matters. Looks and first impressions may draw you to a dog, but temperament, behaviour and individual needs deserve just as much attention, along with your ability to meet them.
Making that choice more informed is the focus of Every Paw Has a Personality,
a campaign by Bandata na 1500-te and Mars, aiming to help more adoptions succeed in Bulgaria and reduce the number of dogs returned to shelters. A return can be another stressful experience for an animal and make finding a permanent home harder. To help prospective owners, Mars has put together seven practical steps to consider before adopting.
- Start with your lifestyle
Your daily routine, the time you can give to walks and care, the space at home, any children or other animals, and
the time and resources you can put into training
all need thinking through in advance. A dog that needs plenty of exercise and stimulation, for example, may struggle in a home where it spends most of the day alone. Begin with the life you can realistically offer, as well as the dog you hope to find.
- Personality matters as much as age and size
Age and size are easy to see, but they do not tell you everything about a dog’s needs.
Temperament and activity levels matter too.
A calmer dog may suit one household, while a dog that needs more exercise and things to do may thrive with a more active owner.
- Find out how the dog responds to people and other animals
Before adopting, ask how the dog responds to unfamiliar people, other animals, new objects and different situations.
Find out about its experience of socialisation
and whether it would benefit from further training. This is particularly useful if there are already children or other animals at home.
- The past matters too
Medical history, additional needs, previous living conditions and experiences with people can all help you understand the care a dog may need.
A rescue dog’s past is not always known,
and some will have lived through difficult or traumatic experiences. That does not make them unsuitable for adoption. It may mean they need more time, patience or an approach tailored to them.
- A first meeting may not reveal the whole personality
Some dogs are comfortable meeting strangers. Others need time to relax. A brief meeting at a shelter is not always enough
to understand an animal’s personality.
Try to observe its behaviour and the signals it gives in different situations, over a series of meetings before you make your decision.
- Prepare your home in advance
Preparing your home means making it safe and providing suitable places to rest, move around and play. Put small objects and batteries out of reach, secure cables, and keep rubbish and potentially harmful plants somewhere the dog cannot get to them.
- Successful adoption takes time after coming home, too
Moving into an unfamiliar home is a major change. Give your dog a quiet space of its own and introduce the new surroundings, people and daily routine gradually. A consistent routine and reward-based training can help
build trust and make settling in easier.
The Every Paw Has a Personality campaign also includes the creation of a dedicated enclosed area at Gorni Bogrov shelter, designed to provide a calmer setting for behavioural assessments and meetings with prospective adopters. Specialists from Bandata na 1500-te observe dogs in different situations to build a fuller picture of their personalities, responses and individual needs. That information helps potential owners get to know a dog before adopting and consider whether its needs fit their home and way of life.
Every Paw Has a Personality: finding the right dog for your home
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