Dog adoption is a big decision for any family. There are pros and cons just like with any major decision in life, and this decision is going to affect your entire family dynamic. I am not talking about adopting a puppy relatively, that is easy. Puppies are not all the same, but in many ways you get a clean slate with a puppy. It doesn’t matter where they come from. Much of a puppy’s behaviour is going to be based on his environment and if you are a reasonable and responsible dog owner, then you have done a little research and decided how you want to raise your puppy. 

Adopting a dog that is 5+ months old is another game altogether. They have gone through many of their critical introduction periods with very little help from anyone, as most shelters are too busy keeping that puppy physically healthy and fed.  Because of this you may get a dog with some “issues”. Many shelter staff may be able to give you an idea of what particular issues this dog may have trouble with, but many times you just won’t know until you get them out of the shelter environment and into your home.

At the Wellington SPCA  I work with many dogs on many different issues. Some of which will be easily solved by removing them from the stressful shelter environment. It is an unfortunate fact that no matter how “good” a shelter and how committed it’s staff, a shelter is not an ideal place for a dog. Dog’s are pack animals and it is highly stressful for them to be in a situation where they have no or very little pack dynamic. 

Other issues, like high reactivity due to poor social skills, is seen all too often and will probably hold over into a home environment. High reactivity means that the dog has a very low threshold  tolerance to novel stimuli. This will manifest itself as screaming, lunging, and charging  when the dog encounters this new stimuli or “trigger”.

If you have been thinking about adopting please don’t let this frighten you. Most shelter dogs don’t have this problem and the ones that do are still worth considering as your new  family member. There is nothing more rewarding than giving a dog, who has had a hard or downright tragic start in life, a safe and loving home where they can learn what it means to have a good family/pack.

So what do you do if you have found your perfect dog, and he turns out to be a little less perfect than you had hoped? There are solutions, but they do take a lot of consistency and dedication from your entire family. The saddest thing I see is when a family has adopted a dog and can’t see it through. Because it is hard work and for awhile it feels like your life is falling apart. This may seem melodramatic but those families out there who have been through this know what I am talking about.

I felt it was important to bring this up as many people are adopting from the shelters this summer. For those people I just want to say, there is  a light at the end of the tunnel. When your new companion truly trusts you, and settles into his new pack, things get easier. Through work on thresholds,  leadership, and foundation exercises, even the most reactive dog can learn to relax. Remember its a dog’s life, so lets enjoy it!