Thinking about getting a furry friend to in 2019? We say GO FOR IT! Our Jive family is full of four-legged fur babies and while we know it is a big step to undertake, we think it’s super rewarding and totally worth the effort. The question becomes, how do you pick the perfect pooch?
You’ve probably seen this little directive floating around your social feeds. Adopting a dog in need is a socially conscious way to go when choosing a pet. You’re helping to save a dog and you’re supporting a shelter or rescue mission to keep doing what they can to decrease the population of at-risk dogs. Yes, there are fees and yes, there are hoops to jump through, but ultimately, this process helps you get closer to getting the dog that is right for your home. (Nobody wants you to get a dog that you end up marching right back the place where you got it!)
Check into open in-take shelters (accept all dogs/cats) and limited in-take shelters (select their choice from open in-take); both have different functions and will have different relationships with the dogs. Your goal is to get to a shelter that has a great ratio of dogs-to-staff; this way when you go looking for your dear one, the staff will be knowledgeable about the dogs and can assist in a meaningful way.
A lot of us didn’t grow up with dogs; that means some of us had to learn dog behavior the hard way. Not fun. Take some time to read about dog-speak and about breed and mixed breed behavior prior to shopping. (#saveyourself!) You’ll learn that you may want to hire a trainer early on to help you out with not just training your dog, but also understanding her so that you can avoid exasperation and embarrassment when your dog won’t “Come!” or alleviate extended moments of wanting to rip your hair out at 4 am when your dog won’t settle down for the night. Think of this process like reading, “What Expect When You’re Expecting” or “Investing for Dummies” or “So You Bought a New Home, Now What”. It’s like that. Learn and live better.
If you know your heart, you’ll know your dog when you see him. Take it from one of us:
“The best advice I can give is ‘when you know you know’ – we looked at a few other dogs before seeing Z and we liked them, but I didn’t have that OMG THIS IS MY DOG moment with them. We saw Zadie, she was so scared she basically took down a small table trying to hide from us, but I saw her and was all ‘OMG that’s her. She needs me’. It was a heart response!” – Jacki, Jive LA office.
Follow us on Instagram and show us your pooch! Happy Adopting!
