What you need to know before you take the dog from a shelter

Issues and problems with a new pet - this is normal. Well, if you'll have to prepare for them in advance. If you are thinking about how to shelter at home a dog, we will tell you what to expect from this event, and urge: take a pet from a shelter - a great idea. This will help us experts: canine Jay Kus (Jay Koes) and Eugene Drach, volunteer in an animal shelter.

The easiest way to compare the appearance of the animal the appearance of a child. Only this child will never grow. Responsibility for his life and remain your forever. No matter purchased or rescued from the street, from a shelter, a new animal will be stressful for you. This is normal, and it passes.

Eugene Drach, a volunteer at an animal shelter

Selection of animal

Animal that you chooseIt will become part of your family. The dog has emotional needs and nature. It is logical to choose a pet that is suitable for you and your loved ones. Eugene Drach advises: the less you have the experience of animal welfare, the more carefully should pick up another.

"Even though you do not buy this dog, it is worth getting to know and understand whether you fit each other", - says Eugene. Otherwise, the noble desire to save the animal will turn disappointment and return the pet to the shelter.

The easiest and most practical advice: take the animal's temperament, close to yours. I enjoy hiking - take a vigorous, rolling the dog in his prime. You like to sit with a book or laptop - take phlegmatic, not too active, maybe even pretty adult animal.

Eugene Drach, a volunteer at an animal shelter

Do not rely on the principle of "opposites attract." If the contact is not the most good-natured dog will become a burden.

family preparation

Discuss the appearance of a dog in the home and make sure that all, without exception, agree to such a move. Jay Kus notes: if someone from home against, it almost certainly means conflicts and, as a result, problems in behavior in the future.

Arrange their responsibilities for the care of the dog. Someone needs to walk it in the morning and in the evening, someone - to buy food, someone - to play and to learn commands. More uslovtes necessarily about who will print the dog for a moment into the courtyard in the middle of the day. Jay says that dogs tolerate bad all day between morning and evening paddock. Your pet will be healthier and feel better if he would have the opportunity to at least briefly go out three times a day.

Very important: if a family has children under the age of 12 years, they certainly need to learn the rules of safe and respectful dialogue with the dogs.

Chief among them - do not touch the dog while she was asleep, did not come to her when she eats, not to frighten her jerky movements and sounds are not to lean on her, respect her wishes when she pulls away, leaving, or more in some way clearly shows that it uncomfortable.

Jay Kus, canine

Time

Prepare for the fact that pay sufficient time and attention to your new friend. After all, it is necessary.

Eugene Drach said: if you find yourself not ready for this, the dog will make to attract attention in a different way. Zhovannye shoes, torn wallpaper, battered sofa ...

Mutual understanding between the dog and its owner - the result of a long work.

It is important that you understand why endure this stress, to the joy of communicating with the animal quickly and easily outweighed the discomfort of minor problems. You will need to change the usual way of life and daily routine. Then you'll be glad of this, it may initially be difficult.

Eugene Drach, a volunteer at an animal shelter

Adaptation

How to behave on the day when the dog finally crossed the threshold of your home? By this, too, must be prepared, because your instincts and aspirations, most likely you will be deceived.

The first thing you want to do - is to postpone the works, and the remainder of the day to chat with the dog and record it on video to put on social networks, offer him food and toys, check to see if he knows various teamsAnd the like, said Jay Kus.

It is disappointing, but we must act exactly the opposite. The best thing you can do - is to pretend to be the owner of the dog include a show animal quiet corner in the apartment, where the litter prepared for him and where no one will bother to put in a conspicuous place a bowl of water and politely forget about the existence of your lodger at least a couple days.

What else to do? Here are a few short tips.

• Often breed dogs on the street. If she looks anxious and shy to ease in, try to walk her on a long leash and often get distracted from it.
• Help to get used to the new area and the house. Do not rush to keep the dog in the park, where walking your friends breeders, or to acquaint her with the neighborhood dogs.
• Invite guests to your home to show the dog, too, it is not recommended during the first weeks.

Everything is better to postpone until the moment when you notice that your dog bolder, requires more attention and more comes to you during the day, behaves more confident on walks and to show more interest in the things apartment. This will be the official start of his new life as a confidence in the future of domestic dog.

Jay Kus, canine

specialists

Make sure to pre-acquainted with people who are ready to help you live with a new friend.

1. Veterinarian

If you try and find a good doctor for your dog, you'll see him very rarely.

How to determine whether a good veterinarian? Eugene advises to pay attention to three main points:

1. How calm the animal feels in the hands of a veterinarian? A good doctor will not twist or dog to clamp her mouth. In the experience of Eugene, good doctors do injections, gently stroking and not fixing a pet.
2. How experienced the doctor? This is important because the more experience at the vet, the fewer tests and procedures will have to endure your animal.
3. How well do you know each other? Personal contact with a veterinarian is also important. "If there is no normal communication, treatment is delayed or does not work. Find such a professional with whom you feel comfortable talking, and after communicating with whom you all clear "- advises Eugene.

2. zoopsychology

on animal behavior specialist will help you to deal with problems, sometimes even online. If your dog's behavior is problematic, you will need to refer to such a specialist.

3. Canine

If you want to train a dog, you need a dog handler or trainer. Jay Kus told about how to understand what a competent person in front of you.

For example, if the canine suggests domination, it is a sure indicator of its insolvency. The man who says that the dog respects you / does not respect, or the role of a strong leader, can even harm your pet.

domination ideas were in vogue a few decades ago, and since then, their theoretical basis was refuted. In place of ideas "show the dog who is the boss in the family" had a much more humane and effective paradigm based on promoting good positive interruption or establishment and ignoring the bad environment in which a good easy to implement, than bad.

Jay Kus, canine

Another important signal - the understanding of mechanisms of behavior change. Jay said: if the trainer does something physically forced (click on the priest, saying: "Sit!", The dog sat down on the pressure), "hangs" on the collar, the dog sat down on the pitch "Sit", recommends stepping on the toes of hind paws or expose the knee if the dog jumps on people and recommends that tugs the leash in all situations - to dismiss such a handler without conversations.

Other problems

In general, it is obvious that any animal can have behavioral problems. For dogs adopted from shelters or on the street, they are most often the following:

• Fear. The dog may be afraid of the streets, the people, leash, loud sounds, road, separation and even quite unexpected objects and phenomena. Eugene Drach said: if you do not pay attention to it in time, fear can lead to other problems (destruction of homes, escape, fighting, barking, loss of contact with the owner).
• Health. The first step is to take the time to diagnose and solve problems, If these show up.

In most cases, all the problems are manifested and resolved definitively in the first year of marriage. "Many diseases, which are difficult or impossible to treat homeless people (eg, demodicosis - subcutaneous mite), easily removed permanently from the home due to a normal diet, stress reduction and a simple but regular treatment, "- he says Eugene.

helpful books

Jay Kus told about the books that will help you and your new friend to find a common language, to make the adaptation process easier and will warn against any mistakes along the way.

• "Do not growl at dog" by Karen Pryor. In the book accessible language set out an effective method of positive reinforcement. It will come in handy not only in the relationship with the dog, but also with yourself and loved ones.
• «What to do before and after you have taken a puppy"Ian Dunbar. This book is worth reading before you settle your dog at home. She tells in detail about puppy training periods and helps prepare for the moment of acquaintance with a new friend.
• «On the other side of the leash. How to understand a dog and become clear to her"Patricia McConnell. The book teaches to observe your dog and learn to understand it, and then interact with the dog body language and voice.
• «Dialogue with dogs. reconciliation signals"Turid Rugos. The book describes several tens of reconciliation with clear signals stories about how their dogs use. It will help you avoid conflicts with his dog and learn how to communicate with him.

good farewell

I wish the young owners to treat education as a process to a certain creativity, where there should be a balance of logic, intuition, labor, love, discipline and emotion. Even if you have a problem dog, do not forget to rejoice, run, stroked her belly, throwing the ball, to wander in the woods, look into the eyes, scratching behind his ear, because the dog's life is too short, so she does not enjoy.

Eugene Drach, a volunteer at an animal shelter