Thanks for checking out our website and hopefully you've looked at all of our sweet dogs available for adoption. Here are some of our frequently asked questions. Should you not see the answer to a question you may have, please feel free to contact us.
Are you sure you're ready to adopt a dog? Take this easy online quiz, then decide
http://dogtime.com/widgets/are-you-ready/
We will not consider any home for any dog if there are young children and no fence.
Puppies will only go to homes where an adult is not gone longer than 4 hrs at a time.
How do I show interest in one of your dogs?
When you contact us, we'll send you a letter with where the dog is currently being fostered, whether the dog is spayed/neutered and what fees are involved. We'll also direct you to the site to fill out an application. Should you be interested further, we encourage you to fill out the application.
I filled out my application, what do I do now?
We'll do our best to process your application within 24-48 hours. Should we need more information, we'll contact you. This will include contacting your references and veterinarians. Please remain patient during this process. Our staff is entirely made up of volunteers. Many have full time jobs.
What happens after the application has been processed?
Once we contact your references and veterinarians, we'll then contact you. There are two separate approvals to adopt one of our dogs. The first will be based on the information provided on your application. Once approved there, you'll be contacted by one of our "Home Visit Representatives". At this time you and the representative can arrange a time for your home to visited.
What is a "home visit"?
Quality rescue organizations require a home visit before an adoption can take place. This ensures our dogs are going to the very best and long lasting home. One of our friendly home visit representatives, again, a volunteer, will come to your home. During this visit, he/she will make sure its a safe and pet friendly home. It is mandatory that all family members be present with the exception of college aged children.
What fees are involved?
Our fees range from $50 to $500.
What if I'm not sure this is the dog for my family?
Fostering is a great option if you are undecided about adopting.
Where can I find a good trainer?
Please use this site www.ccpdt.org for certified trainers and www.iaabc.org for behaviorists.
Please use certified trainers and behaviorists to help you with issues, otherwise, problems can be exacerbated and actually get much worse if not using the proper methods.
What food should I feed?
Please educate yourself about foods and use only "human grade ingredients" foods. Please see www.whole-dog-journal.com for food reviews and comparisons that is not paid by the pet food companies. We can refer you to many good foods if you ask.
Why does my dog______?
This is a great site for answering behavior questions as well as introducing dogs/cats and new environments. You will definitely want to make this a favorite!
http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=139&Itemid=375
"Lassie, Benji, Rin Tin Tin and Toto don't show up in rescue. We don't get the elegantly coiffed, classically beautiful, completely trained, perfectly behaved dog. We get the leftovers. Dogs that other people have incompetently bred, inadequately socialized, ineffectively "trained," and badly treated. Most Rescue dogs have had it. They've been pushed from one lousy situation to another. They've never had proper veterinary care, kind and consistent training, or sufficient company. They've lived outside, in a crate, or in the basement. They're scared, depressed and anxious. Some are angry. Some are sick. Some have given up.
But we are Rescue and we don't give up. We never give up on a dog. We know that a dog is a living being, with a spirit and a heart and feelings. Our dogs are not commodities, things, or garbage. They are part of sacred creation and they deserve as much love and care and respect as the next Westminster champion. So please, please don't come to rescue in the hopes of getting a "bargain," or indeed of "getting" anything. Come to Rescue to give, to love, to save a life -- and to mend your own spirit. For Rescue will reward you in ways you never thought possible. I can promise you this -- a rescue dog will make you a better person."
Children and Dogs
Our adoption committee has a careful review process in the adoption of puppies into families with small children. Our goal is to place a puppy into a household where both the puppy and the children will flourish. To that end, we prefer to adopt young puppies into families with children seven and older. In homes with younger children, we would prefer to place an older puppy, or young dog. It is important for us to determine that the children in the potential adoptive family are dog “savvy” and that the adoption of the puppy is understood to be a family commitment. It is necessary that the adoptive family understand the special circumstances surrounding the bringing of a puppy into a home. Puppies do “mouthing” and that is sometimes interpreted at biting. This is simply a stage in puppy development. Puppies jump and scratch, another “return reason” we often encounter. Untrained small children have been known to pull, hold, drop puppies severely hurting them. A toddler can fall on a puppy, hurting them unintentionally. Very young children have a tendency to not understand that the crate is the puppy’s home and that becomes a problem in that the dog never has a place of its own. Children often carry food, right near the puppy’s nose. Of course a puppy will try for the food and this can get interpreted as a “bite”. We attempt to avoid all such situations in order to make the best possible placement. Our adoption committee looks at all applications and takes all things into consideration on an individual basis. The results we are seeking are a forever home for the puppy and satisfied adopters. Please be advised that we do our best to accomplish this end.
Your new dogs first days in a new home:
- Never let them interact immediately with the established dog, give 3 days, depending on the dogs to ensure they will get along.
- Feed them in separate rooms to start. Even after you can feed them in the same room, keep them on opposite sides of the room and YOU stay in the room while they eat. Never free feed.
- Monitor the dogs and never leave them alone together, not even for a minute.
- Do not play interactive games with the new dog and the established dog together.
- Do not teach the new dog any behaviors until he is acclimated to his new environment.
- Contain the new dog either in an exercise pen (my favorite) or a crate while you are out of the room.
- Take the new dog out to potty very often, more than one time in an hour while he is learning how to behave in his new home.
- Patience, patience, patience... you are at least the third or fourth home for this dog. The original home, the shelter, a foster and now you. Realize this poor dog is new at all of this and you are very familiar with how you want him to act in your home. He is the new kid on the block. With time and patience, he will be the best dog ever...
