7 Truths Only People Who’ve Rescued Dogs Will Understand
"Get a dog," they said. "It'll be fun," they said.
I adopted a puppy! Her name's Mia and she's just the cutest thing you ever did see. She's already the best companion a gal can ask for.
She's the first pet I've ever had as an adult and I just love her so much.
While she's the most adorable little girl in the world, at least to her adoptive mommy, I will say she's quite the handful. Not that that's her fault, of course. First of all, she's barely a year old. Secondly, she spent the majority of her life in and out of shelters and rescues, so she's still a puppy-puppy mentally.
I've been preparing to adopt for quite a while now, so when we finally made the decision to do it, we were over the moon. We found Mia girl and couldn't be happier. While I'm super thrilled to be a new dog mommy, I'm exhausted.
Nobody ever tells you what to really expect when you rescue a young dog.
- 1
Be Mindful of Their Activity Levels
Some pups are low energy, some are high. We knew going in that we wanted a dog who could keep up with our active lifestyle. If you're not used to a young dog, be ready for your world to turn upside down, especially if you're not used to one that still wants to play all the time.
She's so much fun. Am I exhausted? Yep, sure am. But, it's nice to have a companion to do fun activities with.
- 2
Age Definitely Matters
This is a HUGE point that even I'm trying to presently cope with. Like I previously mentioned, my dog's barely a year old, so she's definitely still in a puppy stage. Especially when you consider the fact that since she's grown up in and out of shelters and things, she hasn't had a lot of opportunities to be trained.
- 3
Training Isn't a Walk In the Park
It takes a large investment of your time, energy, and money to adopt and rehabilitate your new companion. It's important to make sure you not only have the ability to do so, but are actually willing to take on that kind of responsibility.
So many people have the fantasy story in their heads about becoming dog parents, but in reality, it's hard work.
- 4
Your Home Will Never Be Tidy
At least not for the first month or so. If you're putting in the appropriate time and energy into making sure your new furry family member is getting well-adjusted, everything else falls to the back burner. That's okay! The more devotion to the adjustment period up front, the sooner you'll be able to adjust to a new schedule.
- 5
Dog Treats Are Your Friend
Even if you've adopted a fully-grown dog, there's a chance he or she wasn't trained properly which means a lot of that may fall on you. It's obviously not the dog's fault, but don't be afraid to use training treats to modify some behaviors even if you were under the impression that everything was 'a-go' in that department.
Don't forget, you new addition is adjusting to this change just as much as you are. He or she is going to be stressed out, so they might not respond to commands that they know in the way you'd expect them to.
- 6
Patience is A Virtue
To my previous point, it's super important to maintain a certain level of calm and patience, especially during the early rehoming stage. Things might get chewed, accidents might happen, and schedules might get confused during those first few weeks. Be patient! Everything will fall into place eventually.
- 7
Get Used To Your New 'Normal'
Don't be surprised if sooner rather than later you can't imagine your life without them. Soon, you'll develop such a tight bond that makes everything worth it. Is it difficult at times? Of course. Is it really that hard? No.
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