Close up of a small section of ground work by Pam Cundiff
Adopting a Dog
All facilities who rescue dogs and then re-adopt them out should be expected to provide dog's shots, they should be heartworm tested and/or treated, have flea prevention, be microchipped, and altered.
Dogs acclimate quickly when kept in one place. I've seen dogs at dog pounds (kill shelters) who became territorial over their cage after just a few weeks. Because of the shift in the economy, adoptions at rescue facilities have been moving at a snail's pace. How could any dog endure the wait? They can't and they don't. They adapt to where they are and start staking out their claim on the cage, pen, and/or any other area they are living in.
A properly cared for dog is exercised, disciplined, and given affection at the correct time. Caesar Millan taught us that. We all already knew petting, praising, and giving treats were ways to reward a dog. Caesar took us one step further by explaining any kind of touching, any kind of talking to the dog, and even the order of feeding are critical and can permanently cement behavior, both good or bad depending on timing and what state of mind a dog is in.
We want our dogs to protect us, but we don't want them to be the one who makes the decision about who is friend or foe. We are the boss. We decide, not the dog, if someone is allowed on our property. We should be the one with authority to tell the dog what is, and what is not acceptable.
My husband has an expression, "Don't let the tail wag the dog." He also says, "Don't let the inmates run the asylum." Both his sayings are funny. Both have a lot of truth in them. Maintain control and both you and your dog will be happy.
Some rescued dogs are brought into the facility with issues. When a rescue facility is large and there aren't a lot of volunteers to work with the dogs, anxiety and other behavior problems get worse over time. Just as a wound needs treatment, mental problems need treatment to get better, too.
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Breeze was giving 'the look' to Tsunami. Tsunami wouldn't challenge Breeze. She was too immature. But if she had lived, one day she probably would have, and the winner of that fight would have become the top dog.
Dogs learn from one another. I always got young dogs before my old dogs died so the old ones could teach the young dogs good behavior. And bad behavior is also learned if you don't put a stop to it. It is a reflection on you if your dog has good habits or bad ones.
'Exercise, discipline, affection' are the three words we all associate with Caesar Millan. He has made those three words famous! He has proven to the dog world he is right! Without exercise, discipline, and affection given consistently and at the proper time, dogs not only can but will become mentally unbalanced. These unstable dogs are miserable. They are also dangerous to other dogs and to humans.
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All dogs were created and prefer to live in social groups or packs. These pack animals need a calm assertive pack leader. In today's world with dogs as companions, humans take the place of their natural pack leader.
When a calm, assertive human is absent or not able to spend the amount of time required each day interacting with the dog, the dog will resort to its own devices like Twister when she went off on excursions and Rowdy chewing things up. In both those cases, the dogs were outside, and I didn't supervise them like the inside dogs. It was no surprise they formed bad habits. I learned not to have more than I could manage. 
A dog who respects their master is a happy, healthy, trustworthy dog. In a society, where dogs have become part of almost every household, the human is the dog's pack leader. If you do not control your dog and someone is bitten or killed by it, you are legally and morally responsible. |
A great home is one where the human is with the dog more than they are apart. A great rescue is one who does the very best they can to insure the dog will remain forever in their new home and not end up back in the rescue.
The best way to ensure an adoption if forever is to know the dog is mentally balanced prior to sending it to a home. Taking the dog home with you before your adoption is finalized also gives you a better feel for the dog you are thinking of adopting.
Organizations who actively teach new adopters how to keep their new dog balanced is also helpful in maintaining a happy home for both the dog and the humans in their dog's new 'pack'.
Dogs let us know by their actions if they are happy or unhappy. Unhappy dogs communicate by exhibiting negative behaviors. Some of these negative behaviors are excessive barking, growling, and charging their fence in attack mode. The more submissive dogs may go the other direction and cower, become skittish, run to hide, back up in their cage, and nip.
Whether they behave with aggressive or submissive attitudes, their behavior is the only way they have of screaming for someone to bring balance and harmony to their lives. If those basic needs are being met, then the dog could have a medical problem like a brain tumor or some other issue causing them pain.
The longer a dog is deprived of balance, the worse they feel emotionally. And yes, dogs do feel emotions. They feel joy, sadness, guilt, and stress to name a few. But do not take it upon yourself to 'save' a dog with dangerous problems. You are just inviting problems into your life if you are not a trained rehabilitator.
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You can see these dogs smiling. There's no doubt they are feeling joy and happiness.
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These dogs are HAPPY! The dogs in the photo to the left were adopted from NABS. |
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If you don't want your dog to bite, don't allow playful nipping or mouthiness like the dog above is doing. That was Twister. I took photos of her being mouthy to show you what NOT to allow. She was 9 months when I got her. It took a month to break her from being mouthy. Her previous owner let her get away with it so that made it harder for her and for me.
All unbalanced dogs are unhappy, and the extreme ones can be dangerous. Families who live with unbalanced dogs are also unhappy because no one wants to deal with a problem dog. That's why it is so important to get a feel for the animal you are thinking of adopting. Some facilities allow home visits to make sure their rescues and adopters are going to be happy together forever. Take your time and make the best choice for both you and the animal.
You can donate with Cash App or PayPal at the link above. If you want to donate using MasterCard, Visa, AMX, or Discover, go to Nabstx.com and donate there. Be sure to mention in the notes that you are donating to the service dog program. Thank you for your help, and may God bless you for helping.
