Am I In Over My Head If I Adopt This Dog

Is it ok to rename a dog after adopting it from a shelter?

This is a great question, and actually stresses out millions of people every year.Honestly - dog shelter workers say this is one of the most common questions they get, and it is of special concern to little kids who are adopting dogs.Alan Cohen's comment in this thread is a great one for getting people to relax about this.  Here's mine.Plan A:I went to the best expert, with direct experience, that I could find on this: my dog, Snickers, who my wife and I adopted from a shelter at three months of age.  Her name had been "Susie," which totally did not fit her in our view. I asked her if she missed it.Unfortunately, and unlike that Baked Beans dog on TV, she doesn't talk.But if she COULD talk, I'm pretty sure she'd say:If it's a puppy, re-name away.  Trust me, he or she will not mind.If it's an older dog, and you know he or she has only had one prior owner, maybe keep his/her name - to make it easier for the dog.When's dinner?Plan B:I took an informal poll of five people at our dog park in Sea Bright, NJ... granted, it's not a 400 person poll, +/- 5% accuracy, but it's the best I could do.  Pat Caddell and Dick Morris would do better, but I'm a well-intentioned amateur.Four agreed with the analysis above; one was pretty hard core "don't rename the dog" lady... who may be insane.  So four out of five dog owners recommend... renaming if you so choose.Regardless, if you are adopting a dog, you are already way in the karma "plus" column - four paws way up.And by the way, why should we stress about this when people like P. Diddy change names every other week, and there is no way to verify that the dog liked his or her original name in the first place?  Just asking.Dogs rule.

Have you ever adopted a dog that bit you when you first met?

I adopted a puppy that the Humane Society said was 12 weeks old.I knew he was mine as soon as I saw him. We were supposed to be together.I had wanted a male dog, I had a Male dog already, and I wanted to name a new pup Merlin. I saw this pupp, and I just knew! He was adorable and he was so happy with me. I went to fill out adoption papers and…. His name was Merlin! What are the odds?????The staff told me that another family had pulled their papers on him right before I came in. I was first in line to get him!They called a day later and said I was approved to adopt him. I was so excited. I got his cage ready, picked out a collar and leash. Got puppy food.Went and picked him up, and the whole way home he was just smiling, smiling the biggest smile the whole way home.Brought him home and introduced him to my older dog, who was SO EXCITED to have a puppy around.All was fine. They played and played. Merlin looked tired so I put him in his cage. He fell asleep.He woke up and started crying, and I came to him, so did my other dog, and I got him out of his cage, he saw my other dog and started biting my arm, the fat on my upper arm (lol)then he locked on…. I was shocked. I got him off my arm and he snapped at me. I slammed his cage shut, and told my husband to take him back. He said no. He was a scared puppy. But this puppy bruised and broke my skin!!!A little later I took him out, the other dog was outside, and he was fine.He never bit again. He was the most loyal, protective dog I have ever had. He was super bonded to me, and he looked out for me. He made his presence known to all strangers to him, and he stayed by me at all times.He lived to be 13. I miss him still and it has been almost 7 years since I lost him

Would you adopt a dog with behavioural problems?

Chances are, if you end up with a dog with behavioral problems, you didn’t know that when you picked her. Often, new adopters get home with their new dog only to find a range of behavioral concerns that didn’t present themselves at the shelter.The decision to deliberately adopt a dog with behavioral problems is another thing all together. This is no small challenge, depending on the problems, and you must seriously consider whether you are capable of tackling the challenge presented to you.I was living in a small apartment when I met Stella. She was a rottweiler who had been found walking down the street with a rope hanging from her neck, and was brought by a good samaritan to the animal hospital where I was working at the time.Stella was adopted by one of the technicians at the hospital, but she soon was brought back. She was terrified of absolutely everything, and spent her time at the technician’s large ranch hiding under bushes.She was fostered over and over, but nobody wanted to take on the challenge of the bolting rottweiler, especially as she was big enough to really knock you over or crunch your toes as she went by.I volunteered to take her home to my tiny apartment. I thought perhaps a confined space would be beneficial for her. It was. She calmed down inside, although she still was much more nervous than any other dog I’d met.Walking her was a challenge, but using a gentle leader combined with a chest harness, I was able to control her and eventually trained her to sit by me when she got anxious instead of running.It took nearly six months for Stella to get through an hour long walk without freezing at least once, but then her progress began to skyrocket. She was running around outside with other dogs at the dog park, and I even was able to skateboard with her, perfectly confident that she wouldn’t bolt.It was hard to part with Stella, but when she finally when to her forever home I felt that all the hard work had been worth it. I’m busy with three happy dogs now, but I wouldn’t hesitate to take on a challenge like that again. The rewards were well worth the effort.If you are looking for some ideas to help you build a bond with a rescue dog suffering from behavioral concerns, consider these things to do with your rescue dog.The gorgeous girl herself, happy and confident off leash.

What's better for a first time dog owner, should you adopt an adult dog, or buy and raise a puppy from a breeder?

Adults are definitely easier to care for in my experience, but they will have trouble learning new rules and tricks whereas puppies tend to learn rather quickly. Mine was potty trained within two weeks, and already knows a multitude of tricks. We attempted to train our last dog throughout his late adulthood, and that didn't work. Still, we didn't need to be as patient or spend all day by his side like we have to with the puppy.Buuuut…You can find puppies at a shelter! I think you should always opt for adoption unless you're looking for a particular breed.For example, my family suffers from allergies and so we scoured the Internet for a poodle puppy (we had experience with, and wanted a poodle). There were only senior and adult poodles, so we searched for wheaten terrier pups. They were all mixes. We were all disappointed and felt a bit guilty, but decided to buy a labradoodle from a breeder. Of course, I will get a lot of hate from people who swear by rescue pups, but sometimes it's not an option.Assuming this is your case, I would get a pup from a breeder AFTER scouring shelters for what you want. However, if you have no breed in mind, I would definitely find a one year old dog in a shelter - to me, it's the perfect age. They're young enough to learn new tricks, and old enough to stop teething and throwing tantrums. They also have better bladders at that time - you can leave them for a longer amount of time without any accidents.Make sure you research the breed!No matter whether it's from a shelter or a breeder, that won't guarantee it fits your lifestyle. Shedding, excersise, size, trainability, grooming needs, and how they behave with smaller animals and children should all be factored into your research.If it's from a breeder, make sure it's a reputable breeder. Either way, it won't guarantee the dog has no medical problems in its first year or after that - but, chances are, it will never suffer from any genetic problems. My breeder pup has had roundworm, crystals in his urine, and yeast in his ears, and he's only 8 months. I got him from a reputable breeder - dogs will get sick, it's not her fault.Good luck! :)This is Teddy, my miniature labradoodle puppy. I always find an excuse to post his picture :p