by Christa Martin

Created on: January 11, 2011

Adopting an animal, whatever the species, is not considered on the same level as adopting a child, however this disparity in regard is probably responsible for the overwhelming influx of homeless, unwanted animals. People generally view animals as living ornaments or toys, there for the child and to look impressive for the guests; when the novelty wears off and they become inconvenient, they are sent off to be rehomed, with all of their bad or good training and habits they learned from their first owners. Even puppies, who can still be trained fairly effectively due to their age will have been damaged by the shift in their home environment and the ultimate rejection of them by the people they view as their pack. This can be avoided by ensuring that prospective adoptive families have a good understanding of what they are taking on, for how long, and the specific characteristics which emerge in the breed. 

The first three months with a new puppy:

New owners should expect to have to house train their puppies. They should also expect that house training will not necessarily take effect immediately, so they should be patient and kind with the pup. They should remember that pups do not learn in their natural environment by being starved and smacked with a rolled up newspaper. If an adoptive family are unsure as to how to discipline and train a puppy, they should seek out information and advice from an expert. Encouragement, kindness and patience is always a good way to begin. 

Prospective owners should also understand about the teething process of pups, which is similar in symptoms to a child. Pups become fidgety and out-of-sorts, the itch in their gums makes them want to chew on everything they can get their mouths around. Like a child, the response to this should not be smacking or psychological torture. Simply offer the animal an alternative chew-toy to replace your shoe, and make certain that potential chew-sites (chair legs, table legs, toys, books, etc) are adequately protected and stored away from the pup's reach. 

People who are considering adopting a puppy, regardless of whether it is from a shelter or a breeder, should understand their role in the life of the pup. Their actions and decisions on how to deal with the pup from the start will influence the development of the pup and either form good habits or bad ones, which tend to get worse with time and eventually end up the primary cause of dogs being sent away. For example, a puppy

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