Adoption

attentive

Spring is here and so is shedding season! Suddenly, every carpet in the house is woven with dog hair. Otto has what can be best described as a “combination coat” (I just made that up). Much of his outer coat is made up of long, stiff, straight hair – resembling that from a German Shepherd, or maybe a Labrador – that seems to wriggle into the carpet pattern itself. My vacuum is helpless in the face of this hair. Admittedly, it’s not a great vacuum, so cleaning the few carpets we have has turned into aerobic exercise. Quite some time ago, Black & Decker sent me a new DustBuster (handheld power vacuum) to try. This one is the “Retriever Pet Series Cyclonic Action,” and it plugs in; it’s powerful, unlike wimpy cordless models I’ve owned in my past. Used with its “turbo brush” (spinning rubber bristles) attachment, it’s fantastic at getting pet hair off our couch. But with an approximately three-inch intake, it’s not useful for cleaning entire carpets. My sister Pam has been telling me I absolutely have to get the same vacuum she recently bought: A Dyson “Animal.” She has three small white dogs and swears that she had enough hair to make another, larger dog out of the stuff that the new vacuum cleaned up on its inaugural tour through her house. “I had forgotten what a dark color my couches actually were!” she reported, incredulous. “And my rugs are beautiful!”

happy in a "forever home" where he is loved

the family doesn't get split in pieces with different people pulling for different dogs

Are you thinking about adding a second (or third, or fourth) dog to your household? Will your current dog be thrilled with a new friend? Will the dogs play with each other, romp together, and keep each other company in your absence? Or will adding another dog to your home create disharmony, chaos, or worse?

You can start the process of socializing and training at any stage of a dog's life! Making positive associations for your dog is faster and easier for youngsters than adults, but it's always worth trying to teach new ways of thinking that will improve your dog's quality of life and overall happiness.

You've adopted a new adult dog into your family. Congratulations! As you search for information to help you help your new furry family member adjust to this difficult transition in his life (change is hard!), you may discover that there are lots of resources for new puppy owners, but for new adult-dog owners, not so much. Where do you begin? We've compiled a list of suggestions to help make life with your new dog easier for all concerned. His first few weeks with you set the tone for your lifelong relationship. If you follow these time-tested protocols, you're more likely to experience smooth sailing - or at least smoother sailing - with your recycled Rover, who may arrive at your door with some baggage from his prior life experiences. We hope you've made wise plans and decisions before your new canine pal sets paws through your door for the first time. But even if he's already camped out on your sofa, it's not too late to play catch-up with many of the suggestions that follow.

My friend Leonora, owner of tiny Samson (my dog Woody’s BFF), is starting to search for a second dog. It’s been over a year...

If you’re like most dog lovers, sooner or later you’ll find yourself rescuing a stray dog. If she’s lucky, the dog will be wearing a tag with current owner information, and all you will have to do is make a quick phone call so the owners can come retrieve her. All too often, however, there are no tags, and you must decide what to do with the foundling. You have several options...

For many of us who love dogs, our canine family members are a lot like potato chips - we can't have just one. There...

In past articles in WDJ, I have advised people who are thinking about adopting a new dog to develop a list of attributes that they must have, would like to have, would prefer not to have, and really do not want at all – and then to use these lists as search criteria. And yet, here we were, not really sure of what we were looking for. Another herding breed? We already have a Kelpie, so maybe, or maybe not. A Bonnie-type terrier-mix? Maybe, but they didn't seem easy to come by.

The Gold Paw Program was developed by the Humane Society of Washington County, Maryland, (HSWC) to help identify and work with dogs who have the potential to be someone’s beloved companion, but need some help getting there. Gold Paw volunteers undergo extensive training in canine behavior so they are prepared to provide these dogs with the help they need.