Adopting a shelter dog in the winter
Posted on February 11, 2010 by: WayCoolDogs
According to rumor, the perfect time to adopt a dog or bring one home is in the spring or summer. But unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world and haven’t in a long time. With this in mind, it is accepted that most people choose to adopt or buy dogs all year long, with adopting a shelter dog in the winter requiring a little more care and time due to the bad weather and cold.
Photographer: Nancy Houser. "Homeless or shelter dogs have many types of personalities, just like people. They also have different backgrounds which have made them who they are today -- the same as people."
Temperament of the Shelter Dog
Shelter dogs come from a wide variety of backgrounds — some very abusive, some of neglect, some abandoned, and some dropped off by caring owners who no longer can care for them or have moved. Either way, their temperament toward new owners and strange pets will demonstrate their friendliness, shyness, mental stability, protectiveness, and their self-defense instincts.
The behavior of shelter dogs can be either inherited through their parents, or it can originate from the dog’s early environment and behavior of their previous owners. Both situations can influence a young puppy into becoming a dominating nasty dog or one who is calm and lovable. Because of this, an abandoned dog or one with an unknown background will need to be evaluated at the shelter.
Adopting a shelter dog in the winter
Unfortunately, adopting a shelter dog or bringing home a new puppy for a Christmas present is one of the most popular times of the year to bring one home. But practical issues need to be understand as this is a very bad time to adopt a pet, with stress levels high due to the busy holiday spirit and not enough time spent on focusing on the dog involved (breed, personality, etc) which causes the new puppy or dog to end up in a shelter in the future or abandoned.
Initial fees of adopting a shelter dog in the winter
- Many people may only consider the initial cost of adopting a dog, and some initial charges are not repeated on a regular basis.
- It is important to consider the long-term care costs associated with a dog. PetFinder’s online article “Estimated Yearly Costs of Pet Ownership,” by Stephen Zawistowski, indicates that dog owners may expect to pay an average of $780 to $1500 per year, depending on the size of dog and the type of supplies and services desired.
- Whether people are looking for a dog specifically bred to their specifications, searching for dogs at the Humane Society or animal shelter, or scanning an ad offering a dog to a good home, quite a few costs are associated with owning a dog.
- In addition to the initial fee for adoption, all dogs need food, water and basic veterinary care while many dogs need vaccinations, spaying/neutering, flea/tick preventives, heartworm preventives, a microchip, training classes, and a variety of home supplies such as a brush, training crate, treats, leash, collar, toys, and more.
- Some dogs may need costly veterinarian services for illnesses or supplies for special needs. (Resource: Getting a dog for Christmas?)
Disadvantages of winter shelter dogs
Potty-training a new dog in the home during a snow storm and below-zero weather makes this a little difficulty. Large shelter dogs who have been raised inside also make things difficult, especially with a family who wants their new dog raised outside. All together, a working relationship sometimes works out better in warmer times of the year than in the middle of winter when things like scooping frozen poop in the back yard is more than a little difficult.
Dogs brought home from the shelter with long hair in the winter should be left that way if they are going to live outside some of the time. They should be trimmed and brushed, but dogs with double-coats should never be sheared at all. Their double-coat keeps them cool in the hot summers and warm in the cold winters. But when they begin to shed their coat, it almost looks as if it is snowing unless they are regularly brushed—winter or summer.
With the family crowded inside the home with a strange new dog during the winter, things may not move as smooth as it could during warmer weather when everyone can play outside or talk walks in parks. Snow storms prevent activities such as these, in addition to new family additions not wanting to toilet outside in new locations during icy or cold weather. Patterns need to be formed and a feeling of comfort will need to be developed during a period which sometimes prevents this.
No matter how big or small, any shelter dog adopted in the winter needs quality care and lots of loving.
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Related posts:
- Simple Dog Care in Cold Winter
- The Hidden Benefits of the Shelter Dog
- FREE Dog Clothing Patterns for Winter
- Winter Allergies: Winter Health Issues in Dogs
- A Shelter Dog Named Daffodil
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Dog Health & Care, Dog Training, Cool Dogs » When do dogs quit being stupid? - 15th Mar, 10 03:03pm
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Akita Dogs
- 13th Feb, 10 10:02pm
Clean blog. Wondering if you sometimes trade guest posts? I am maintaining a page on my latest obsession akita dogs and wanting to trade some articles with good pages. I checked out your blog and you’ve put up some good content and I was thinking our visitors would both find value. Thanks!