How to adopt a dog, the breeder and take care

Know everything before adopting a dog

Through this article, I wish to promote adoption in shelters and education in a positive way, by breaking down certain prejudices and erroneous theories.


These topics are very large and sometimes complex, I approach them voluntarily in a simplified way.

Adopt a dog in a shelter: The advantages
As part of the world of animal welfare, I can not recommend another place to recover a dog than an association.

There are structured associations (shelters), and others operate on the principle of foster care or boarding. There is absolutely everywhere.

Most deal with all types of dogs, but some are specialized in certain breeds / causes, such as categorized dogs, galgos from Spain, dogs from Romania, laboratory dogs, Reunion dogs and so many others.

It is impossible not to find your happiness with at least one association!



Here are the benefits of adopting a dog in a shelter:

If you really want to adopt a puppy, that's good: there are almost always in refuge, especially in summer.
Staff will normally be able to educate you on the dog's character, his life experiences, his needs, and his ideal conditions of adoption.
All animals are followed at the health level; they are vaccinated, dewormed, usually sterilized or castrated.
You can find almost any race: the most common (labrador, golden, German shepherd, malinois, poodle, rottweiler, american staff, huskys, jack russels, griffins), the most coveted (boxers, Bernese mountain dogs, bichons, staffie, akitas), but also others much rarer if it is your wish, provided you are ready to do a few terminals or wait a little.
No race is immune from abandonment. You will of course find a multitude of bastards and hornbills, which are in my eyes unique and very beautiful!

The price. It's stupid to say, but why put up to 1000 € at a breeder when you can find the dog of your dreams for so much cheaper? In addition, it is in the form of donation deducted to 66% of your taxes: you do not buy a property, you give to an association!
You save a life: adopting a dog will give way to another that can come from a pound, or even a home that could have considered euthanasia rather than waiting for a place to be released.
The openness of heart ... This is only my responsibility, but saving dogs has been a real personal enrichment, it has developed my compassion, I have learned to give much more, I have become a better person.



The prejudices concerning shelter dogs are false. They are not more "problematic" than any other ball of hair.

The most frequent dropouts are due to divorces, moves, the death of masters, the arrival of a child, a retirement home, a change in the pace of life ...

These are the dogs of Mr. and Mrs. everyone who are there, very few animals are safe from abandonment and it is never their fault if they got there.

Adopt in refuge, a "good action"?
I do not like to talk about "good deed" when adopting an animal in a shelter.

The principle of a good action is to be a selfless act, and you will surely agree with me, there is never anything unselfish when you adopt a dog.

Everyone has expectations!

Personally, I expect my dog ​​to be there for me and affectionate, but also to get along with my cats, my other dogs and my family.

I always gave everything to my dogs, they always gave it to me a hundredfold. I have adopted many seniors at the end of life, and what they brought me is priceless.

Am I ready to adopt a dog?
Do you have the time to take care of it? A dog needs on average 6 hours of activity per day (physical, mental, masticatory, food ...), not responding to his needs can lead him to develop behavioral problems.
Do you have the financial means? Food, toys, veterinarian, insurance: all this comes at a price.
Does your lifestyle correspond to his lifestyle?
Are you ready to commit to a long term?
If it turns out that you do not meet these conditions, postpone your adoption plan until later.

It's said that sometimes the best way to love animals is not to have them: do not be selfish



If there is any advice I can give you, it is: do not rely on the physique of an animal. Choose him to his personality.

What do you really expect from a dog? We do not choose a friend to his physique, and it's the same for an animal: no matter what his head is, when he enters your heart he becomes the most beautiful in the world!

Adopt as a host family, an alternative
Here is a very good solution if you are not sure if you can commit to the long term.

I'm going to talk more specifically about service dogs, which will help people with disabilities later on.

You take charge of the familiarization, socialization and educational basics of a young puppy, from two months to two years old.

You are supervised by a member of the association and must regularly attend information meetings.

At the end of this period, you give the dog to the association which will finish its formation of future service dog for later to find his final family.

If the dog fails this role, he becomes available for adoption and the foster family is given priority.



The animal welfare associations also allow you to offer a home to the dog until he finds his family. This solution can save many animals.

Adopt not to encourage breeding and breeders
Overpopulation is the number one problem of the canine species. This overpopulation is synonymous with dogs sentenced to end their life in refuge, euthanasia and abuse.

There are far too many dogs for an insufficient number of adopters and, inevitably, it causes suffering. The principle of recycling, you know?

It is for this reason that I think it is best to avoid any breeding, even the best, as well as pet stores, puppy shows and sales of individuals.

And if you plan to do some breeding yourself, you need to know a few things that might deter you ...

To assume that a female needs to have at least one litter in her life to be happy is an error called anthropomorphism: animals do not project themselves into this kind of situation. Wanting to bring sexual activity to your male dog is just as ridiculous: just do not put it in the presence of a female in heat and it will be very good.
If this decision is motivated by financial reasons, you will soon be disappointed: between the vital veterinary monitoring of the pregnant female, as well as that of puppies, vaccines and identification, you will have many more fees than you will do. profit.
The pregnancy of the female can lead to a lot of medical complications and even be fatal.
A litter can reach up to ten puppies: with the raised number of dogs on the "market", how will you do to find them all a family?
Moreover, an investment should never be risky: it is difficult to find adopters, but even more to find good ones.

Think long term and be responsible, the offspring of your dog-could not generate a whole genealogy victim of abandonment or abuse.

We do not breed any dog. There are some individuals who absolutely do not want to perpetuate genetics when they have health problems or excessive predation.
Being a breeder is a real job, there is knowledge to acquire, a diploma to pass, it is necessary for example to know how to react to not that puppies die at birth or ensure their good socialization and familiarization.

I can not keep my dog, what do I do?

I will never condemn the abandonment of an animal. I respect the fact that people sometimes have their limits, their personal problems and they choose to turn to this solution.

Let's be precise: I will never condemn the abandonment of an animal provided that it is done "cleanly".

The most responsible abandonment is one that takes place in a shelter. Euthanize your dog because you can not keep it, swing it on the highway or sell it on sites like LeBonCoin to end up at the mercy of any mental patient, though it does not happen at all.

Admittedly, it is often necessary to wait for a place to be released, so that the shelter can accommodate your dog, but give him this reprieve is still the least of things ...

On the other hand, it is good to take stock of the reasons that drive you to separate from your companion.

I'm going to come here, but using a professional dog like me could help you solve the problems that it presents, if his behavior is the reason for his abandonment.

How to take good care of your dog?

Offering his dog good living conditions and a good education, guaranteeing his well-being by understanding his behaviors and codes specific to his species, allows to act in respect of his identity and also represents a way of doing things, its level, animal protection.



Many misconceptions still persist, despite all the latest scientific discoveries regarding dog behavior and education.

Whether you have had several dogs or none, whether you like them or not, you've probably heard them before.

Forget everything you've ever thought you knew about the dog, most of this information is completely empirical and erroneous ...

Dominance theory on his adopted dog
Be the pack leader, the alpha male, do not let your dog eat before or at the same time as you, do not let him get on the bed or he will become dominant, etc.

One of the fundamental principles of the hierarchy is that it can only be established within one and the same species.

And believe me, even if your dog is in your family from a very young age, there is no way for him to think he's a human, or for him to confuse you with one of its congeners.

In an intra-specific way, a hierarchy takes place only when the resources are insufficient, a problem of which the Western dogs suffer rather seldom.

So between several dogs of the same social group, we will not speak of hierarchy but rather of affiliative or agonistic relations (affinities simply!).



There is no relationship of possible dominance of your dog on you. On the other hand, a misunderstanding of the dog codes on your part, leading you to believe that you must dominate it, can possibly cause big problems in your relationship and cause a great malaise in your dog.

It is therefore useless to prevent him from getting on your couch or bed in the name of this sacrosanct "hierarchy".

There is no point passing a door before him, having him eat after you, rolling him on his back or even urinating on him (I personally knew shelter workers who were doing this useless practice and , it must be said, disgusting)!

The origin of these theories comes from old analyzes based on the observation of the behavior of wolves in captivity. But here it is: the dog, regardless of race, is no longer a wolf for a long time (if it was the case we could not integrate it into our homes, and it would be like comparing humans to great apes ).

Moreover, this behavior has nothing to do with that of wild wolves, in their natural habitat. It would be like studying the behavior of a human group in a reality show: the data would be distorted!




If there is a conflict between you and your dog, the origin is quite different, and it is specific to each individual and pair.

Let us understand well: no hierarchy, but structure, all the same. Because in spite of everything, like any member of the family, your dog will have to respect certain rules!

You can ban the couch if you do not want it to be covered with hair, or you can sleep with him if you are happy to share this relationship: from the moment your pet is well and you too , everything is fine.

Another nuance, we will not put ourselves in a dominant position but rather a leader. Dominant behavior causes fear while a leadership attitude creates mutual respect and trust.

The dominant focuses on himself, the leader takes into account the desires and needs of his dog. The dominant imposes, the leader encourages, provokes enthusiasm and motivation ...

You have everything to gain by harmonizing the relationship between you and your dog!