Puppies are just the best, aren’t they? Who doesn’t love a cute, happy, little puppy face?! Although they are undeniably adorable, they can be a real handful. There are many things one should consider before rushing to adopt a puppy. You want to make sure you are prepared to take on another full-time job. Here are a few things you should think about if you’re going to adopt a puppy!
What kind of dog you get is one, if not the most, important thing for you to think about before adopting. In fact, it is crucial that you do your research on different breeds to help you determine what will best fit into your life. For example, a 10-pound Chihuahua would be fine living in a small apartment. However, a 180-pound English Mastiff would need much more space. You also want to look at the breed’s coat-type, because some dog’s coats will require regular maintenance. Dogs with tight-curly coats must be brushed out regularly, or they can end up with some painful matting that will eventually have to be shaved off. On the other hand, short/straight-haired dogs require little to no grooming maintenance, aside from the usual bathing and nail trimming.
The next thing you should definitely consider is your lifestyle. Do you have a demanding job that calls for you to work long hours? Because to train a new puppy, you are going to need lots of time and patience. You also will have to make time to keep up with their vet appointments for annual vaccines and check-ups. Not to mention, most puppies can’t just be left home alone with no supervision. If you choose not to crate train, you will need someone there to watch them or find a doggie daycare/hotel that can watch them for you while you’re gone. It will make things much easier for you if you set these things up before you bring home your new pup!
Lastly, you will just want to make sure your home is ready to welcome a puppy. Puppies are curious, and they will more than likely be ready to get into stuff. You will want to puppy-proof your home to ensure his or her safety. This means keeping the trash put away, covering electrical cords, getting rid of any poisonous plants, etc. Also, if you have children or other pets, you will want to make sure they are ready to welcome a new pet into the home. It’s never a bad idea to educate yourself on the proper ways to introduce a new pup to your family, that way you can have peace of mind when leaving them alone together. Other than that, you will just need the basic dog supplies such as water/food bowls, toys, bedding, etc. Now you’re on your way to bringing home your new furry friend!
By no means is this written to deter you from adopting a puppy, puppies are great and they truly become part of your family. It is more so to simply educate on the fact the puppies aren’t just all fun and games. There is a lot of responsibility and work that comes with bringing home a new fur baby. As long as you are prepared, things will be great. To bring things to an end, we’d like to feature a few of the new puppies we’ve recently met here at Good Dog!
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Approximately 6.5 million animals enter U.S shelters each year. More times than not, these animals aren’t young and lively anymore. Many of them are senior pets, who probably once had homes and families, and could have ended up homeless for various reasons. When we think about bringing home a new pet, we often think of a tiny, fuzzy kitten or a fluffy, energetic puppy. But, why don’t we ever think of bringing home an older pet? Sure, they may be going a little gray and they may not have all the energy in the world, but a lot of us can probably say the same. They still have so much love to give, and just like the rest of us, they simply just want to be loved. November is adopt a senior pet month! Here at Good Dog, we have many senior dogs who come in to visit us. We wanted to highlight a few reasons why adopting a senior dog can be a rewarding, great experience. Not to mention, we also wanted to give a few of our very own senior residents some shine.
1. Old dogs can still learn new tricks! It’s never too late to teach an old dog new tricks. In fact, a lot of times older dogs can be easier to train than puppies, due to their ability to focus for a longer period of time. Consistency is really the only thing that matters when teaching anyone something new! (Consistently giving treats that is.)
-Molly, the 14 year old Blue Heeler! She still loves to play fetch and she also enjoys bath time.
2. Senior dogs often already have basic training. Most senior dogs have already been potty trained, and many of them know basic commands like sit, stay, shake, etc. Teaching a new puppy these things can take a lot of time and energy that many people just don’t have.
-Buddy, the 14 year old chow-lab mix! He is one of our regulars in daycare! He still comes at least once a week.
3. Older dogs are more calm, and less energetic. Once dogs come out of their puppy stage, they tend to calm down quite a bit. This means fewer chewed up shoes, and less destroyed furniture. This also means they will be less needy in terms of wanting to play, or go on walks 24/7. If you have children, older dogs tend to be more calm which typically results in them doing better with kids as well!
-Bug and Sophie, the 14 year old pug sisters! They love to cuddle up together for naps.
4. Senior dogs already have set personalities and temperaments. Senior dogs are already who they are going to be. You won’t have to worry about any surprises. They already have their set personalities, whether that be shy, calm, outgoing, or friendly. What you see is what you get. With that being said, this will make it easier to assess how he/she may fit into your lifestyle.
-Bully, the almost 12 year old French Bulldog! He still comes to daycare all the time! (Even if his time here is mostly spent sleeping.)
5. Adopting an older dog is saving a life. Many times dogs over the age of five are overlooked. The odds for them aren’t always great. Some of these dogs will live in a shelter for the rest of their days. It’s important to remember that older dogs need a home just as badly as the young ones. It is a heroic thing to find beauty and love in what others wouldn’t even think twice about.
-Tipper, the almost 10 year old chihuahua-beagle mix! She is the best to snuggle with!
These are just a few of the many reasons why adopting an older dog can be the right choice for a lot of us. Everyone deserves a home and a family, no matter how young, old, big, or small. With all the cute puppies around, I think it can be easy for us to forget about the older dogs. That is why we wanted to bring awareness to adopt a senior pet month! Next time you are looking to bring home a new pet, consider taking home a senior pet. Take it from Tiki, who is a senior himself, that the old guys are just the best!
– Our very own Tiki, the 11 year old pug-poodle mix! Tiki loves his human and doggie friends and he likes to play with his toys.
Many of you probably already know Gramma, our one and only dog up for adoption. She came to us in early December and has spent lots of quality time at our front desk while searching for her forever home. We cherish her company and enjoy having deep, meaningful conversations with her, which means we’ve gotten to know her pretty well. With that being said, we decided to make this week’s blog a Q&A session with Gramma.
Name: Gramma
Age: 13 years young
Gender: Spayed female
Weight: 40 pounds
I am looking to find: Someone to spend the rest of my life with.
What are your hobbies?: Sleeping, looking for food, going on walks.
If you could be one celebrity for a day who would you be? Betty White
Where are you from?: I came from a full house that was very busy, I had 6 other dog brothers and sisters who all came to Good Dog with me in early December. Since then they have all been adopted out to new homes.
What is one thing about yourself that you would like other to know?: I may be old, but don’t let that scare you. I still have plenty of spunk left in me. I love to play and still make people laugh with the silly situations I get myself in.
If you were an animal in the wild what would you be?: A Lioness, Queen of the jungle who gets plenty of attention.
What do you think is the most important value in a relationship?: Friendship
What do you do for fun? I love to go out on the Monon and explore, I used to go out for walks off leash until I wouldn’t stop running over to the Momma Carrolas patio. It just smells so good there and I always hear people talking about how good the food is. Other than that I love to play, that usually involves swatting my paws around, jumping just a little and barking.
Do you like animals?: I am partial to animals. Cats I find fascinating and I just want to play with and bark at, I have come to find out they usually don’t like that. I think we could get along fine though once we got to know each other. As for dogs, I like most of them. I get along best with other dogs my speed. Sometimes the younger smaller dogs can just be too much for an old lady like me.
What is one job you would love to do?: Hot dog taste tester, competitive food eater.
If you won the lottery, how would you spend your millions?: Highlights for my hair, reading glasses, jet ski lessons.
What TV show do you never miss?: Golden Girls
Do you believe the cup is half empty or half full?: Half full, life is AMAZING!
What adjective would a close friend use to describe you?: Sweet
Who is your favorite athlete? Mary Lou Retton
What is your idea of a good time?: Finding a big comfy couch to curl up on, snuggle all day.
Are you a morning person or a night person?: I’m an afternoon person. I like to go to bed early and sleep in. After I get all my naps in though I get all my errands (snuggles, eating, playing) done middle of the day.
What was the last CD you bought?: Miles Davis
Describe your perfect vacation: Martha’s Vineyard. Find a good Bed and Breakfast, good food, good views, plenty of relaxing in the warm sun.
What is your most treasured possession? The tiny round bed of Tiki’s that I actually took over.
Final thoughts?: I love everyone here at Good Dog (especially the front desk staff), but I really would love to have my own family to be with. I get restless here every once and a while but I know it’s best to wait for the right people to come along and find me. I promise if you stop in to say Hi I will convince you that we should see more of each other.
Gramma is such a sweetheart and loves to charm everyone who comes in with her sweet disposition. When we walk on the Monon she wants to stop and say hi to as many people as she can.
If you are interested in adopting Gramma, call us at 317-255-2525 or stop in to visit her! Please also share her story with your friends and family, they might know someone who would be perfect for her.
Gramma is an older terrier mix who melts the hearts of just about everyone she meets. She is extremely well-behaved and great around people and other dogs. In fact, she comes from a family of 7 dogs!
Her favorite things in life are naps and chin scratches, and we think she will make a wonderfully mellow addition to any family. If you have any questions about Gramma or would like to meet her, just let us know!
Hi everyone!!!
Remember me?
I’m Kramer!!!
I was posted on Good Dog’s website last week as the new “Adoptable Dog”. Well now, as you can see, I made it to “SUCCESFULL ADOPTIONS” because I already found a “FOREVER HOME”!!
For the ones that missed it; I’m a Chocolate Lab, approximately 1 year old. I was a stray, found approximately three months ago by a very nice lady in Carmel, IN. Unfortunately, she couldn’t keep me because she had two small children and already had two puppies!!!
I lived with this amazing family for three months while they tried to find my previous home. No one ever claimed me, so the lady asked for Good Dog’s help to find me a new “Forever Home”.
I love children and I also love other dogs. During my stay here at Good Dog Hotel, while I was looking for a “forever home”, I played in daycare every day!! Some call me “The Perfect Family Dog”!! Well, I got very lucky and I found “My Perfect Family”!!
My new mommy’s name is Shannon (she’s pictured above). She’s one of the amazing employees at Good Dog Hotel & Spa and she almost instantly fell in love with me! The first few days she would come and see me in my hotel room and would give me treats. After a few days, I met her dog Wylie and we became instant best friends!!! She went home and talked to her roommates and they all agreed I should come and live with them!!! Now Wylie is my brother!!
🙂
I’m so happy!!! And I know I’m one of the luckiest dogs on earth!!! I will be living in the Broadripple area and I will still be able to visit Good Dog Hotel for daycare and play-dates with my new friends!!!
See you guys around!!!
Article written by Veronique Brown
