Before you adopt a dog – Promises that you must keep

There would be times when you would come across incidents where a dog has been abandoned by a family. The reason may be because of an injury the dog suffered, a disease that he caught, re-location of the family because of job changes etc. If you divulge into the deeper details, all these are merely lame excuses. If you get a dog, remember he is family! And you don’t really shun a family member on the above accounts. It’s rather better to not have adopted a pet than to treat him as a commodity destined for the same fate as that of a tawdry fashion item. My nostrils flare when such gross news is reported. Please understand that it’s a beating heart full of love, loyalty & a friendship that you have adopted. There are responsibilities that you must live up to.  Please, remember that you are the harbinger of joy and the elixir of life for the muted species. You are the hope and he is the heart!

Also see: Dog adoption Guide

Some websites regard the following as the rules for dog lovers while others quote them in the Biblical lines as 10 COMMANDMENTS. Consider it as the voice of the dog.

Before you adopt a dog

1. My life is likely to last 10 – 13 years.  Any separation from you will be painful for me.  Remember that BEFORE you get me.
2. Give me time to understand what you want from me.
3. Place your trust in me; it is crucial to my well being.
4. Don’t be angry with me for long, and don’t lock me up as punishment.
5. Talk to me sometimes.  Even if I don’t understand your words, I understand your voice.
6. Be aware that however you treat me, I’ll never forget.
7. Please don’t hit me.  I can’t hit back, but I can bite and scratch and I really don’t want to do that.
8. Before you scold me for being uncooperative, obstinate, or lazy, ask yourself if something might be bothering me.  Perhaps I’m not getting the right foods or I’ve been out in the sun too long or my heart is getting old and weak!
9. Take care of me when I get old.  You will get old too.
10. Go with me on difficult journeys.  NEVER say, “I can’t bear to watch, or let it happen in my absence.”  Everything is easier for me if you are there.  And always remember, I LOVE YOU!

Ready to adopt? Questions to answer first

It’s 9 pm, a puppy is asleep on your lap, and nobody in the house has asked who will take her out at 6 am. Answer these five before you say yes, while the decision is still cheap to change.

1. Who walks, feeds and takes her to the vet on the days you travel? “Someone will manage” isn’t an answer. You need a name, a phone number and a plan.
2. Is everyone at home a yes? One person doing all the work resents the dog by month three. Read your rental agreement too, and the society and landlord rules in our dog adoption guide, before you read the adoption listing.
3. Can you cover the vet bills as well as the food? Vaccines, deworming and sterilisation come first, and an emergency can land in year one. The cost section of the guide has the numbers.
4. How many hours will she be alone? A puppy left through a full workday will chew, cry and pee on the floor, and a puppy with nobody home isn’t a bad dog.
5. Will you still say yes in ten to thirteen years? If a move to another city is likely in that time, decide now how the dog comes with you.

If it isn’t working out

The first few weeks are hard on the dog too. Many rescues talk about a 3-3-3 pattern: about three days to decompress, three weeks to learn the routine and three months to feel at home. A new dog often hides, skips meals or barks through the night, and much of that eases once she learns the routine. Give it that time, ask your vet or the person you adopted from, and read the “After you adopt” section of the guide.

If you still can’t keep her, call whoever you adopted from before anyone else. They know her history, and they may take her back or help place her with someone better suited. If that isn’t possible, list her honestly in our adoption directory with a real photo, her real temperament and your phone number.

Don’t leave her on the street. Abandoning an animal is an offence under Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and it’s exactly the ending the promises above are written to prevent. If you’re unsure before you commit, ask the rescuer whether they offer a two-week foster-to-adopt trial. Some do.

Ready to adopt a dog, see here.