The love of a dog is like no other. Making the decision to get a dog is a big one, but you’ll be countlessly rewarded every single day you get to spend with your pup. The biggest decision, however, is deciding where to get your dog.When you’re getting a dog, you should always consider checking out your local animal shelters to adopt your newest family member. Every year, 3.9 million dogs enter animal shelters. About 1.2 million of those dogs are euthanized because they haven’t been adopted.
There are tons of lovable, adoptable dogs waiting to go home with you right now. But many people brush off shelter dogs because there are too many unfortunate misconceptions about them. With your help, we can increase shelter adoption numbers, but first, let’s correct these misconceptions.
Misconception #1: Shelter dogs are damaged goods
This is the saddest misconception about shelter dogs, because it is largely untrue.
While there are some dogs that end up in shelters due to health or behavioral issues, many of them are given up because their previous human got sick, had to move, passed away, or was simply unable to properly care for the dog.
There are amazing dogs in shelters who are ready to meet you and show you just how lovable they are.
Misconception #2: I can’t rescue a dog because I want a puppy
There are plenty of puppies available in shelters. The average age of an animal entering a shelter is 18 months, which is practically still a puppy. Keep in mind that puppies aren’t puppies forever and they require special care. The first thing you’ll have to do if you get a puppy is to deal with housebreaking.
Puppies are a lot of work, which is exactly why dogs are often surrendered to shelters before their second birthday. You could easily get a wonderful adult or senior dog at a shelter who is already trained and ready to go. In fact, for many first-time Pack Leaders, this is a good choice.
Misconception #3: Shelter dogs won’t be loyal or obedient to me
This misconception is just silly. All dogs are loyal. If you bring a dog home and show him unconditional love, you’ll have a faithful companion for life.
As for obedience, with a little patience, training, and consistency, your new dog will obey your commands in no time. In fact, many shelter dogs are already trained in basic obedience, so you could start off ahead of the curve.
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