DOGS

Dogs are brought into rescue organisations for a variety of different reasons:

• Not enough thought went into the choice of breed, seeing one down the road or advertising products on television is not a good enough basis to go out and buy one.
  Marriage break ups happen all the time and neither party is able to care for the dog.
  In today's world many people suffer from allergies to the dog hairs or particles of skin that they shed
• The dog's owner dies and through no fault of it's own the dog is then homeless.
  Many people just turn their dogs out into the street or worse still throw them from a car onto a busy road when they are bored of the
• Puppies are bought for Christmas or birthday presents for the children and when they have grown out of the cute puppy stage they are no longer interested in them.
  Some are brought in by inspectors as cruelty or neglect cases.
• Dogs with long coats that need daily grooming which have been neglected for a few days and the coat has quickly got out of control and matted and the owner feels they can not cope anymore.
• By far the most popular reason being puppies and their mothers being brought in because the owner would not spend the money on having the bitch spayed.
• Animal welfare organisations throughout the country take in thousands of unwanted animals every year. There is only one way to solve this problem and that is to NEUTER.

If you are considering giving a rescue dog a second chance in life please think long and hard first. You will need to consider the following points:

Time - How much time do you have to give a dog? If you work all day it is not fair if you leave the dog home alone. Having a neighbour or friend calling in at lunchtime to let the dog out to the toilet is not enough. Your dog should be considered a valued member of the family and therefore deserves the time and attention that you give to the other members. He will need walking every day, feeding twice a day, grooming daily and given some quality play time.
Children - How do your children feel about having to share their home and parents affections with a new dog? Your dog will need a 'safe place' which is strictly off limits for children so that he can have peace and quiet and be left alone.
Holidays and Days out - What will happen to your dog when you go out for the day? Will you be able to take him with you, bearing in mind many places do not allow dogs where there is food or other animals, parks and beaches often prohibit dogs because of fouling. Holidays have to be considered too, will you be willing to pay for your dog to go into boarding kennels? If you are visiting relatives will you be able to take the dog with you? Often relatives will accept a small dog into their home quite happily but will object to a larger dog.
Expenses - Your dog will need annual vaccinations, flea and worm treatment and regular health checks from the vet along with any other health care he may need. He will need a good quality balanced diet, toys, bedding, lead, collar and bowls. As already discussed boarding fees will need to be paid when you go on holiday.
Living accommodation - Consider the size of your property and garden. If you live in a flat with no garden you will have to take the dog out on a lead each time he needs to do his business. If you have a large house and garden you will need to make sure the garden is securely fenced.
Size - The man of the house will almost undoubtedly prefer a large dog as he will not want to spoil his macho image walking a toy dog, but often it is the woman of the household that is home all day and has to take on the responsibility of caring for it and she may not be strong enough in physique or manner to control a large (especially guard) breed. A smaller dog has the advantage of not only taking up less space but can easily be taken on outings with you. Do not be mislead into thinking that they are cheaper to keep and will not need as much exercise, as this is simply not true. Feeding a small dog is cheaper, certain medications will be cheaper as they are administered by weight of the dog, a small dog bed will be cheaper but he will still need as much if not more exercise as a large breed and just as much attention. Terriers have unlimited energy.