When you decide to expand your family by getting a new furry friend, you have to make a choice between buying a dog or adopting one from a shelter. But what decision is right for your family?
Pet Store Pups
When buying a dog from a pet store you need to know that most of these pups come from puppy mills. Puppy mills owners are not loving, nurturing breeders. They run high volume puppy manufacturing with only one goal in mind, to earn highest possible income with very little expense. Most of these dogs are kept in inhumane conditions, locked in cages all their life and bred twice a year. By buying a puppy mill dog you are supporting their way of business. Remember, without demand for product or service there is no puppy mill business.
Shelter Dogs
Each shelter dog comes with a backstory. Shelters provide background information on some of their dogs, for others they can only guess what they went through based on their behavior. Unfortunately, a lot of shelter dogs come from neglect and abusive households and at the beginning, they may be terrified of interacting with humans or other dogs. With time they will learn to trust and love you and they will be forever grateful for giving them a second chance in life.
People tend to struggle between adopting a puppy vs. an adult dog. Many of us want to watch the dog grow up and train them as our own. The advantage to adopting an adult dog is that usually, older dogs are past their puppy trouble stage and housetrained, which makes your life a bit easier.
A big challenge when adopting a dog is dedicating plenty of time to your new furry family member. This the time to set your house rules and follow them from day one, making it easier to teach them correct habits and manners at home. Some dogs will fit right in with their family and are easy to train, others need more time and patience to adapt to their new home and family.
Regardless where your dog comes from, bringing this furry creature to your family will have a positive impact on everyone in your household. Your lives will change for better. The new dog will put you on a daily schedule, you will get more exercise, they will put a smile on your face on a daily basis and will love you unconditionally for the rest of their lives. So do some research, choose a dog that will fit your lifestyle the best, make them part of your family, have fun and love them, because at the end that’s all they want, to be loved.
About The Author
Mira Alicki is a jewelry designer and goldsmith for the past 22 years. Her passion for animals led her to create her own line of jewelry and online store to benefit charities. 40% of each purchase is donated back to the animal community. You can find Mira on Twitter (@FIMHjewelry) or at www.ForeverInMyHeartJewelry.com
Want more information about pet shelters? Check out these blogs.
What Does It Take to Run an Animal Shelter?
Celebrating "Adopt a Shelter Pet Day" Every Day