To Adopt or To Shop, Part 1: Adopt

Thinking of bringing a new dog into your life? In this episode, Chrissy and Cara discuss the key considerations for adopting versus shopping for a dog. They emphasize the importance of self-reflection, understanding breed characteristics, and assessing lifestyle compatibility before bringing a dog home. The conversation covers the challenges and rewards of adoption, the significance of patience and trust-building, and the need to gather information about a dog’s background. Listeners are encouraged to be honest about their capabilities and to prepare for a long-term commitment, ensuring both the dog and owner can thrive together. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:01

Dog is love Like the roofs of the trees and the stars up above Dog is love Hey

SPEAKER_02 0:38

there, everyone. Thanks so much for joining Kara and I on the Dog is Love podcast. We have been getting a lot of great feedback. We hope you feel like we've been a fun addition to your doggy loving world. If you have listened to the previous episodes, we all have a little bit more insight into understanding the language of dog. So we were thinking some of you may be at square one. That's right. And you need to get a dog. For some, it may be the very first time. And for others, it may be exciting to go on another journey with a new furry friend. So I think... But what we should do is before we get like into the nitty gritty of what we want to talk about is when you're trying to find an option for yourself. Right. I think we want to pause and really think about what like you, the listener, what we care and I, if we got a new dog can offer our dog. Right. Right. What kind of relationship that we can give them?

SPEAKER_03 1:46

It's

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important to answer because the more I think we're honest about with that information, the more we're honest that we can be with ourselves, the more successful you will be in choosing a companion, right? To be your best bud. Of course. So I think some good questions maybe to ask, we can just like kind of throw them out there to get you, the listener, to just maybe start thinking about that. I

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think

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the first one is just like, what kind of person are you?

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Right.

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Right. Some of our clients are very active. Totally. They love, you know, marathon runners. They're hiking on the weekends with their family and stuff. And then we have some that are just chilling on the weekend, might be a retired couple. Yeah. Or,

SPEAKER_01 2:35

you know, if you're Let's say you do you work from home or is your dog going to be a working dog? You know, is your dog going to be able to go to work with you?

SPEAKER_02 2:43

Yeah. So how much time you can put into like the training and the interacting with. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Absolutely. And deciding if you need like a company like us to come in and help. Huge one. Which is the difference between maybe getting a small dog versus like a large dog. Yep. Maybe how a new dog might impact your current lifestyle. You know how it's going to change greatly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:06

that too and what is this what is life like in your household um if you bring do you have a dog and then you're getting a second dog so how is that going to adjust the the energy of your yeah that's

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like a good point because of the timing too you know is your dog too old or too young to have like a little furry mate you gotta time that

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right in that little sweet spot

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yeah totally um And then you want to make sure that you, you know, understand what characteristics that you do want versus what you don't want. So, you know, if you're buying, if you want to be hunting with your dog, you know, you want to definitely a bird breeder, like, you know, a pointer or like labs, retrievers that can go out and hunt with you. You know, this is so funny because I remember we had a customer who, that loved the look of a German wire-haired pointer. And...

SPEAKER_01 4:12

Do you know? No, but I'm just laughing because they're like the most high-strung dogs on the planet. They're beautiful.

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They're absolutely so good looking. And I think that's like what she kind of fell in love with was the look of the dog.

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But Lord have mercy.

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Totally did, you know, just overlooked the high energy of what that dog came from. So instead of you know, going out and like hunting, he stayed inside and basically ate the whole house. Right? I mean, it's kind of like dating, right? Like just like not seeing the red flags and just going straight

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in. No, red flag after red flag. So cute. So cute. So handsome. Yeah. He's going to ruin your life.

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Right? So we really just have to ask these questions. and get really honest with ourselves, what we can provide and what we're ready for. Oh my gosh, it's so funny how it's so relatable. Oh God, yeah. I know. So where? So I think first, where to start? I think a great place to start is the AKC. They have a website, akc.org. And Why that is because it's so dynamic.

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Yes, you can. It's so specific.

SPEAKER_02 5:38

Yeah. And it's what's really cool is you can start looking into the breeds. Obviously, they've even brought in their breed line now to like mutts and a couple other different types of these crossbreeds that are going on. But what's important is that you can take those. breeds and do like a comparison on it which is so cool and then they like they line up what their personalities will be so that you can really figure out what would make sense for you or you and your family right

SPEAKER_01 6:06

right and you can do this this applies to whether or not you want to shop a dog from a breeder or if you want to adopt a dog

SPEAKER_02 6:16

absolutely because you want to understand what the breed lines are going to come

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yeah and and like what personality you're going to get or maybe a hybrid personality. So you at least can sort of see.

SPEAKER_02 6:29

And they do have breed recommendations on there or breeder recommendations. But we all are they. I really think you should just kind of get that word of mouth. Yeah. You know. So once you have a better sense of what kind of owner you'll be. Right. And then also what you're looking for in a type of breed to bring in, then comes the most important question, which is what we're talking about today is to adopt or shop. Right. Right. And I think the conversation, we might split this up into two. So today we'll start talking about the adopting because people are very passionate about both sides.

SPEAKER_01 7:09

A thousand percent. And it should be, it should go without saying that we don't, necessarily have an opinion. We're not coming here with an opinion about either one.

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Absolutely. Because we really see that there's pros and cons to both. Sure. On both sides.

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And there are a lot of dogs out there that do need homes. So we can go ahead and put that out there. So if you find yourself in a position where you are able to adopt, that's pretty awesome.

SPEAKER_02 7:32

So we have shelters. We have breed specific organizations. Rescues. Uh-huh. Rescues. So if you have a specific breed that you found, you can actually find them out in the big world wide web

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of

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the organizations that are specific to a breed. Then we also have or have seen where these travel buses go and rescue dogs go. And from kill shelters that are maybe down in the South, and then they bring them back and they have sort of these adoption events go on, which is really, really cool. And there are so many dogs available for adoption. And if you know what you're doing, you can be an integral part of rehabilitating a dog back to their nature, natural self, their primitive self, which is pretty amazing experience to be a part of. But we would stress the understanding of the importance of the foundational principles of dog that we've already talked about

SPEAKER_03 8:33

and

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being the pack leader because it will help you establish that trust that you need when you're actually adopting a dog. Right. Because they're so attuned to us that the right environment, the experiences are required to activate that potential of like a really good dog. To bring out what their natural instinct is. Am I making sense?

SPEAKER_01 9:00

Yeah. So, and it's, I mean, we have talked about this in a lot of our episodes and basically just the importance of being, the importance of you being the pack leader is going to help lay that foundation of trust. Yeah. And then you need, you have to have that, especially with a dog who's ended up in the shelter because that is going to be something they're not going to be This is a blanket statement, but they're not maybe not necessarily going to be as trusting.

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Correct.

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And they're going to be fearful. Yeah. And

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they might seem like aloof, right, to us as a dog. But it's not that they're lacking. It's just a matter of that they've had, you know, some experiences go on in their world already. Yeah. And so, you know, don't overlook. Yeah. The aloof, you know, if you're capable, if you have the ability to, you know, spend that extra time with the dog.

SPEAKER_01 9:58

Have you seen that Subaru commercial? She rescues a dog and the dog's in a crate in the back of the car and he won't come out of the car. So she sleeps in the car and then she has to slowly. earn his trust yeah and then by the end of the commercial they're walking happily on the leash yeah i mean but she really she's like it's okay and he's really like her yeah just nervous a lot of nervous anxiety

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what a good

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yeah and so she just really you know slowly gains that i'm here it's a steady benevolent leadership like i'm here you take your time you

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But

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I'm ready when you are. And then ultimately, she wins him over. It's a sweet commercial.

SPEAKER_02 10:46

My brother-in-law adopts all his work dogs. And one thing I think when you're going into adoption, if you're doing it in a manner that's, I think, on the smarter side, is that you take time. And in that time, though, the downfall is... that you might lose a dog that you're looking at. And so this is what my brother-in-law does is that he'll go and he'll sit with the dog and just kind of really observe them. Then he might go another day and interact with them, right? Taking them for a walk or something like that. He might even go back on like a rainy day or a stormy day to see like how their temperament is and different like

SPEAKER_01 11:30

conditions. So smart.

SPEAKER_02 11:32

Yeah. Then he'll bring his family in. Right. And so this is multiple visits to the same dog. And there has been times where he's watched a dog and then lost him. So I think you just have to kind of have faith to just know that the dog that's meant for you will be the dog that you get. Right. In this type of situation.

SPEAKER_01 11:52

Sure. So when you're looking, one of the best questions to ask is. Where did this dog come from?

SPEAKER_02 12:01

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 12:02

Try to find out as much information as you can from the shelter or the rescue or the foster, whoever it is. Ask stories about the past of that animal, if they have it. at least try to get as much information as you can.

SPEAKER_02 12:22

Yeah. So like where they picked up as a stray or, you know, and they, so they might not have any obedience yet.

SPEAKER_01 12:30

Right.

SPEAKER_02 12:31

Or were they, you know, surrendered by their owner and might come with like great manners already.

SPEAKER_01 12:36

Right. Or they might have been a surrender because they don't have great manners. And just because they don't have great manners doesn't mean they can't be Correct. Correct.

SPEAKER_02 13:12

Just

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roll right past that red flag. I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_02 13:19

Well, let's talk about some of those like little T traumas or big T traumas that they come with. I think when I see dogs in shelters, I see so much trauma. insight into the living experience I think without like a secure and now we're talking about like older dogs sometimes there's puppies in shelters right but I'm talking about like an older dog so without like a secure attachment to like it's mother or a pack leader or a caregiver I think that dogs can't acquire the tools that they need to regulate right

SPEAKER_01 13:57

yes

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So, you know, for forceful instances of like conflict or neglect can really shock the dog into a fight, flight or freeze standpoint.

SPEAKER_01 14:12

So interesting because it, I mean, this is so connected to the human experience. Not that I'm a scientist, but yeah, or a psychologist. No, it's

SPEAKER_02 14:25

how we all operate. I think all like living beings beings operate like this,

SPEAKER_01 14:30

right? Yeah, but just the whole discussion about like a secure attachment and what that means for further development is really fascinating. Yeah. And it can apply to dogs.

SPEAKER_02 14:40

So when they're in that fight, flight or freeze with repetition, the triggers become embedded into their memory.

SPEAKER_03 14:46

And

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so that if they have sight of someone or something or the tone of somebody or nature sounds or a body movement, you know, can provoke a pup.

SPEAKER_01 15:02

Right.

SPEAKER_02 15:02

Right. And a harmless gesture if you're an adoption place and you reach out to go pet them or maybe you're getting closer to them. they can provoke a powerful and at times unconscious anxiety in the dog. Sure. Leading to either fear aggression or true territorial aggression. And you see a lot of that in dogs. And that's why dogs get left in shelters. Right. And this is, type of process stretches them like from when they're young all the way into adulthood. Right. And so it's what they learn becomes what actually they do in relationships with people or with other dogs. Right.

SPEAKER_01 15:41

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 15:42

So even having a conscious awareness as like a dog owner coming in to a specific trigger that this dog has. So you're asking these questions to the shelter or the foster parent. Right. Even though you know this of the dog owner, Right. Right. the weeks that you're going to be with your new pup, it might be a lot of uncertainty, right? They may stay further away from you. They might not want to eat right away. But if you go back to like that routine and consistency and pack leadership role that we discussed in the other episodes, using the language of dog, the pup will start to to start trusting and like new memories override the old processes, right? And so the patterns are replaced with those new experiences and then yeah, the trust is built and you're in the healing process.

SPEAKER_01 17:07

Right, so I mean, it takes time and patience and you have to be willing to put in the work.

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Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:18

You have to put the work in.

SPEAKER_02 17:19

And like us, like healing can come when we give our shelter pups self-worth, right? We were all born with inherent worth, right? And so to our dogs. We don't learn this if we're not nurtured, affirmed, or have had appropriate boundaries. So make sure to affirm their anxieties when you're with them. their realities, like don't ignore them, right? Nurture them so they will learn that they are important part of your family structure. And then also give them limits through boundaries and moderation, right? It's always just baby steps.

SPEAKER_01 18:00

Can you give examples to the listener of something like that?

SPEAKER_02 18:05

Yeah, so we've had several of these type of dogs that have come with these you know, insecurities. Sure. And it just takes time. So we have an incredible dog, Dexter, who I adore. Yeah. Right. And the family got us to come in and Dexter would growl and not let me come up to him because he was so spooked by new people, you know, new environment, everything. And so what we just did is we took baby steps for like six, I think it took a couple of weeks of me and him doing this every day. And so I wouldn't take him for a walk right away. I didn't go in and just grab him and take him out for a walk. Although I would have loved that because that would have gotten us there quicker.

SPEAKER_01 18:54

Yeah.

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But I would have, I would have like injured him even more. Right.

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Or the potential to have injured him. Yeah. It would have been there.

SPEAKER_02 19:02

Yeah. Higher. So what I did was we just opened the door and, And then I would sit down on the ledge and he would be right in that hallway, low growling at me and showing me all the body language, hair sticking up, kind of like his front, like his head was like lower to the ground than the back end of him. Right. And I would just sit in a position with my back towards him, which is not making eye contact with him. And that way he just would be able to set me.

SPEAKER_01 19:38

Yeah.

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And then we would have that moment for, you know, I would sit there for like 10 minutes or so and then close the door and come back another time.

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It's amazing that that is how he was at the beginning. Yeah. Because now he walks with the pack. He is so social.

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Yeah.

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And he is such a chill, has such a chill personality in any sort of setting with other people, with, At least in my experience with him.

SPEAKER_02 20:10

Absolutely. And he's like a big breed dog too. Oh,

SPEAKER_01 20:13

he's, he's, I wouldn't mess with him. He's intimidating looking.

SPEAKER_02 20:17

A lot of people are scared of him. I think he has like shepherd in him. I think he has that Belgium. What is it? Malinois.

SPEAKER_03 20:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:24

And so when a lot of people see him, a lot of people get like really scared, but that's where like, but like, you know, it was in him the whole time. He just needed to be that nurtured baby step dog. And his

SPEAKER_01 20:36

family did a really good job. They're pretty amazing. And then they rescued Poppy.

SPEAKER_02 20:42

Yes, they have another rescue that kind of the same thing, was a little nervous at first, but is doing really, really well. She's a cutie. So I think another question to ask is how many homes has the dog already been in? Because dogs get rehomed often, right? And you know, if it's based on behavior issues, you need to be sure that you can handle those. A

SPEAKER_01 21:09

thousand percent. And I think we, I think I may have said this before, but know your own limits, right? If you know your limits, you know the, can you meet the dog where the dog is? So if the dog does have behavioral issues, are they simply, the dog's not potty trained? Do you have the time and the energy to make sure that you can You can work on that with that dog. Or is it aggressive with cats or aggressive with children? Those kinds of behavioral things, you are going to be critical to know because if you are a household without any of those things, then okay, you might be able to establish a much better relationship with that dog and you might not have any of the problems. You know, that the previous households that would have had.

SPEAKER_02 22:04

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 22:06

So, you know. If you can get any insight, which actually it's important to note, too, that I don't know that we have talked about this too much. If you can work with any sort of rescue or shelter that fosters shelter. Or if you could consider fostering, that's another really great option to see whether or not you are not only compatible, but you can take a dog out of a shelter and make space for another dog. And then you can foster and learn your own limits. Since it's in a short period of time,

SPEAKER_03 22:40

you

SPEAKER_01 22:41

can say, okay, I know I can handle this. I know I can't handle that. You know what I mean? And that can also be a really great option for people.

SPEAKER_02 22:52

To kind of dip your toes into the whole idea.

SPEAKER_01 22:54

Exactly. That's a good

SPEAKER_02 22:55

idea. I never even thought about that.

SPEAKER_01 22:56

Right.

SPEAKER_02 22:58

Yeah. I think another great question to ask is like try to see if they know what kind of breeds are in that specific dog that you're going to choose. Right. Totally. I always say like it's dog first, first and foremost. Right. Right. But then things specifically come out. on the breed side so you're always looking at the dog as a dog first

SPEAKER_01 23:19

yeah

SPEAKER_02 23:20

and then you kind of start bringing in the breed line and contemplating you know going back to that pointer dog is that like that's going to be a high energy dog that won't be doing well in a sedentary household you know absolutely so then what they do is that energy comes out and other naughty behaviors that you don't want like eating the house

SPEAKER_01 23:43

take it from someone who has done this Personally. Yeah. Moose was my first dog because I wanted to get a dog when I turned 21 and I was out on my own because I couldn't have a dog growing up. Our parents wouldn't let us have a dog. Yeah. Joanne and Toad didn't let you have dogs? Our father loved dogs, but he's like, I'm not picking up after a dog. Who's, you know, he had the number of quips that he said about it

SPEAKER_02 24:08

I didn't know that I just thought you guys weren't dog people because Deirdre's not a dog person

SPEAKER_01 24:11

no she's just you know she's just not a dog person because we never had dogs growing up so I want and I always wanted a dog so as soon as I live by myself I got a dog I didn't know what I was doing I made so many mistakes yeah and of course I get a dog from from someone who breeds bird dogs she was in an American lab not an English lab she was an American lab and she was bred To retrieve. She was driven, high energy, smarter than me, needed to work. She needed a job. She belonged in the home of a bird hunter. She lived with me for 15 years. We adapted, but she ran my life because I was clueless and it took time. All 15 years to learn. I mean, it really, I didn't really start to get a handle of it until I started working for you and started walking dogs and learning, oh, you need to be the pack leader. And there were so many things that I had done incorrectly that were hard to go back

SPEAKER_02 25:20

and fix. Because it's already embedded in there, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:23

Right, because it's already embedded in there. But there was a lot of stuff that we worked on, you know, but if you don't know your limits- You're

SPEAKER_02 25:37

going to get yourself in trouble.

SPEAKER_01 25:38

You're going to get yourself in trouble. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's

SPEAKER_02 25:41

why the questions are so, like the beforehand, what we were talking about, how the questions are just so important to get to know yourself first. Yes. And what you can offer, not necessarily what the dog's going to offer you, what you can offer

SPEAKER_01 25:51

to the dog. What you can offer the dog. And people don't ask that question enough.

SPEAKER_02 25:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:56

People don't ask that question

SPEAKER_02 25:57

enough.

SPEAKER_01 25:57

Because so I was like, oh, I want to get a dog. Yeah, great. That's great. That's great in theory. how is that going to affect your life in practicality?

SPEAKER_02 26:05

Yeah. Right.

SPEAKER_01 26:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:06

Also knowing the dog breed will tell you how like big the dog could come become.

SPEAKER_01 26:11

Oh,

SPEAKER_02 26:12

good golly. Yes. And we've had that happen with Hank. And so like Hank was supposed to be a 30 pound dog. He ended up being like an 80 to 90 pound dog, which is a

SPEAKER_01 26:23

huge difference. Rest in peace.

SPEAKER_02 26:26

Yeah. Which is a huge difference between, you know, so it's, If you're not asking exact... And sometimes they don't know. Sometimes that happens and that's fine. Sure. But if you just... it's good to ask the question just in case that they do know. Yeah. Right. And this day and age, you can do the DNA testing to see, but you won't be able to do that until they have,

SPEAKER_01 26:46

I was going to say, can you do that? I don't think you can do the DNA testing until it's your dog. But yeah,

SPEAKER_02 26:51

so that's why it's important to understand like what breed, what mixed breed. So yeah, exactly. So you're matching them with what you can handle and also that you're, there's no surprises of what you're going to get. Totally. I think also, um, taking in consideration to ask about the dog's health. Right. And important to know what level of veterinary care they've received.

SPEAKER_01 27:13

If they're able to give you that information. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 27:16

Yeah. So if their vaccinations are up to date, you need to ask if they spayed or neutered quite yet. You know, sometimes you can ask for, you know, make sure you ask for copies of their records of what they've gone through. And then most importantly, I think it's like, hey, how did they act when they were getting vaccinated? looked at by a vet because you want to know, you know, what they're going to do when you go into a vet and it's going to be important. And I've seen that happen where you get these dogs, clients of ours that have like adopted dogs. And then when they go to the vet, it's like a whole thing. And the dog is shaking. The dog gets super sick.

SPEAKER_01 27:55

I know. And it's so upsetting.

SPEAKER_02 27:57

Yeah. But what you can do is you can, again, go back to those baby steps and really work with your vet And so the process would be you walk into the door of the vet and then you walk out and you do that. And they just get kind of used to the smells. And then you leave and you go home. And then you come back the next day and you might go even further where like the people at the desk come over and say hi to the dog. And you're just doing it by baby steps to baby steps to baby steps.

SPEAKER_01 28:28

And what I'm hearing you say is you just have to have the time and the patience and the energy to put in the work.

SPEAKER_02 28:37

Yeah, you got to put in the work.

SPEAKER_01 28:39

Yeah.

UNKNOWN 28:40

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 28:41

Um, I think also, yeah, well, putting in the work. Yeah, that's it. Yes. Okay. So here's one of the cons. If you don't put in the work, it's all wonderful when you want to rescue a dog. But like, if you don't put in the work, then you're actually a disservice to the very effort that you were trying to do in the first place. Yes. Did I make sense

SPEAKER_01 29:05

saying that? Like, yes, you're doing a disservice to the dog you're trying to save. Yes. If you're not going to put the work in.

SPEAKER_02 29:13

Yeah. And I've seen that happen a lot of times.

SPEAKER_01 29:16

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 29:17

And it's just and it's like, yeah, well, it's great that you love to rescue dogs. But when you bring them home and you don't do anything with them and, you know, it's just like, well, what's the whole point of rescuing them then?

SPEAKER_01 29:30

Right. Right. Because then you're just reaffirming. You're just putting your dog, putting that dog through the trauma again. that they have already been put through. And then if that dog ends back up in the shelter, good grief. You know, I mean, no.

SPEAKER_02 29:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:50

You know, no, that's not fair. It's not fair.

SPEAKER_02 29:56

No, it's not at all. And then like, yeah, going back to like the traumas, you're just, you're not, you're not recreating those, you're not altering those cells, right? Those memory cells of them. You're not recreating these routines, these new memories to get them out of those like trauma spaces, right? So yeah, I just think that's, when I hear people be like, oh no, I'm not gonna buy, I'm gonna adopt. And then they don't put any time. So it's really understanding that with these older dogs that you do, you need to put time in.

SPEAKER_01 30:31

Is the situation less so with adopting a puppy?

SPEAKER_02 30:34

Well, I think, yeah. When you have a puppy, you're able just to take them home and start from the very beginning.

SPEAKER_01 30:43

But you probably will find that some puppies may or may not still have some of that Like if it's a puppy that comes from a puppy mill or a puppy that's been ripped away from its mother before that eight weeks. I mean, you may you may run into some attachment issues. You may run into some anxiety, that kind of thing. Yeah, maybe easier to navigate. But still.

SPEAKER_02 31:07

Yeah. Yeah. I never even thought about that. Yeah, I guess so. I guess you you would still you might you might find some things pop up. Yeah. And also like in this conversation too, there are so many dogs that you can rescue that are just like easy dogs to rescue, right? I just want to make sure you understand that as well, the listener as well. Like there are some incredible stories where people get lucky with rescues and it's like you supply an awesome home for the dog. you know, doing some fun things and it's a really great experience.

SPEAKER_01 31:44

Don't you always feel, I, I don't know if, if this is real, this is probably not real, but I have always felt like the dogs who are rescued know it and they are like, thanks. You know what I mean? It's almost like they have this, this like, twinkle in their eye that they just really are happy to be at peace.

SPEAKER_02 32:15

Well, of course. I mean, think about it. Yes, I think that's true.

SPEAKER_01 32:18

Maybe it's not a true thing, but I just feel like all the ones that are the rescue dogs that are in these much better scenarios are kind of like...

SPEAKER_02 32:32

This is great. I won the lottery. Yes, yes, yes. Of course. I mean, you could think about it for yourself, right? If that happened to you and you had all this fight or flight and freeze and then all of a sudden you're in a space that's safe and secure and you don't have that anxiety and those feelings anymore, of course, dude, you're going to be like, hit

SPEAKER_00 32:53

the high left here.

SPEAKER_01 32:55

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, I love that.

SPEAKER_02 32:58

Yeah. So I think we were, we got a little off topic, but I think we were talking about, um, you know, asking about that care and making sure, you know, that, you know, of anything in their history. Sure. Um, most importantly, like if they have murmurs or, you know, if they've broken bones before and stuff, cause then you need to really pay attention to the longterm, um, responsibility there and that could be a lot of money that you have to fork out you know and then there's that decision maybe you should be getting pet insurance rather than going into that that expansive time of somebody with a long history of a health does that make sense yeah absolutely yeah okay I think like what's the dog's personality A lot of foster parents will have that like spot on. Yes. You know, so, you know, and ask the shelter staff. They'll know it, too, because they've been interacting with these dogs. Right.

SPEAKER_01 33:55

And I think you can go into a lot of shelters will love when people want to come and take the dogs out for walks, which can give you a lot of insight. Yeah. Personality of a dog. Yeah. If you're on a walk with them.

UNKNOWN 34:10

Mm hmm.

SPEAKER_02 34:10

Of course, is the dog potty trained? Sure. Yeah. You know, all dogs are probably going to have accidents at first. Sometimes if you have had dogs in your house before, they might be marking.

SPEAKER_01 34:22

They might mark,

SPEAKER_02 34:24

yeah. So you just got to be prepared for that. Yeah. And then sometimes dogs, they've been living in a house and they've never been able to go outside or living in a crate. So you just have to like really understand that and see, again, what is ahead for you?

SPEAKER_01 34:42

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 34:42

And how much time and effort do you really have and how much time and effort does this dog really need? Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_01 34:50

Right. We definitely touched already on children. Yeah, we did. We didn't so much touch on strangers, but. You know, if you are adopting a dog because you want to, you know, bring your dog to work, but you know that your dog gets super anxious or maybe reactive around strangers, you know, that's something to take into account because that might not be the dog for you. Or the situation for you.

SPEAKER_02 35:23

Yeah, it's happening right now. Actually, I know a family that rescued a dog. Sweet, sweet dog. Right. And but to strangers. Yeah. She gets anxious. Sure. And so she goes into like a fear aggression. And fear aggression can be just as impactful as like a territorial aggression. Yeah. So it can still have a big bite, all that jazz. And yeah, so I had the boys with me. And, you know, we came to the house and all of a sudden the dog is like barking at us, but barking in a way that I know is fear aggression. Yeah. And so, you know, the owner didn't really maybe understand as much of like, you know, it's OK. They were just kind of tell me it's OK. She just gets this way and stuff like that. But it's like, no, you really need to take that space and give her. And it's really not about us. It was really like I didn't want my boys to get close to her because she really needed to have that space. I was looking out for her more so than I was looking out for us.

SPEAKER_01 36:29

Yeah. Does

SPEAKER_02 36:30

that make sense? Yes. But yeah. So like. And that's when you need to come in as a dog owner and make those corrections. And so those are the boundaries and the limitations we're talking about and not allowing them to stay in that mindset of these old habits, these old routines, right? You really want to come in and shift that for the dog. And I think maybe in the end, it almost looked like we were kind of like anxious to be there with the dog, but it wasn't. It was like, I wanted to make sure that this dog understood that we're going to give you the space that you need because you're showing us that.

SPEAKER_01 37:07

So here's my question in that specific situation. And probably you would know this. This goes back to the energy episode, right? So you're feeling, so I can only help, I can only wonder, right? What kind of energy was happening in that specific scenario? Because then you have this very anxious dog. You have an owner that's not quite 100% sure what the reaction is going to be. She doesn't think that the dog's in a strike, but maybe the dog's in a strike. And if that is the case, then you know that that person was probably holding some amount of anxiety about that situation. So that is affecting the energy all around in the whole room, right? And then you have your kids who don't know the dog, maybe blissfully unaware, but then also cautious because you're saying be cautious so you're probably there's probably a bit of tension I imagine that was happening right there

SPEAKER_02 38:03

yeah I guess so yeah for sure

SPEAKER_01 38:05

so what ended up happening so what was the result

SPEAKER_02 38:09

so the result was that they ended up like not correcting the dog in a way that maybe would have been more beneficial

SPEAKER_01 38:16

so not a firm enough boundary

SPEAKER_02 38:18

yeah and then they took away the dog from the situation so what happens is by taking the dog with away from the situation, yes, it's easier, but then the dog doesn't actually learn anything.

SPEAKER_01 38:29

Yeah. So the dog's not able to actually navigate it and come to the other side

SPEAKER_02 38:34

in

SPEAKER_01 38:35

a positive way.

SPEAKER_02 38:36

Correct. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:37

So she holds on to that fear aggression towards strangers.

SPEAKER_02 38:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:42

Because in her experience, she's being removed from the situation as almost if to affirm,

SPEAKER_02 38:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:49

Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_02 38:50

And it keeps on happening. It keeps on happening to every person that comes over to their house that's new.

SPEAKER_01 38:56

So what should they have done? What should they do?

SPEAKER_02 38:58

Well, I would have really liked to have seen them like before guests arrive to maybe take the dog for a walk or a run, obviously, to get that energy out of them. And then I think also, you know, correcting the behavior rather than their position was holding the dog back rather than actually giving the dog a correction. So either having a prong collar on the dog to give it that mama bite that we've talked about to correct for the behavior that you don't want

SPEAKER_01 39:31

and

SPEAKER_02 39:32

give it like a leave it command, just so that we can snap her psychology out of that fight, flight or freeze mode and and kind of back into this like settle next to me, I've got this as the pack leader. Does that make sense? So it's either utilizing her collar or using her prong collar to give her a correction. on that and have her stop the barking, intercept that mindset. You want to have that psychological snap for her.

SPEAKER_01 40:03

So could they have used treats or some other kind of positive affirmation as well? They could have. But

SPEAKER_02 40:09

again, remember if you're retraining, reaffirming this dog in a way for like a behavior that you don't want. You don't want to accidentally reward

SPEAKER_01 40:19

the behavior that you don't want to see.

SPEAKER_02 40:21

Correct. So in that sense is that you want to do the correction and then give a command. So it's a correction. She settles down. You can say, leave it. Right. And then you wait and, and have the person maybe come a little bit further into the space. And if she reacts again, you give a correction again. So those are the moments where you have to give a little bit of a time before you can actually reward a dog for doing the right thing for making, you need them to have that like little switch in their brain go, Oh, This is what I'm supposed to do. I'm supposed to say right here next to my owner, you know, not barking, not getting aggressive. And when they make that little switch, when they get it, then that's when you go ahead and you can give them like a good boy, good girl or a treat.

SPEAKER_01 41:08

And you can physically see that switch happen.

SPEAKER_02 41:11

Yeah, you can. If

SPEAKER_01 41:12

you're paying attention, you can watch the dog. It's almost like they will shift. They'll relax. I mean, you'll see them relax a

SPEAKER_02 41:20

little

SPEAKER_01 41:22

bit. So you can pick up on it if you yourself are relaxed.

SPEAKER_02 41:26

Yeah. And that's going to take many times over and over and over again. You might not get her to that point like on the first try.

SPEAKER_01 41:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:35

But if you keep on intercepting the behavior that shouldn't be or you don't want, then, you know, that consistency and repetitiveness, the dog will catch on and learn a new way about going about seeing, meeting a new stranger.

SPEAKER_01 41:51

You're creating new neural pathways in the brain of the dog.

SPEAKER_02 41:55

Yeah. It's

SPEAKER_01 41:55

like a new, a new habit when you're trying to make a habit.

SPEAKER_02 41:58

Yes, it's absolutely is. Yeah. So, and that's, again, that's that healing process. And if you're not doing that, then what's the point of rescuing the dog? Right. You know?

SPEAKER_01 42:09

Right. Yeah, I get it. I'm with you.

SPEAKER_02 42:12

Yeah.

UNKNOWN 42:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:13

All right. So are there any other, you know, bullet points that you want to look out for? You know, just I think we've touched on. I

SPEAKER_02 42:21

think a big thing is, will the shelter or the place that you take it, will they, you know, take the dog back?

SPEAKER_01 42:30

Oh, God, that's a good one,

SPEAKER_02 42:31

because that's a lot. It just it's there's it's a it's. It's a hard one. I don't want anybody ever taking a dog back to the shelter. I mean, that's what I don't want. I want you to learn how to be a pack leader. I want you to learn the language of the dog. I want you to take the time. This is with any dog. I want you to take the time with the dog, put in effort and so forth and really build that bond and trust with them. I don't want to ever see a dog rehome, but does it happen? Yes. And that's okay because sometimes people fail. find out that like oh gosh I didn't make the right decision for this dog and for us you know so you want to make sure that can that shell or just ask just so you know will they take the dog back if it doesn't work out you know or will they help you rehome the dog to somebody else like you could keep the dog and kind of go back into a foster situation right yeah or you can you know ask you know obviously rehome to a good family in the community or something like that by word of mouth but You know, I think that's a little bit harder than actually asking the shelter to go back. They have a lot more resources. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 43:42

Okay. So to tie it all up together. And

SPEAKER_02 43:47

remember, these questions aren't designed for finding the perfect dog. They're to find the perfect dog for you.

SPEAKER_01 43:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:53

Right.

SPEAKER_01 43:54

In the end. What we're going to be looking for if you're going to adopt a dog is to just get really, really honest with oneself about what it is that you are able to offer that dog before you go in and make any decisions. And then from there, there are a number of questions you need to find out if you're able about that dog's background or if you go to a shelter or a foster or what have you. try to get as much information as you can to see if you guys are gonna be good, compatible companions. And I think that that, like we have said repeatedly, if you're willing to put in the time and the energy, then you could be a part of watching the transformation of a dog who ends up as a shelter dog to bringing a whole new life to that animal. And that's a beautiful gift. So if you're able to do that, and I think anybody, if this is a journey that you're on, you are able to do it. You just have to be willing to put in the time and the

SPEAKER_02 45:09

energy and the work. And bravo to you for doing it, you know, because there's so many dogs that do need to find

SPEAKER_01 45:17

a home. Yes, yes, yes. And like I always said, I do think that the pound puppies, There's always a special little twinkle in their eyes.

SPEAKER_02 45:26

There really much is. It's

SPEAKER_01 45:28

like they know. And

SPEAKER_02 45:29

then in our next episode, what we'll do is we'll bounce onto the other side of this conversation, which is to shop.

SPEAKER_01 45:37

Right. So if you've made the decision that maybe adopting is not for you and you want to start with a puppy that you get from a breeder, what do you do then?

SPEAKER_02 45:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:49

So that'll be for next time.

SPEAKER_02 45:51

okay all right until then we'll see you later dog is love dog is love

SPEAKER_01 45:58

If this podcast aligns with you, it would mean so much to us if you would take 30 seconds to do these three things. First, follow or subscribe to Dog Is Love so you don't miss an episode. To do this, just go to Dog Is Love show page on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts and tap the plus sign on the upper right hand corner or click on follow. While you're there, give a five star rating and review why you liked our episode and share an episode We would be so grateful. Dog is Love is

SPEAKER_02 46:33

created and hosted by Chrissy Waltman and Cara Kelly in partnership with K9to5. Our show is produced by Tony Kelly at Baltimore Podcast Space. Our original theme song was written and recorded by our very

SPEAKER_01 46:47

own Cara Kelly. We could pretend That we have the answers Or we could lean into the light Cause man complicates The stillness of nature While dogs humbly watch with awe in their eyes We're not supposed to struggle alone A friend for a lifetime To guide you wherever you roam Dog is love Like the roots of the trees and the stars up above Dog is love Judgment free unconditionally