No matter where you live in the United States there are usually dogs to be found in animal shelters in your area. But should you adopt a shelter dog? Is it a good idea? What are the pros and cons?

Pros
1. Adopting a dog from an animal shelter gives a dog a chance at a new home. A dog’s owner may not have been able to keep him for a very good reason — perhaps the owner was moving or someone in the family was allergic to the dog. By adopting the dog you are giving that dog another chance.

2. There are many mixed breed dogs in animal shelters and mixed breed dogs have been shown to live as long or longer than giant and medium-sized purebred dogs. You may find a very good mixed breed dog that will happily live with you in your home for years to come.

3. Many animal shelters try to screen the dogs they adopt out to match them with the best families. This helps reduce the number of dogs that are returned to them. It also increases the chance that you will get a good dog the first time you try to adopt one.

4. Dogs from animal shelters already have had their shots and been spayed or neutered, which is good for most people wishing to adopt.

However, there are some reasons why adopting a dog from an animal shelter is not the best choice for everyone.

Cons
1. You won’t know much, if anything, about the dog’s history. You may not know the real reason why he was taken to the animal shelter. If he has a behavior problem of some kind you may not find out until after he is living in your home.

2. Contrary to what some sources say, it is difficult to find purebred dogs in animal shelters. Shelter workers tend to label many dogs as “purebreds” if they bear any resemblance to some breed of dog in order to try to get them adopted, but that doesn’t mean they’re really purebred dogs. The overwhelming number of dogs in shelters are mixed breed dogs. If you are looking for a purebred dog you should try a purebred rescue organization or go to a breeder.

3. Many dogs coming from animal shelters may have behavior problems and they are not a good choice for the first-time dog owner. The behavior problems may be something minor, such as jumping up on people, and the problem can be easily solved, but the dog would take some work. Keep in mind that you will have these same problems if you buy a purebred dog.

If you are interested in a dog from an animal shelter you should try to spend as much time as possible with the dog before adopting. Get to know him. Try to find out all you can about the reasons why he was brought to the shelter. If you like the dog and think you can work with any problems he may have, give him a go. But you shouldn’t give up on him if he shows problems when you first take him home. It will take time to overcome any behavior problems that he may have.

Over the years I have adopted many dogs from shelters and from owners that needed to give them up. I must tell you that I have had excellent results with each of them. The best part about adopting a dog that is 1 -2 years old is that you can see what he is and how well he is behaved. With an older dog you don’t have to go thru all the puppy stuff and to me that’s worth a bunch!

Tell us about your shelter dog experience….is it good or bad?

Until next time………….

Quite often I’m asked about how much exercise a dog should get daily. My answer is different for different dogs. I hope this information will help you determine how much you should exercise your dog.

We often hear statistics cited that indicate dogs in the U.S. are seriously overweight. One of the reasons is due to the fact that most dogs don’t get enough exercise. But just how much exercise is enough? How can you tell if your dog is getting enough exercise?

Different dogs will have different exercise needs depending on their breed, their size, their age, their overall health and other factors. No one would think of exercising a Pug the same way they exercise a Golden Retriever. The two dogs are different in virtually every respect. This may leave you wondering how on earth you can figure out how much and what kind of exercise to give your dog.

A good rule of thumb is to gauge your dog’s need for exercise by his weight and condition. If your dog is fit and trim then he’s probably getting enough exercise. If, however, your dog is overweight, you should cut back on his calories a little and increase his exercise.

A good way to start increasing your dog’s exercise is by taking some walks with him. No matter what kind of shape your dog is in, it’s a good idea to build up the walks gradually. You can start with 10-15 minute walks on your street and slowly make them longer. There’s no need to go fast. Observe your dog and walk at a pace that’s comfortable for him. If you build up to 3-5 moderately long walks per week your dog should be getting some very good exercise. And, as a bonus, the walks are great for you, too.

Swimming is another activity that’s great for your dog. It has the added bonus of being an excellent exercise for older dogs who may have problems with their joints or arthritis since the swimming is relaxing and won’t hurt their bones.

Lots of people like to jog with their dogs. Jogging is good exercise for adult dogs but it’s not recommended for puppies or dogs under a year old. The repetitive action on hard surfaces can result in injury to young bones.

If you don’t like much exercise yourself you can still provide some exercise for your dog by letting him trot alongside you on a motor scooter. This kind of exercise is often favored for big working dogs. Many dog show handlers who have to exercise lots of dogs everyday use this method. It works well if you have access to a flat, smooth, quiet road. You can also let your dog trot alongside you while you bike with the same result. Remember that these repetitive activities on hard surfaces are not good for puppies or young dogs. They are only suggested for adult dogs.

If you have a Toy breed or a brachycephalic breed (short-nosed), you will need to take special precautions. Most Toy dogs and brachycephalic dogs cannot participate in as much exercise as other dogs. Monitor them closely when they’re outdoors, especially in warm weather. Don’t expect these dogs to do too much running or other exercise. A good walk each day may be plenty for these dogs.

Whatever method of exercise you choose, make sure that you always observe your dog carefully while he exercises. Don’t allow your dog to become overheated or stressed. Carry water with you at all times and a bowl for your dog to drink.

With any exercise method for your dog remember to build up the exercise gradually. Start slowly and always allow your dog’s condition to guide you. We would all like to have our dogs in good shape but no one wants to see their dog pushed too hard.

Until next time………

About the Author: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN. Wayne has been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network, www.K9-University.com .

This is a subject that comes up quite often with people that want to have a dog and a cat in the same home. Most of the time the outcome is good but sometimes it is not. I hope the guidelines I give you will help your dog and cat get along better.

Maybe it’s because there are so many people living in apartments these days, but cats have now taken over the top spot as America’s number one pet. But there are also many people who have both cats and dogs. Just how do dogs and cats really get along? Do dogs really hate cats?

The truth is that dogs and cats can live together amicably, especially if they are introduced together at a young age. Even if they are brought together as adults there is still a good chance that your dog and your cat won’t shred each other if you introduce them to each other carefully.

Your best chance of having a cat and dog live together and get along well is by having a kitten or cat first. Cats often seem to need this advantage to establish themselves in the home before a dog becomes part of the family. Whether this is because a dog often has a size advantage or is more boisterous — who can say? But cats and dogs usually have a better chance of living together on good terms when the kitten or cat belongs to the family first.

It’s easiest to introduce a puppy or cat-friendly dog into your home if you set up an area where your cat can have some peace and privacy. Baby gates or dog gates are usually a good idea, at least at first. This will allow your cat to have part of the house to himself without being bothered by your dog. Your cat and your dog can live under the same roof for a while without coming too close to each other — a good idea when one of the inhabitants may have sharp claws.

When it’s time to let your cat and dog meet face to face it’s usually a good idea to use a leash and a pet carrier. Have your dog on a leash and put your cat in the pet carrier. You should control the situation as much as possible. Make sure that your cat feels safe. Some dogs can be a little too enthusiastic. You can allow your dog to sniff the carrier and look inside the crate. Your cat may not be happy but he should allow the dog to inspect the carrier without freaking out, especially if the two of them have been in the same house for a few days.

Keep the baby gates up for as long as necessary. In some cases this may be a while. In other cases your cat may start slipping out. Some cats are very good at putting a dog in his place and letting him know that he can’t push the cat around.

If you have a kitten you will need to take special precautions to make sure that he isn’t injured accidentally. Even if you have a kitten and a puppy you should be careful that the play doesn’t get too rough and no one is injured. Do watch out for your puppy too. Cat claws can do serious damage to your puppy’s face.

Dogs don’t really hate cats but some dogs have not been raised with cats and they don’t know how to treat them. There is often some jealousy at play on both sides when you have a cat and a dog in your home. Once your cat and your dog are established in the home you shouldn’t have too many problems with them but you will need to see that they don’t tease or taunt each other. Cats and dogs can behave like bratty kids at times but they are lots of fun and you can certainly keep both pets in the same home.

Until next time…………..

About the Author: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN. Wayne has been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network, www.K9-University.com .

I wanted to share a letter I received a few days ago. Hopefully it can save a dog or two….maybe your dog.

Hi Wayne,

I wanted to let you know some sad news about Tiki and also hope you can pass this along to your clients so that they can protect their pets. Tiki was attacked a week ago tonight (12/21/10) by what we believe was a pack of coyotes. It was our fault to leave him outside unattended after dark. Please don’t lecture me, because I have beat myself up a thousand times over the past 7 days and if I could do it over I would. I listened to my neighbor who said coyotes would not attack a large dog, but he was dead wrong.

There is also precious little information on the internet about coyotes attacking large dogs, it’s mostly about small dogs. So please tell all of your clients to never let them out unattended around dawn and also dusk, no matter what size dog they have. Sadly, I know now that early evening, especially in winter is when packs of coyotes prowl.

You were such an important part of Tiki’s life— he was unmanageable until we met you. He had gotten to be such a good dog, too, in the last year and a half. He was so sweet and of course depended on us and we let him down and we couldn’t feel worse. He was still alive when we found him and rushed him to the pet emergency clinic downtown. They brought him back when he slipped away with CPR a total of 3 times. I was hoping against hope because they said less than 6% of dogs even respond to CPR, but the injuries were too much for him and he slipped away. We are heartbroken. I’m putting our stupidity out there in hopes that it will save another dog or a small child. Our 12 year old Jake weighs as much as Tiki did— 85 pounds.

So please spread the word—maybe Tiki’s death won’t be in vain. Thanks again for all you did to help us enjoy Tiki for the short time we had him. He was one of a kind and everyone loved him.
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L. S. in Kingston Springs, Tn.