Small Dog Adoption
A Brief Guide To Small Dog Adoption
Small dog adoption brings with it many advantages when you consider some of the problems that can be encountered in adopting a large dog or a puppy. Small dog adoption brings with it its own problems, but they are few and far between when you think of the need to housebreak a puppy or control a very large dog that turns out to be excessively boisterous, friendly, or for that matter, unfriendly.
Size Matters - Small dog adoption is just another chapter in the textbook of life, where it is said that unlike other textbooks, there are no answers to the problems you'll encounter in the back of the book. If you have a dog, or have had dogs, you can usually figure out how to handle your new companion, and of course there is help available, whether it be found in books, or by contacting a dog trainer. The wonderful thing about small dogs is, they are small. Small is usually easier to handle than big is, at least when it comes to dogs.
Small dogs carry some of the same risks as do big dogs. You may adopt one only to find out after a few days or weeks that you don't like the dog, or it doesn't like you. Those pleading eyes and wagging tail you saw at the adoption center weren't saying "take me to your home" so much as "get me out of here"!
Still, small is easier to handle than large, and chances are if you adopted a small dog it was because you wanted a small dog, and an adult small dog stays that way, whereas a puppy may or may not. If you live in an apartment or in a small house without much yard space, a small dog is the best answer anyway, unless your plans include a 2 mile jog or run every day. Small dogs need exercise too, but a short walk plus some play time will usually be sufficient, unless you have a Jack Russell terrier, a small dog that has the energy of 3 large dogs, and needs to burn it off.
Be Familiar With The Breeds - You don't need to get a purebred, although there are usually some available. The advantage to a purebred is you usually know what you're getting in terms of characteristics and temperament, if you've read up on the breed of course, whereas for a mixed breed it can sometimes be a matter of "you get what you see", which isn't necessarily bad. Still, it’s good to be a bit familiar with the various small dog breeds so you'll know what to look for. Some small dogs or toy dogs are extremely playful and affectionate, while others may not like strangers or have "big dog" attitude, the Chihuahua being a prime example.
Young, Old, Or Both - The best choice for many would be a young adult, a dog with plenty of years left, but at the same time a dog that has probably been house broken, and has advanced beyond the need to chew up everything in sight. It is of course a wonderful thing to give an older dog, one that may only have a few years left, a good home. There is nothing at all wrong with adopting an older dog, many of whom have had a good home in the past. Our problem is, we don't like to think about having a companion for only a few brief years. One of the problems we face in small dog adoption, is there are often a number of dogs we would really like to give a home to. One dog is usually enough for starters, but selecting both a younger one and an older one, if they get along, can be a nice mix.