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Books Offer
Sound Advice on Raising Adopted Dogs There are few experiences as rewarding and beneficial as welcoming a rescued companion animal into your family. Dogs, cats and other companion animals give so much to their human guardians. Unfortunately, many of these relationships fail, usually due to human ignorance or disrespect, placing the animals in peril. Millions of adoptable dogs and cats are killed every year across North America. While people often spend considerable money when they first acquire a companion animal, few take the time to learn the necessary things required to properly raise a four-legged family member. Fortunately for dogs, and their human guardians, some informative books have been written pertaining to raising rescued canines. Three books that provide valuable information on raising a rescued dog are Second-Hand Dog: How To Turn Yours Into A First-Rate Pet, Second Chance: Living With A Rescued Dog and Choosing & Caring For A Shelter Dog: A Complete Guide To Help You Rescue & Rehome A Dog. Second-Hand Dog, by Carol Lea Benjamin, offers considerable advice on canine learning and training. Second Chance, by Judy and Larry Elsden and Choosing & Caring For A Shelter Dog, by Bob Christiansen, provide a wealth of information on topics pertaining to dog care - topics such as acquiring rescued dogs, training, nutrition and health care. Bob Christiansen is particularly effective at conveying important information on acquiring and living with a rescued canine. For example, he advises people looking to adopt a canine companion not to overlook dogs who appear frightened or lonely in a kennel situation. People commonly believe that what you see is what you get. This is not necessarily true. Most dogs are under stress from the kennel experience. By nature, dogs are sentient, social animals. When they are abandoned they have a hard time coping with the emotional ordeal of their situation. When you visit the kennel you will find some of the dogs sitting quietly, staring out at the world. They are confined and lonely, surrounded by strange noises and people. Some may shiver and shake simple because they are not familiar with being anywhere except in a home. Others react differently. Many dogs exhibit minor behavior problems. It is common for them to bark and be out of sorts. Usually, these are minor problems that can be easily modified over time. The trick is to look not so much at what the dog is, but at what is will become under the guidance of a kind, knowledgeable owner. (pp 25,26) Christiansen's chapter on "Preventing Problem Behaviour" is particularly enlightening and will be useful to those who are experiencing some inconveniences with their canine family members. Acquiring a dog in need is an important and wonderful experience. However, when these relationships fail, considerable suffering is experienced by the animals and, often, their human guardians. Many of these tragic endings can be prevented if the animals' guardians have some basic knowledge and understanding of how to successfully raise a canine family member. Second-Hand Dog, Second Chance and Choosing & Caring For A Shelter Dog can enhance the relationships between dogs and their human guardians. Responsible managers of pounds, shelters and other animal adoption agencies would be wise to make these books available to people looking to adopt a canine. After all, the cost of these books is minimal and they can save the lives of dogs Have you read any of these books? Add your 2¢ worth. |
