Dogs are brought into a shelter for a variety of reasons. Some of the more common excuses heard, and alternate solutions are:

 1. He’s too big! ( You should have some idea of the size he will grow into by looking at his feet and bone structure. Research the breeds before you buy. Resist impulse buying. Better yet, adopt a full-grown dog.)

 2. He can’t be housebroken! (Buy a crate or confine the pup or dog to a small area. Borrow the book by Job Michael Evans “How to house train your dog” from the library. Be consistent.)

 3. He barks too much! (Is he left outside? Dogs are very social animals, so why get a dog which craves human companionship and leave it outside by itself. If he must stay outside, give him a doghouse. This shelter provides comfort for the dog and appeals to the “denning” instinct. Make sure he has plenty of toys such as a kong filled with treats to keep him occupied.)

 4. He doesn’t listen; He has no manners; He makes a mess etc . . .   (Take him to obedience classes. A well-trained dog has manners and knows his place. He is a pleasure to be around. Classes are a fun way to train. You are with a group of people sharing a common goal; a well trained dog.)

 5. He sheds too much! (Ten minutes a day, while you are watching television, brush the dog. He’ll enjoy the attention. You’ll enjoy the lack of hair elsewhere. Brushing stimulates oil glands in the skin, producing a shiny, healthy coat. The addition of a teaspoon of cooking oil on his food will enhance the shine and health of his coat.)

 6. She has too many pups! (Have her spayed. The surgery is relatively inexpensive when stretched over a few months. It averages two cartons of cigarettes, or five cases of beer, or ten large pizzas. If you start saving when she’s a pup, you should have the spay fee by the time she is seven months old without any hardship.)

 7. The kids won’t take care of him, and we got him for them! (A dog can be one of the best tools for teaching children to handle responsibility. While young children should never be given complete responsibility for the care of the dog, parents can have a child take reasonable responsibility for helping care for the dog. This is the key: any child will greatly love and benefit from being around a dog; if a parent is willing to spend some time with both and to help direct and nurture the relationship between the child and the dog. A dog is a partner situation. You only get out of a relationship what you put into it. With training, love and attention the relationship can be gratifying for both the family and the dog.

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.