Hello Everyone and Happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Today, I’m going to share with you all the entire process my family took when we made the decision to add a second dog to our family.
Every family is different, from their needs to their wants. In this post, I will be talking only about adopting a rescue dog. Please note, just because a rescue dog is right for our family, getting a dog from a reputable/responsible breeder maybe right for yours. Weather you decide to get a pup from a shelter/rescue organization or a breeder, make sure you do your research and ask around.
Are we ready for another dog?
This past summer I became very ill and at one point my humans didn’t know if I would make it. (You can read that entire story HERE.) During that week of unknown, it hit my humans hard, especially my mom. To keep her mind from thinking every single possible outcome we slept the week away. Thankfully, I was put on medication and bounced back to my normal doodle self. The thought of not having a dog around scared my humans and they were asking themselves what were we waiting for. This started the process of adding another dog to our family. Other important point we thought about:
- Can we afford another dog?
- Do we have time for another dog?
- Can Callie the Cat and I handle a new dog?
- In an emergency, do we have family/friends willing to take in two dogs and a cat?
- What kind of dog are we wanting?
What kind of dog are we wanting?
One night we all sat down and put together a list of what we were wanting in our new dog. Here is the original list we came up with:
- Age - Puppy
- Gender - Girl
- Size - Smaller than me (70lbs).
- Breed - Golden Retriever
- Energy Level/Lifestyle - A dog who likes the outdoors and hiking with my dad. One that won’t mind camping, exploring, and doesn’t mind traveling.
Why we choose a rescue dog.
- Saving Two Lives
- Not only are you saving the life of one dog, but you’re saving the life of two dogs. When you adopt one dog it opens up a spot for another dog to be rescued and placed into foster care.
- All My Humans Know
- Both my humans grew up adopting rescue dogs from shelters and rescue organizations.
- Financial
- Adopting a rescue dog cost on average $100-$500. Where buying a dog from a breeder can cost anywhere from $500-$2000.
- Medically Up To Date
- When rescuing a dog from a shelter or organization the dogs are up to date on shots, tests, and are spayed or neutered.
- Lifetime Support
- When signing the contract, most shelters and organizations state if for any reason the pup doesn’t work out that you bring them back to that shelter or organization.
- They also, provide numerous resources and educational materiel so the transition can go as smooth as possible.
- Knowing if you have any questions they are just a phone call away is reassuring.
- Dogs at any Stage of Life
- Some families are looking for puppies. Others are looking for dogs who are potty trained. And some special family prefer adopting senior dogs. No matter your preference there are pups needing homes in all stages of life.
What do we need to for another dog?
Before bringing home another dog, we needed to make sure we were prepared. Here are some of the things we needed to get before bringing her home.
- Fence in the Yard
- My humans realized if they wanted to bring another pup home that our back yard needed to be fenced in. We knew that this was going to take a month or two to get planned and assembled. So, they didn’t start the looking for a pup until the fence was completed.
- Crate
- We needed two crates, one in the living room when my humans were gone and one in the bedroom. Luckily, my grandparents had two crates we could use.
- Puppy Food and Training Treats
- With the difference in age, we needed to get food for a puppy. As well as treats low in calories for training.
- Accessories
- Bowls
- Leash
- Collar with a new Tag
- Bed
- Chew Toys
River’s Adoption Story
We started out looking for a Golden Retriever from Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota (the same rescue organization that I was adopted from). After learning how long their waiting list was, my humans decided to open up their search to other rescue organization in Minnesota.
After looking at hundreds of pictures my mom came across River. What caught her eye the most about River, besides being so darn cute was her original name, Isla. Pronounced EYE-LUH, that is the same name as my mom’s grandma, Grandma Ila. My mom took that as a sign that it was meant to be, told my dad and before I knew it I had a little sister.
River was rescued by Spot’s Last Stop Canine Rescue. Spot’s goes down to Alabama and rescues dogs from high kill shelters and brings them to Minnesota for a second chance at life.
When we adopted River she was about 9 months old and is thought to be a Black Mouth Cur mix, who weighs 35 pounds. She has been the perfect addition to our family and I couldn’t imagine life without her.
What was the process you took when adding a dog to your family? Was it similar or ours? What were the differences?
