So, I’ve finally done it. I’ve realized that my dog cravings are utterly irresistable, that my life and lifestyle can finally accommodate it, that I must have a dog in my life. I must, and I will.
It will be around April or shortly thereafter. The husband and I will go to the Humane Society (or other similar institution) and be adopted by a delightful fur-face.
I am nervous. I have never had a dog of my own before, although I had 2 growing up. I hope I’ll be able to be a good dog person and that my new dog will be happy in my home.
But I have so many questions and still a few concerns.
The main concern is my husband. He has come round to the idea by realizing that this is not a passing fancy and that if I don’t get a dog, I will be very unhappy. He has never lived with dogs and thinks it’s weird for people to have them, but he has expressed willingness to support me and put up with it. He understands that it will need three walks a day and, although my schedule permits this, he will occasionally be expected to take it out. He is a total slob so he won’t mind that his stuff gets messed up. He knows it may be noisy and slobbery and underfoot. I am confident that he will be a good dog person too.
However, I’m nervous about passing the interview. What if the Humane Society thinks he’s too grumpy and dog-naive to adopt? How can I best prepare him? (And I don’t mean, how can we scam our way through the interview, but how can he be the kind of owner that the HS is looking for - given that he’s uncomfortable around strange dogs, and not particularly thrilled about adopting one, although he is perfectly willing to?)
How can we choose a dog at the HS without being allowed to TOUCH them?
What else do we need to do / know? I’m going to read up on dog owning and dog training, any good book recommendations? What do I need to do in advance?
How can I get accessories (a crate, collar, etc) before I know what kind of dog I’m getting?
On a different note: since pit bulls were banned in Ontario (shame!) there has been a huge influx of pit bulls and pit bull mixes to the Humane Society. I don’t think I’m up for adopting a pit bull, but what about mixes? Are they likely to be vulnerable to the same sorts of problems as pit bulls?
What else should I know about adopting a dog from the Humane Society?