- Weighing the benefits of Dachsie adoption
- Adopting through a rescue group
- Finding a Dachshund at the animal shelter
A rescue program’s reason for beingAccording to the DCA’s rescue program, Dachshund rescue is active around the country and was established
“. . . to aid Dachshund owners in the recovery of their animals when lost, strayed or stolen; to keep Dachshunds out of the hands of laboratories, animal dealers, puppy mills and similar enterprises, and to attempt to keep Dachshunds out of pounds and animal shelters. Sadly, Rescue is most used to place the hundreds of Dachshunds that have been abandoned each year and find homes that will provide the love and care these dogs deserve.”
Help out a rescue program if you can; and if you can’t, please don’t make the problem worse by abandoning a dog you’ve promised to keep.
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Making a Friend for Life
Remember
Most rescued or shelter Dachshunds are a little older, and there are distinct advantages to adopting an older dog. Older dogs may already be housetrained, they may be used to kids and other pets, and they may even know a trick or two. Many of these dogs are friendly, sweet, and well-behaved, and they need only a loving home to make their lives — and your life — complete. Maybe you can provide one!
The Pros and Cons of Adopting a Dachsie
Table 5-1 The Pros and Cons of an Adopted Dachsie
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The Pros
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The Cons
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He may already be housetrained.
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He may have been improperly house trained and older dogs make bigger messes.
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He may already be accustomed to family life; he may love kids and understand your routine.
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He may never have been socialized and may be frightened of — or even aggressive toward — children or strangers.
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He may be eternally devoted to you for taking him in.
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He may have suffered so much in the past that he’s not capable of bonding with you.
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He may already be trained to obey basic commands.
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He may be more difficult to train, and you may need to hire a professional trainer or canine behavioral consultant.
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He may come with plenty of good habits already in place.
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He may come with plenty of bad habits already in place.
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He’ll cost less than a dog from a breeder.
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He may not be as well bred as a Dachshund from a breeder, and he may suffer from health, conformation, or temperament problems.
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He may turn out to be healthy, well-behaved, and the best pet you could ever dream of!
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Your experience with him may be a nightmare of massive vet bills and training traumas — unless you and the rescue group do a thorough job of screening him first (and sometimes even then).
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Rescue worker phone etiquetteIf you contact a Dachshund rescue organization, please be considerate. These people usually work out of their homes, so find out what time zone an organization is in and don’t call early in the morning or late at night. Many rescue people will have an answering service that allows you to leave your number, but be advised that they’ll call you back collect. Don’t be offended. Remember, these people aren’t getting paid, and if they had to pay for every returned phone call, their phone bills would get pretty hefty. Give them a break and accept all collect calls while you’re trying to acquire a new family member.
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Adopting through a Rescue Organization
Remember
Rescue groups aren’t like animal shelters, which have dedicated facilities and a paid staff (see the following section). Most rescue groups consist of one or just a handful of dedicated volunteers who take in abandoned dogs and try to find them homes — often with the help of volunteer foster “parents.”
Tip
You can find rescue coordinators by state through the Dachshund Club of America’s Web site. Check out www.dachshund-ca.org/Rescue.htmlor head to www.petfinder.com, a clearinghouse of shelter and rescue groups that allows you to search by your location and the breed/age/gender you prefer.
Warning!
Some rescued Dachshunds have been abused or neglected and may need some patient, kind, and positive retraining and behavior modification (see the chapters of Part III for advice). If you’re determined not to give up on your rescued Dachshund (and I hope you are), be prepared to exercise supreme patience and exhibit plenty of affection. Also, consider hiring a canine behavioral consultant, an animal behaviorist, and/or a private trainer. A professional has experience with dogs that have been mistreated and can provide you with a variety of personalized approaches to solving your dog’s particular problems. Worth every penny, I say!
Working with Animal Shelters
Even if you don’t have a Dachshund rescue program in or near your town (see the previous section), you probably have an animal shelter. The main difference between adopting from a rescue group and from an animal shelter is that the rescue group often specializes in a particular breed. They may be better at screening for problems, and they may have more time to give. Many animal shelters, however, do an amazing job at screening potential pets, and many even have obedience training programs to help make the animals more adoptable. It all depends on where you live and what’s available to you, but check out both options: rescue groups and animal shelters.
Remember
Whatever the case in your area, be aware that adopting a shelter dog often involves a lot of paperwork. You probably can’t just walk into the shelter and get one. Many shelters check out living situations by calling landlords to ensure that they allow dogs, for example. It may seem like a pain, but just remember that all the questions, forms, and red tape are for the protection of the pets. The shelter wants to feel confident that you won’t bring the dog right back in a few weeks or months.
Stick to the books: No dogs for college kidsIf you’re a college student, you may be frustrated to find out that your local animal shelter won’t let you adopt a dog under any circumstances. Is that fair? I mean, you just know you’d be a fantastic dog owner. Actually, although many college students would make great and committed dog owners, students are notorious for abandoning their animals when they graduate. So many shelters have been burdened by huge influxes of pets come graduation time that this policy is in place to safeguard the well-being of the pets. Don’t be offended. Be glad the shelter is working in the overall best interest of its animals. You can always adopt a pet after you’re settled into your post-school life.
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A Dachshund for lifeWherever you get your Dachshund, after you get it, it should be yours for life. Dachshunds live a long time — often 12 to 16 years — and you should plan to keep your new friend through thick and thin, for better or for worse, unless it’s absolutely impossible to do so. Dachshunds (and all dogs, for that matter) are living, breathing, sentient beings that form a relationship with their owners, depend on a regular routine, and look to humans for guidance, care, and affection. They feel pain, loss, and neglect if they’re hurt, abandoned, or abused. If you take on the responsibility of a dog, take it on for life. And if you absolutely must give up your dog because of circumstances beyond your control, at least see that it finds a new home where it can receive the proper amount of care and love — and won’t be given up again.
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Remember
Adopting a shelter dog is a serious commitment, so please don’t take it lightly. Just because a dog doesn’t cost $500 or $1,000 or more doesn’t mean it isn’t as deserving of love, good medical care, and your time. Be ready for a nervous, scared, confused pet that needs a lot of patience, attention, and consistent and positive training. Work with your new friend, and you may just discover that you have a diamond in the rough.
by Eve Adamson