The Real Dog Blog

How we say things

One of my pet peeves….the way we use our words.  For instance, some shelters are coined "high kill" while others are referred to as "no kill".  Of course, the term “no kill” sounds sooooooo much better to us that it makes the other shelter sound like a horrible place.  What do those terms normally mean?  Normally they mean that one of the shelters (usually the “kill” one) cannot legally turn away any animals and therefore must end up euthanizing due to space constraints, while the other shelter has the luxury of turning away animals so they don't get overcrowded.  The way I see it, both groups are working towards the same goal....but one is given a verbal “black eye” because of what people call it.  It’s really not fair to those wonderful workers in any animal shelter.  (Incidentally….I prefer the term “limited admission” and “open admission” as terms for these types of shelters). Here's a great article, albeit a long one, about why we should use caution in how we use our words.

Adopting a Dog

I’m very much in favor of dog adoption. There are many wonderful dogs that need great homes and I’d love to see them all adopted. However, pet adoption is definitely a “buyer beware” sort of situation. It seems that not every adoption agency (be it a shelter, a breed placement group, a rescue organization, etc), has the welfare of the HUMANS in mind when they place dogs. You want a good match and that doesn’t mean you to take on a dog with “baggage”. In fact, if a group is trying to tell you to take a dog home BECAUSE the dog has baggage, look for another adoption group. I get tired of hearing about people who tell me “well, I have a rescue….so, of course, he has problems”. Nine times out of ten those “problems” are severe…things like aggression, separation anxiety, extreme phobias of some sort….things that “love” and “patience” just don’t cure. So, how can you make sure you get a good match? Well, first of all, adopt from a group that does a standardized temperament test or a behavioral assessment process such as the assess-a-pet.

And keep in mind some common phrases that are should be red flags to potential adopters. Here are a few of them…..

“She’s a real Velcro dog”….often means the dog has separation anxiety. So don’t plan on leaving the dog alone if you don’t want your house destroyed.

“He would love to be an only dog”…often means the dog is dog aggressive. So don’t plan on walking him during daylight hours or going to the dog park

“A little nippy at first”….often means the dog BITES. Nipping is just a nice way of saying “BITE”

“Prefers an adult home”….often means the dog is aggressive to children. If you live near children, have grandchildren, nieces or nephews or if you plan on having kids, this might not be the best dog for you.

“He needs a job”….often means the dog needs about 3 hours of exercise a day or he will drive you crazy digging in your yard, barking at things, chewing up the house and being an overall lunatic.

“She would make an excellent watch dog”…often means the dog will bark non-stop at everything she hears or sees.

Got other red flag descriptions? Let’s hear about them.