Furever Love

By: Tracy K

Bringing home a dog can be very exciting…..for the human. But for the animal this may be a stressful time and they may need some time to adjust. And by “some time” I don’t mean one or two days either. This process may take a couple of weeks or more.

Dogshaming Frankie... dogs, like humans, aren't perfect!

When I brought Frankie home (our MMDR Alumnus), I knew this was going be a huge change for her. I had to take a few things into consideration.  Most likely there would be pacing, wanting to go in and out of the house A LOT, maybe a few accidents inside and some avoidance of her new people. She proved me right three out of four times.

The first night Frankie was here she paced up and down the stairs and throughout each level and room in our house. She went to the garden doors to be let out several times during the night. Her second night here, I decided to sleep on the couch on the main floor as it would be easier for me to get up to let her out. I found that when I did this she slept a bit better and stayed near me instead of pacing. The couch was my new home for two weeks. Was I tired in the morning? Yup. Did I miss my king size bed in my own room? Yup. I am in the same predicament as many other adopters. I have three children, I carpool and I work outside the home. So it was a bit of a sacrifice as far as sleep went, but was it worth it? Absolutely!

Before adopting a pet, sit down and figure out if you and/or your family are willing to make a few adjustments in your own schedule so your new family member can adjust to their new surroundings. Are you willing to do this for as long as it takes? And to do it patience and love?

Beautiful Frankie is a happy, well adjusted family member
because she was given time to fit in.

Remember when you make the decision to return an animal to a rescue, shelter or from wherever you adopted him or her from, it is NOT like returning a pair of shoes. This is a living being that feels confusion, heartache and stress. Adoption should always be looked at as a life-long commitment. Just a little sacrifice on your part and you will have unconditional love and appreciation for a very long time.

Returns also cause the rescue a lot of stress, both financially and in terms of finding a foster home for the dog. While not every fit is a Happily Ever After, doing your research and choosing the right dog for your family means that you’ll have a successful match.

BTW: Frankie now happily shares the king size bed with her fur brother, me and her dad….and we all sleep very soundly.