Chowdah and Jules are Getting a Little Brother or Sister!

Chowdah and Jules are getting a little brother or sister! We’ve been planning to get a third dog for a couple of years, but a 13 month home renovation and then a summer of travel and guests curbed that quest for some time, but now the timing is right! We’re currently working with several rescues to find the right fit for our pack (family, home, lifestyle). More about that later. If you’re looking to add a dog to your pack, do some research first. All too often people have the perfect breed in mind, adopt that breed, and then find that the dog does not fit the family dynamic. I would love a Border Collie, but at the same time, I know that Border Collies need a lot of exercise (not to mention a job), and I don’t want to work that hard. If you’re a couch potato, you may want to consider adopting a greyhound. As long as they get a good walk everyday, they’re typically couch potatoes themselves. If you’re a runner, you might think about adopting a high activity level dog like a Weimaraner. If you’re active sometimes, you might want to look at a Miniature Poodle. These are just suggestions based on the human’s activity level. Do you own your home or do you rent? If you rent, are you allowed to have a dog? Do you have a yard for the dog? Is that yard fenced-in to keep the dog safe? These things are very important. The intelligence level of the breed needs to be taken into consideration also. If you get a very smart dog, you’ll need to work to get the dog trained and keep the dog busy so he/she doesn’t get into mischief. If you’ve never had a dog then you should explore an easier breed (like the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel). You need to think about your lifestyle. Is someone home a lot of will the dog be alone a good part of the day? Are you willing to hire a dog walker to come in and walk the dog during the day? Do you travel a lot and if so, what will you do with the dog when you’re away? Can you afford to give a dog a home? You don’t just pay the adoption fee and that’s it. Just like humans, the dog needs healthy food, regular check-ups, regular grooming (even short-haired dogs need their nails shortened and their ears cleaned), a trip to the emergency vet if they suddenly get injured or sick; the list goes on. Depending on the rescue you work with, they will ask these questions and probably more. If you already have a dog (or more than one), does he/she get along with other dogs? If not, you shouldn’t get a dog. We had a dog that didn’t ‘play well with others’ and even though I was dying to get another dog, we didn’t because it wasn’t the right thing to do for the dog we already had. These things (and more) need to be taken into consideration when you’re planning to bring a new dog into your home and your pack (family). Unfortunately I can’t tell you what kind of dog we’re getting yet, as we don’t know, but we have very specific wishes in this endeavor. We’re not up for a young puppy right now, but we want a young dog (6 months to 2 years). We’re open to male or female. The dog must be kid and dog friendly. We need a dog whose energy level is a medium-high. We want a bigger dog as Chowdah is 110 pounds and needs a playmate who can match his energy and level of play. Sooner or later (my bet is sooner), we’ll end up with the right dog to add to our human/dog pack. If you’re planning to get a dog and have questions on how to go about it, feel free to reach out and ask me questions in the comment section. Also, send pictures or videos of your pups out there. I love seeing happy dogs!