Life with Ultimate Dogs

Anyone looking for an Australian Shepherd pet may want to consider adopting one from a rescue facility. Australian Shepherds makes wonderful companions, especially for families with children, yet with their high energy and time requirements to properly train a young puppy, it may not always be practical to raise one from a puppy. In these instances before a puppy has been purchased you may want to look into adopting from one of the many surrendered dogs found at rescue facilities.

Volunteers dedicated to the Australian Shepherd breed assist with the rescue groups which are typically not-for- profit organizations. The main goal of rescue groups is to help find permanent loving homes for the many dogs that they receive. Not all rescue dogs have behavior problems and the agencies will not work with aggressive bad tempered dogs. These dogs may have been abandoned, unclaimed strays or voluntarily given up when a family moves or other events that prevent them from taking care of the pet. Adoption procedures may vary slightly between agencies but the same goal is in mind, which is finding the right fit to protect both the dog and family and ensure a proper match is made. It is important to ask the agency you are working with for their procedures so that no surprises or disappointments take place and in order to ensure a successful pleasant adoption takes place.

These organizations go through a thorough application and screening process to determine the proper fit for both family and dog. In many instances a family has specific requirements that may include certain age, color and gender traits the agency tries to match for. Sometimes there is a dog that meets these requirements and sometimes there is a wait till the proper match can be made. The application process and screening also evaluate the family for the right environment. If it is determined that the family is not a permanent fit for the dog, they will be turned down and not allowed to adopt.

The option of adopting an Australian Shepherd is attractive for many families today. Australian Shepherds are very enthusiastic and loving, highly intelligent dogs and make excellent family companions. They have some traits inherited from their breeding and working heritage that make them very active intelligent dogs that require a lot of attention. It is good to ask yourself some questions when determining if it is the right thing for you to do.

Do you have the time to provide the proper training for a puppy from the day it arrives to ensure that it fits into the family as a well behaved companion? Australian Shepherds are very intelligent and with that comes a tendency to dominate its surroundings. Playful puppies may be cute when exhibiting this behavior in such a small package but as they grow it becomes necessary to stop this type of behavior before it becomes an uncontrollable habit. Some owners may not have the time, natural instincts, or willingness to properly curb this behavior in their puppies.

Do you have the time to properly house break your puppy? The key to successfully housebreaking a puppy is consistency. A three month old puppy needs to visit the outdoors and relieve his bladder every three hours. Before getting an Australian Shepherd puppy ask yourself if you have the availability to walk your puppy every three hours and have the consistency and patience to wake up first thing each morning at the same time to take your puppy outdoors.

Another question you may want to consider is this: Do you have the time to properly socialize your puppy while it is still young? Australian Shepherds are very protective and wary of strangers if not properly socialized when young. To ensure your puppy grows into a well-balanced dog you need to provide the proper time and training. If you know you cannot provide the necessary training requirements but know that you can love and handle the breed, then a dog from a rescue group may be a perfect fit for you.

Rescued dogs have an intuition and sense of gratitude when a family takes them into their home. With the devotion and companionship that an Australian Shepherd has to offer, adopting one from a rescue group is the right choice for anyone. After all, they are only a puppy for a few months.

Hank Murray has owned dogs for over thirty years. He is the author of 'The Ultimate Handbook to Australian Shepherds'.