Puppies are at risk in several ways. Too often people buy or take them impulsively without any idea of the extent of care and training puppies require. Without good care, obedience training, and lots of exercise and socialization those puppies grow up to be difficult to live with. Then they are given up, a very sad fate for a young dog.
Anyone considering a puppy should do some research via books, DVD’s etc. to be sure they can commit to 12-15 years of puppy/dog care.
Animal Advocates has a Puppy Booklet that is very useful to new puppy parents or to anyone considering a puppy. It is free, just request it.
We are available by phone and email for puppy questions. Please address any puppy problems right away so that they don’t become even more of a problem or lead to ineffective or harmful correction.
Here is some of what the Booklet contains:
Adjustment tips
Introduction to other pets
Establishing a routine for feeding, exercising, and housetraining
Housetraining methods & how long it takes
Curbing food and toy protection
Training Methods
Lifetime heath and safety
Crate training
Socialization
How to Succeed
The importance of Exercise
IF you have an unwanted litter of puppies or kittens their future is in your hands. We can help find them carefully screened homes or we can take them into a foster home.
FREE TO GOOD HOME ADS ARE DANGEROUS!
Leave the word “free” out. People looking only for free animals often intend to sell them to laboratories for experimentation. They can appear to be families, even bringing a child along.
You can always give an animal free to a screened home. But please don’t put the word “free” in your ad.
What To Do If You See A “Free To Good Home” Ad
Whether it is in a newspaper or on the Internet, please take a moment and contact the person who is running the ad. Let them know about the dangers of “Free To Good Home” ads and tell them to proceed very carefully with the adoption, including copying identification (driver’s license, social security number), checking references, performing a home check before the adoption, using a signed application and contract, and doing follow-ups.
Do not feel embarrassed to contact the person behind the ad. You will find that many people are grateful that you took the time to inform them of dangers they were unaware of.
Beware of animal dealers. They try to get litters free or sometimes pay a small amount. Some even have posed as a “rescue.” They may do a number of things to the poor puppies—from selling them to the unwary, to research labs, to dog fighters, etc.
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