Tag: First Batch

What is the Best Way to Rehome a Doberman Pinscher?

The best way to rehome a Doberman Pinscher is by taking the time to find him a new home yourself. After all, you want to be sure that he’s going to a wonderful new home where he’ll be loved and cared for properly. Let’s look at some of the most important things you’ll need to do when you rehome your Doberman Pinscher.

Understand What Your Dog Needs 

Before you can find someone else to adopt your dog, you need to know what your dog needs and requires for a happy, healthy life. For example, does your Doberman Pinscher dislike small dogs and cats? Does he bark a lot? You have to think about all of the good things that your dog offers, along with some of the elements that other owners would consider troublesome and need to know about before adopting.

Once you understand your dog, it becomes easier to know what he’ll need from a new owner. This makes it easier for you to ensure you’re finding the best new home for him.

Consider People You Know

A great option for rehoming your Doberman Pinscher would be to let someone you know adopt him. This could be a friend of yours or a relative, for example. Since you already know this person, it becomes easier for you to see whether they’d be a good fit for your dog or not. If they already know and love your Doberman Pinscher, then it might be the perfect match.

Of course, you don’t simply want to give up your dog to someone because you know them. You have to be sure they can properly care for your dog.

Look at Online Adoption Sites

Many people won’t have someone that they know who can rehome their dog. In those cases, the next best option would be to look at pet adoption sites online that let you list your pet. However, you’ll want to be sure that you’re only choosing to work with quality, reputable sites like Rehome.

Rehome is a peer-to-peer platform from Adopt-a-Pet.com that makes it easier for owners to find potential adopters, and for those adopters to find a wonderful new pet to bring home.

When you choose Rehome, you can create a profile for your dog and add photos, videos, and a bio. The bio should be filled with information about your dog, what he’s like, and what he needs to thrive. This would include the information that you thought about regarding your dog’s needs and temperament discussed earlier. The more you put into the bio the easier it will be to find the right owner.

Once you have adoption applications start arriving, you can review them and choose the new owner for your Doberman Pinscher. The service is easy to use, and it’s a safe way to find a home for your dog. It’s also free for owners to use and will only cost a small rehoming fee for those who adopt through the site.

How Long Does It Take a Border Collie to Get Used to a New Home?

It will often take a border collie between one and three months to get used to a new home. Of course, the amount of time will vary based on many different factors, and you’ll want to do whatever you can to help your new dog get comfortable.

Puppies will often adapt to a new home faster than older dogs who are brought into a new space with a new owner. The dog’s personality can also be a factor. Dogs that tend to be more skittish, for example, may have a harder time adjusting.

Tips for Helping the Border Collie Get Used to Her New Home

Ideally, the former owner will provide some items that the dog knows. This could be a blanket, some of her favorite toys, etc. These can help the dog to feel more at ease when they are in a new environment and with a new family. There will be familiar scents on these objects.

During those first days and weeks, you need to be patient with your new border collie. They have had a very different life up to this point, so it takes time for them to adjust. This means that they might be barking more than they normally would. It could also mean that they have some accidents on the floor. Be patient and take the dog outside regularly for the bathroom.

Give her time to explore the yard but keep her on a leash. If she is not feeling comfortable, there’s a chance that she could take off and run out of the yard where she could be injured or become lost. Don’t underestimate the importance of treats, petting, and talking softly to the dog during this transition phase and beyond.

Also, you want things to be as calm as possible when she arrives. This means you shouldn’t have all of your friends and family come over to see the new dog. Instead, it should be only the people who will regularly be in the home. Introduce other pets slowly and observe your new dog’s behavior.

The most important thing that you have to remember is to be understanding. If you’re lucky, she will become happy and comfortable within a week or two. However, prepare for a couple of months before she’s truly at home with her new family.

Learn About Her Before Adopting

When you adopt the border collie, be sure that you talk with the owner about the dog’s personality. You want to know how friendly and outgoing she is and whether she has any issues that you’ll need to know. Learn as much as possible about the dog beforehand.

Make sure that she is the right dog for you before you bring her home. Many people leap at the chance to adopt a dog before fully thinking it through and realizing that it can take time for the dog to adjust. Don’t get a dog now that you want to give up in a week. Always be sure it is the right choice.

Does Pet Supplies Plus Take Dogs?

Pet Supplies Plus does not take dogs at any of their stores. If you need to rehome your pet, you’ll need to find another option. 

How to Find a New Home for Your Dog

If you’re considering rehoming your pet, ask yourself if you’ve done everything you can to keep him.

For example: 

  • If he has behavior issues, have you tried additional training?
  • If he isn’t get along with other pets, have you talked with an animal behaviorist?
  • If you’re too busy, have you considered doggy day care? 

Many times the issues that cause pet owners to rehome their pet can be solved with a bit of effort.

If you’ve done all you can and know that you can’t keep your dog, you have a few options.

Surrender Your Dog to a Shelter

This is often the fastest way to surrender your pet, but there is a major downside: many shelters still euthanize for space. Before you bring your dog to a shelter, make sure you learn the euthanasia rate and understand what his chances are of ever finding a home.

Surrender Your Dog to a Private Rescue

Private rescues will usually do whatever it takes to find dogs in their care a wonderful home, but it can be a challenge to find a rescue with room to take your pet. If you’re willing to keep the dog until a spot opens up in a rescue you trust, this is a good option.

Rehome Your Dog Yourself

Your dog deserves the best chance of a happy home and you deserve peace of mind that will come with knowing you adopted your dog out to a loving family. If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to finding your dog a home, visit Rehome. Rehome has lots of resources and features to help pet owners find their dogs a loving home. Create a profile for your pet, accept applications, download a contract, and much more. 

How Long Does It Take For A Cat To Get Used To A New Kitten?

It can take several weeks to several months for a cat to get used to a new kitten—and even longer for them to become “friends.” Some cats will learn to tolerate a newcomer, but may never be interested in playing or napping together. In other cases, the cat will take to the kitten right away. Each cat’s personality is different, so it’s hard to know what to expect when a new pet is introduced to the home.

Proper Introductions: The Best Chance for Success 

Putting two cats together and expecting them to get along can actually have the opposite effect. Instead, you’ll want to take the time to broker a proper introduction. Doing so gives you the best chance of the cats learning to get along.

To properly introduce cats, you’ll want to implement four steps:

  • Isolation: Put the kitten in a room with their food, litter, and toys. That will be the kitten’s home for a few days. Place the resident cat’s food bowl just outside the door.
  • Introduce through Sight and Scent: Swap the cats blankets, so they get used to each other’s scents. Prop the door open so the cats can see each other, and put one cat in a carrier and put the carrier in a room with other cat.
  • First Meeting: Place your resident cat in the room with the kitten. Stay close by to break up a scuffle, if necessary. Limit the first few meetings to 10 minutes or so.
  • Increase Length of Time Together: Slowly increase the amount of time the cats are spending together. If the older cat gets aggressive, give it a day or two before going back to the prior step and trying again. 

To further increase the chances of success:

  • Don’t expect your current cat to share—it’s not a strong suit of felines. Instead, purchase more litter boxes (the standard is one per cat plus one additional box), another set of food bowls, bed, toys, etc…for the new kitten.
  • Spend lots of time playing with the cats together and giving them treats and attention.
  • Don’t rush things. It can take some cats months to warm up. If they are tolerating each other, consider that a success. 

What Foods Calm Dogs Down?

Several foods, such as blueberries, sweet potatoes, turkey, oily fish, and whole brown rice may help in calming dogs down, but those foods alone will not fix the problem of an anxious dog. That being said, maintaining a healthy and well-balanced diet is important to your dog’s health and mental wellness, so you should discuss your dog’s diet with your vet if you’re not sure you are providing all the nutrients your pet needs.

Calming An Anxious Dog 

A change in diet won’t be the cure-all to your dog’s hyperactivity or anxiousness, but there are other things you can try to calm your dog such as:

  • Increasing Exercise: Some dogs need plenty of exercise, and will be uncomfortable and anxious if they don’t get it. Provide the opportunity for at least two 30-minute walks per day on average. If your schedule won’t allow it, consider hiring the services of a dog walker.
  • Calming Products: Some pet owners find success in the use of calming shirts, collars, and diffusers.
  • More Playtime: Many dogs are social, so they need lots of interaction with their people. In addition to walks, toss a ball around for a bit or find other ways to play and interact with your pet.
  • Background Noise: Playing classical music or keeping the television on can help to calm dogs. 

If your best efforts don’t bring the desired results, or if the anxiety is severe, contact your vet or an animal behaviorist who can work with you to help your dog be happy, healthy, and calm.  

How Do You Calm an Anxious Cat?

You can calm an anxious cat by using calming products, providing more playtime, giving him a quiet space that he can have all to himself where he won’t be bothered by any people or pets like inside a nice closet or a spare room, and offering interactive toys to keep your cat’s brain busy. Some are surprised to learn that cats experience anxiety. Some cats may be naturally anxious, while others may develop anxiety following an injury or a change in routine or household dynamic. Since it can be hard to read cats, the only way to recognize their anxiety is typically through their behavior.

Why Your Cat May Be Anxious 

Even the slightest change can cause anxiety for your cat. Common reasons for a cat to feel anxious include a new family member (either human or pet), rearranging furniture, moving to a new house, or other things that are new. When possible, offering slow introductions can help reduce anxiety.

Signs Of An Anxious Cat 

Some cats spend most of their day snoozing under the bed, and that is not necessarily a sign of an anxious cat—although hiding can be a symptom. Others spend hours darting back and forth from one end of the house to other. Again, that doesn’t necessarily mean your cat is anxious, but it could be a sign. The following behaviors are signs your cat may have anxiety:

  • Failing to use the litter box
  • Aggression towards other household pets or people
  • Excessive meowing
  • Hiding
  • Excessive cleaning (often resulting in bald spots)
  • No social interaction
  • Destructive behavior 

Note that these behaviors can signal something other than anxiety but, no matter the cause, they shouldn’t be ignored—especially if the behavior came on suddenly.

If you suspect anxiety, the first stop should be to your vet to rule out an underlying medical cause. Once that’s ruled out, you can move on to finding a way to help your pet overcome their anxiety. Methods that may bring success include:

Spending More Time with Your Cat

If your cat is a social cat who enjoys interacting with you, spend time each day brushing your cat, playing with him, and cuddling him. This quality time ensures your cat is getting enough exercise and mental stimulation—both of which may help with anxiety. 

Improve The Cat’s Environment

Does your pet have a kitty condo and other place to escape to either up high or under something, and plenty of escape routes from rooms so he doesn’t feel cornered or trapped? Does he have lots of toys, and his own litter box (rule of thumb is one box per cat plus one additional box)? If not, adding these items can help with anxiety. 

Calming Products

Many pet owners have had great success with calming collars and diffusers, which can be purchased at most pet supply stores.

Medication

In extreme cases and when nothing else works, your vet may suggest a medication to help alleviate your cat’s anxiety.    

You may need to involve your vet or an animal behaviorist, but the good news is that with a little patience and some trial and error, you’ll likely be able to find a solution that works for your pet. 

Can Cats Smell Cancer?

Studies have been done that concluded that dogs can detect cancer, but only anecdotal evidence exists that cats can smell cancer.

How Is It Possible For A Cat To Smell Cancer?

If it turns out that cats can actually detect cancer, it will likely have to do with their sense of smell. While dogs have a far superior sense of smell than cats, a cat’s sense of smell is nothing to sneeze at – it far surpasses that of a human.

One theory is that this keen sense of smell allows them to detect changes in the body. Some experts believe cats could be trained to detect cancer and use their powerful noses in other useful ways as well.  

My Cat Keeps Pawing At A Spot On My Body – Should I Worry? 

Probably not, but if your cat (or dog) seems particularly interested in one side of your chest on more than one occasion, it wouldn’t hurt to mention it to your doctor. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time a cat helped save their owner’s life by alerting them to a tumor. 

Do Dogs Get Tired Of Barking?

Dogs do not get tired of barking necessarily, but a tired dog may bark less. All dogs bark, and there are many different reasons that a dog uses his voice including fear, alarm, as a form of greeting, and even boredom. While you can’t expect a dog to be silent, excessive barking is a problem. A dog who exhibits this behavior is not likely to stop just because he grew tired of barking. Instead, you’ll have to pinpoint the cause for the behavior and work on ways to address it.

Reasons for Excessive Barking

If your dog barks incessantly, it can be a problem for you, your neighbors, and the dog. The good news is that most excessive barking issues can be resolved if properly addressed. Some reasons your dog may bark nonstop include:

  • Separation Anxiety: Separation anxiety is a condition that cannot be ignored. Some pet owners hope it will go away on its own, but it doesn’t. Instead, if left untreated, the condition gets worse over time. Treatment options vary based on the severity of the anxiety, but a good first step is to talk to your vet. You can also read more about separation anxiety here.
  • Loneliness/Boredom: Dogs are pack animals, and they aren’t meant to be alone. A dog that is left alone in the yard or house all the time may bark just because he is lonely and bored. In such cases, spending lots of time with his humans, getting a dog sitter while you are out for the day, or taking him to doggy daycare may be all it takes to correct the problem.
  • Stress: There are many reasons a dog may feel stress, and all of them can lead to excess barking. Calming collars, shirts, or diffusers may provide a solution for mild stress. More severe cases may require medication or behavioral therapy. 

As mentioned above, dogs won’t get tired of barking, but a tired dog may bark less. Make sure your pet gets plenty of playtime and exercise as this alone could help to curb constant barking. 

How Long Does the Humane Society Keep Dogs?

How long the Humane Society keeps dogs varies depending on multiple factors. The exact hold times differ by location and may depend on factors such as available space and the health and temperament of the dog. Sometimes a stray dog will have a longer minimum hold time than a dog that is surrendered by their owner. That’s because the shelter is required to allow time for an owner to come forward to claim a stray dog. The objective is to find every adoptable pet a home but, sadly, this isn’t always possible.

What Are My Other Options? 

There are multiple options to consider when you need to find a new home for your dog. The first and most preferable option is to keep your pet. For help with how to do this, check out our Keep Your Pet guide.

If you’ve decided that you have no choice but to give up your dog, the Humane Society is of course an option, but you could also try:

  • Asking if anyone you know is interested in adopting your dog.
  • Checking with local rescues to see if they have room to take in your pet.
  • Rehoming your dog yourself to ensure he finds a family that will love and care for him. 

While rehoming your dog yourself may be the most time consuming, it’s an option that gives your dog a great chance at a perfect new home and allows you to have control over where he ends up. 

Not sure how to get started? Start with checking out Rehome, a website that allows you to create a profile for your pet for millions of potential adopters to view on Adopt-a-Pet.com. Plus, Rehome provides valuable resources such as information about how to screen adopters and how to write an eye-catching “bio” for your dog.  

Taking the time to find your dog a good home will give you peace of mind and will give your pet the opportunity to have a second chance at a happy life. 

Do You Have To Pay To Rehome A Dog?

You may have to pay to rehome a dog depending on how you go about it. If you surrender a dog that you own to a shelter or rescue, you will likely have to pay a fee. Stray or found dogs can be surrendered to shelters without a fee. The fees to surrender your own dog start at around $15 and go up from there. The fee is to cover part of the expenses of caring for and, hopefully, finding a new home for the dog.

How To Rehome Your Dog

Most city shelters and rescues will charge some type of surrender fee. These fees vary greatly, so be sure to call and check on the cost if you think it may be an issue.

If you’re looking for a way to rehome your dog, consider finding a new home for them yourself.

This is an ideal option for many reasons including:

  • You know they will find a home rather than take the chance of them being put down at a shelter.
  • You’ll be able to hand-select the perfect home for your pet.
  • You’ll have peace of mind knowing you did the best thing for your dog. 

The process may seem a little overwhelming, but there are resources available to help you every step of the way. One resource is Rehome, where you can find expert advice, create a profile for your pet, accept applications from potential adopters, and much more.

It may take some time to find the perfect home, but this option gives your dog the best chance at the new, happy life they deserve.