8 Things You Need To Know Before Adopting A Dog

I’m a big advocate for pet adoption: Four years ago, I adopted my dog, Oliver Beans, from a shelter in Chicago. He changed my life in so many awesome ways, and all animals deserve to have a safe, happy home with people who love them. That said, before you bring home that adorable shelter puppy, there are a few things that nobody will tell you. When I adopted Oliver, he had come from a really bad situation: he’d been abused by his previous owners, then thrown out of a moving car onto a busy road. He had major emotional and behavioral issues, some of which the shelter told me about, and some which were a surprise. He was my first dog; I didn’t know how to handle his fear and aggression. I didn’t even know where to start. When you adopt an animal, even if you think you have a decent idea of their history, you need to be PREPARED for some work. It’s worth it, but seriously. Know that it could be coming. Or you develop really strident opinions about the best airlines, based solely on the size of carrier they allow in the cabin, and how much you’ll have to drug your dog to get him into said carrier. Or you work out how to burglar-proof your pantry because your dog learned to open the FIRST set of child-proofing that you installed, then ate an entire box of cereal and a box of tinfoil. These are not dogless-person problems! Your dogless friends will marvel as you spot that decomposing chicken bone from three blocks away and expertly steer your pup away from it. Truly, Dog Radar is a gift — and it will be bestowed upon you with time. Don’t think you will escape this when you get a dog. IT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU. But you know what? That’s OK! Because having a dog is like having a really cuddly shitbag detector. If someone won’t date a person who has to walk a dog, how the hell would they handle the real challenges of a relationship? EXACTLY. Wrong. So wrong. Training a dog never, ever stops. I work with Oliver on polite walking every day. We have to work on not barking at the door all the time. Sometimes we go back to the whole “don’t pick fights with men if they’re just walking past us on the street” thing, and it’s fine. You and your dog are a team, and that means working together.
You also need to be trained, by the way, because you have to communicate in a way that your dog will understand — and that’s harder than you think. It took me a really long time to learn that my body language was influencing the way Oliver reacted to other dogs, and once I did, I really had to work to correct that in myself. I still work on this almost every day. But like I said, we’re a team. That’s what you do when you’re on a team. But he’s done more for me. I am, without a doubt, a better person for having Oliver in my life. He’s taught me how to love things other than myself, and how to accept that love in return. He’s smoothed away a lot of my sharper, more anxious edges. And I know that without my dog teaching me about patience and kindness, I wouldn’t be in the wonderful (human) relationship I’m in today. So if you’re wondering whether you should adopt a dog today, you should. Your life will be more fun, more crazy, and all-over better than you can possibly imagine.

title: “8 Things You Need To Know Before Adopting A Dog” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-09” author: “Jessica Payne”

I’m a big advocate for pet adoption: Four years ago, I adopted my dog, Oliver Beans, from a shelter in Chicago. He changed my life in so many awesome ways, and all animals deserve to have a safe, happy home with people who love them. That said, before you bring home that adorable shelter puppy, there are a few things that nobody will tell you. When I adopted Oliver, he had come from a really bad situation: he’d been abused by his previous owners, then thrown out of a moving car onto a busy road. He had major emotional and behavioral issues, some of which the shelter told me about, and some which were a surprise. He was my first dog; I didn’t know how to handle his fear and aggression. I didn’t even know where to start. When you adopt an animal, even if you think you have a decent idea of their history, you need to be PREPARED for some work. It’s worth it, but seriously. Know that it could be coming. Or you develop really strident opinions about the best airlines, based solely on the size of carrier they allow in the cabin, and how much you’ll have to drug your dog to get him into said carrier. Or you work out how to burglar-proof your pantry because your dog learned to open the FIRST set of child-proofing that you installed, then ate an entire box of cereal and a box of tinfoil. These are not dogless-person problems! Your dogless friends will marvel as you spot that decomposing chicken bone from three blocks away and expertly steer your pup away from it. Truly, Dog Radar is a gift — and it will be bestowed upon you with time. Don’t think you will escape this when you get a dog. IT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU. But you know what? That’s OK! Because having a dog is like having a really cuddly shitbag detector. If someone won’t date a person who has to walk a dog, how the hell would they handle the real challenges of a relationship? EXACTLY. Wrong. So wrong. Training a dog never, ever stops. I work with Oliver on polite walking every day. We have to work on not barking at the door all the time. Sometimes we go back to the whole “don’t pick fights with men if they’re just walking past us on the street” thing, and it’s fine. You and your dog are a team, and that means working together.
You also need to be trained, by the way, because you have to communicate in a way that your dog will understand — and that’s harder than you think. It took me a really long time to learn that my body language was influencing the way Oliver reacted to other dogs, and once I did, I really had to work to correct that in myself. I still work on this almost every day. But like I said, we’re a team. That’s what you do when you’re on a team. But he’s done more for me. I am, without a doubt, a better person for having Oliver in my life. He’s taught me how to love things other than myself, and how to accept that love in return. He’s smoothed away a lot of my sharper, more anxious edges. And I know that without my dog teaching me about patience and kindness, I wouldn’t be in the wonderful (human) relationship I’m in today. So if you’re wondering whether you should adopt a dog today, you should. Your life will be more fun, more crazy, and all-over better than you can possibly imagine.

title: “8 Things You Need To Know Before Adopting A Dog” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-08” author: “Allen Guieb”

I’m a big advocate for pet adoption: Four years ago, I adopted my dog, Oliver Beans, from a shelter in Chicago. He changed my life in so many awesome ways, and all animals deserve to have a safe, happy home with people who love them. That said, before you bring home that adorable shelter puppy, there are a few things that nobody will tell you. When I adopted Oliver, he had come from a really bad situation: he’d been abused by his previous owners, then thrown out of a moving car onto a busy road. He had major emotional and behavioral issues, some of which the shelter told me about, and some which were a surprise. He was my first dog; I didn’t know how to handle his fear and aggression. I didn’t even know where to start. When you adopt an animal, even if you think you have a decent idea of their history, you need to be PREPARED for some work. It’s worth it, but seriously. Know that it could be coming. Or you develop really strident opinions about the best airlines, based solely on the size of carrier they allow in the cabin, and how much you’ll have to drug your dog to get him into said carrier. Or you work out how to burglar-proof your pantry because your dog learned to open the FIRST set of child-proofing that you installed, then ate an entire box of cereal and a box of tinfoil. These are not dogless-person problems! Your dogless friends will marvel as you spot that decomposing chicken bone from three blocks away and expertly steer your pup away from it. Truly, Dog Radar is a gift — and it will be bestowed upon you with time. Don’t think you will escape this when you get a dog. IT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU. But you know what? That’s OK! Because having a dog is like having a really cuddly shitbag detector. If someone won’t date a person who has to walk a dog, how the hell would they handle the real challenges of a relationship? EXACTLY. Wrong. So wrong. Training a dog never, ever stops. I work with Oliver on polite walking every day. We have to work on not barking at the door all the time. Sometimes we go back to the whole “don’t pick fights with men if they’re just walking past us on the street” thing, and it’s fine. You and your dog are a team, and that means working together.
You also need to be trained, by the way, because you have to communicate in a way that your dog will understand — and that’s harder than you think. It took me a really long time to learn that my body language was influencing the way Oliver reacted to other dogs, and once I did, I really had to work to correct that in myself. I still work on this almost every day. But like I said, we’re a team. That’s what you do when you’re on a team. But he’s done more for me. I am, without a doubt, a better person for having Oliver in my life. He’s taught me how to love things other than myself, and how to accept that love in return. He’s smoothed away a lot of my sharper, more anxious edges. And I know that without my dog teaching me about patience and kindness, I wouldn’t be in the wonderful (human) relationship I’m in today. So if you’re wondering whether you should adopt a dog today, you should. Your life will be more fun, more crazy, and all-over better than you can possibly imagine.

title: “8 Things You Need To Know Before Adopting A Dog” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-25” author: “Charles Hart”

I’m a big advocate for pet adoption: Four years ago, I adopted my dog, Oliver Beans, from a shelter in Chicago. He changed my life in so many awesome ways, and all animals deserve to have a safe, happy home with people who love them. That said, before you bring home that adorable shelter puppy, there are a few things that nobody will tell you. When I adopted Oliver, he had come from a really bad situation: he’d been abused by his previous owners, then thrown out of a moving car onto a busy road. He had major emotional and behavioral issues, some of which the shelter told me about, and some which were a surprise. He was my first dog; I didn’t know how to handle his fear and aggression. I didn’t even know where to start. When you adopt an animal, even if you think you have a decent idea of their history, you need to be PREPARED for some work. It’s worth it, but seriously. Know that it could be coming. Or you develop really strident opinions about the best airlines, based solely on the size of carrier they allow in the cabin, and how much you’ll have to drug your dog to get him into said carrier. Or you work out how to burglar-proof your pantry because your dog learned to open the FIRST set of child-proofing that you installed, then ate an entire box of cereal and a box of tinfoil. These are not dogless-person problems! Your dogless friends will marvel as you spot that decomposing chicken bone from three blocks away and expertly steer your pup away from it. Truly, Dog Radar is a gift — and it will be bestowed upon you with time. Don’t think you will escape this when you get a dog. IT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU. But you know what? That’s OK! Because having a dog is like having a really cuddly shitbag detector. If someone won’t date a person who has to walk a dog, how the hell would they handle the real challenges of a relationship? EXACTLY. Wrong. So wrong. Training a dog never, ever stops. I work with Oliver on polite walking every day. We have to work on not barking at the door all the time. Sometimes we go back to the whole “don’t pick fights with men if they’re just walking past us on the street” thing, and it’s fine. You and your dog are a team, and that means working together.
You also need to be trained, by the way, because you have to communicate in a way that your dog will understand — and that’s harder than you think. It took me a really long time to learn that my body language was influencing the way Oliver reacted to other dogs, and once I did, I really had to work to correct that in myself. I still work on this almost every day. But like I said, we’re a team. That’s what you do when you’re on a team. But he’s done more for me. I am, without a doubt, a better person for having Oliver in my life. He’s taught me how to love things other than myself, and how to accept that love in return. He’s smoothed away a lot of my sharper, more anxious edges. And I know that without my dog teaching me about patience and kindness, I wouldn’t be in the wonderful (human) relationship I’m in today. So if you’re wondering whether you should adopt a dog today, you should. Your life will be more fun, more crazy, and all-over better than you can possibly imagine.