|
What to Expect When You Adopt a Rescued Boston
Terrier?
Adopting a rescued animal is one of the most rewarding experiences you
will have as a pet owner. You are giving an animal a second chance at
a loving and caring home – and sometimes life itself. There are
many misconceptions about adopting a rescue so we have provided this
information to answer the many questions we receive regarding adoption.
Please read through it carefully considering your home environment,
the time you will have to invest in a new pet, and the special commitment
that may be required in adoption.
What is the temperament of a Boston Terrier?
While each dog is an individual you can expect a young Boston Terrier
(puppy to 4 years old) to be high energy, very friendly and very playful.
Older Bostons (5 years and up) tend to be less high energy but do not
lose their friendly and playful spirit. A young Boston Terrier may be
“too much” for a family with very young children or for and
elderly person. We will work with you to match you with the best Boston
Terrier for you, your home and family.
Will an adopted dog be housetrained?
All ABTR rescues spend some time in foster care living in a home environment
for healthcare and behavior evaluation. If housetraining
is required, the rescue receives this training at his/her foster home.
However, we find that almost all rescues require a period of adjustment
when going to their new home. A rescue could have spent time as a stray
or in a shelter where housetraining is lost. In addition, each home
is different and the dog will need to adjust his/her new routine. Expect
to watch your new adoptee closely for at least a week and work with
them consistently on their new potty routine.
Why does my adopted dog try to dart out the door or jump the
fence?
Darting and running is a common behavior of rescues – it is important
to not take it personally! It is a dog’s instinct to “go home”
even if that home had been uncaring or abusive. No matter how wonderfully
you treat your new rescue, he/she may instinctly try to “go home”.
A rescued will have been to many different places before he/she ends
up in a forever home. They may spend time in a shelter, a vet, a transport
home, and a foster home before they come to live with you – they
are naturally confused. This darting behavior should subside after the
dog settles in which may take a few weeks. In the meantime, keep an
eye on them when a door is opened. Many rescues never exhibit this behavior
and it is more common in males than females.
Will an adopted dog “mark” in the house?
One of the most common reasons that dogs end up in shelters or rescues
is that the original owner did not have them spayed or neutered. Leaving
a dog intact will increase their desire to “mark” territory
by urinating at certain spots. All ABTR dogs are spayed or neutered
prior to being adopted but it takes several months after the surgery
for the hormones to completely leave the dogs system. Some dogs –
particularly males – may try to mark their new home. This is far
more common if a recently neutered male is coming to a home with other
male dogs. If they do mark – it usually will happen in the first
day or two. Keeping a good eye on your new dog is the best way to prevent
this. If this continues after a few days contact us and we can recommend
several different products that are very successful is stopping this
behavior.
Do Boston Terriers require special diets?
No. It is the rare Boston Terrier that has a sensitive stomach –
so they generally can eat any dog food. Most Boston Terriers, however,
have sensitivity to corn and corn byproducts. The side effect of digesting
corn is gas! Unfortunately, many popular dog foods contain corn and
corn byproducts. Those that don’t contain corn are Nutro, Nature’s
Recipe, Wellness, and Royal Canin to name a few. Boston are not allergic
to corn and feeding them dog food with corn will not hurt them –
it may just make them unpleasant to be around!
Should I crate my newly adopted dog?
We recommend that you use a crate in the first few weeks. Crating gives
a dog a sense of security and safety, in addition to prevent accidents
and speeding up the adjustment period. We recommend that you crate your
dog anytime that you are out of the home, as well as at night. Many
dogs become very attached to their crates and you may want to use it
for the life of the dog. In many cases, though, a dog can gradually
be left alone in the home or at night once he feels safe and secure.
Do I need to take my newly adopted dog to the vet for a checkup?
All ABTR dogs are fully vetted in our care. They receive all of their
annual vaccinations as well as their rabies vaccination. All dogs are
screened for heartworms and are
heartworm negative when adopted. You will be given documentation of
vaccinations, rabies, and heartworm testing that you should give to
your vet for their records. It is absolutely imperative that your
Boston be given a heartworm preventive the first week of each and every
month. Outside of a “get acquainted visit” your new dog
should not need to be taken to a vet.
Continue on to application
form.
|
