Today was Baxter’s lucky day. This very handsome boy arrived in October and I am really surprised that he spent so long with us. Blond dogs generally go very quickly especially when they are as good looking as Baxter!
It’s true that had Baxter been a girl she would most likely have been adopted much quicker. It’s a sad fact that young adolescent males are much more likely to find themselves in a refuge than females and generally stay much longer too!
So why do lots of young males end up in rescue? One thing is sure it’s not their fault but usually that of the owner. Too little training, too few walks, too little socialisation and of course not neutering males will make them want to chase after the girls.
Lets not forget that when you take on a pup, male or female you take on the responsibility for that pup for life. You take on the responsibility of socialising, training, exercising and caring fir that pup right throughout their life. Its very naive to think that over 15 years your life circumstances wont change and if you take on a pup you need to be willing to adapt to accommodate that pup no matter what life throws at you.
So what reasons do we hear every day when people want to abandon their dog? Divorce, work schedule changing, don’t have time to exercise, moving house, expecting a baby, the dog hasn’t trained himself! And these are just a few!
Luckily for some of these poor dogs who have been let down by humans, there are fantastic families out their who are happy to welcome them and ensure a happy ever after but for some poor souls there is a long wait in kennels, years often.
We don’t know why Baxter arrived in rescue, he was found as a stray but please make sure that if you commit to a pup don’t let it end up in rescue because you don’t carry out your side of the bargain. Be responsible….and make sure that you understand that a dog is for life, not until your circumstances change.