What You Need To Know Before Adopting Stray Dogs

There are hundreds of stray dogs roaming in the streets. They either get run over by speeding cars or starve perpetually. Most of us feel bad about the sorry state of these animals but very few have the gumption to come forward and adopt stray dogs as their pets. There is no doubt about the nobility of your intentions but when your pet is a stray, you need to take some essential precautions.

Here are few things that you need to do if you are adopting a stray dog as your pet
Let Them In: Feeding a stray dog and allowing it to sleep on your doorstep is not technically 'adopting' him or her. It is like giving alms to a begging child and bringing him or her home as a domestic help. If you want to adopt the stray as your pet, you have to let him or her into your home. The stray dog should be treated as a part of your family as your other pets, if you have any.

Dog Vaccination: Being a stray dog, it is definite that your new pet probably has not received any vaccinations. It is crucial to have the stray dog vaccinated. In fact, you should do the immunization first and only then allow the dog to enter into your house.

Is The Dog Sane: Mad dogs or Rabies infected dogs can be very dangerous. It is essential that you put your stray dog through a full medical check-up at a good veterinary hospital. This will include both physical and mental tests. Tests like rabies are the most important, but other minor disorders like fleas or a fungal infection also need to be treated.

What Breed Is It: It might seem like a trivial question, but the reason to determine the breed of your stray pet is very relevant? Certain dog breeds have their own set of disorders and there are different methods to care for them. For example, a Saint Bernard is a cold weather dog that cannot adjust in warm climates. Most stray dogs in India are mongrel dogs.

Potty Training: Once you adopt the stray dog and bring it home, you will have to start training it. This is not going to be easy if the dog is an adult. It is always easier to train puppies. Having lived on the streets, the poor canine will have no toilet training. You have lots of hard work to do.

Be A Good Dog: Living on the streets instils a killer instinct in stray dogs. They are naturally aggressive and this can be a threat to your kids and neighbors. You need to have a strong method to curb aggressive behavior of your adopted pet.