Although all animal protection associations encourage the adoption of dogs and other pets, they advise against doing so for the wrong reasons. And these are, unfortunately, numerous and frequent. Many, in fact, adopt a dog for futile or insufficient reasons, which often leads to the abandonment of the animal after a short period of time.
Here, in this article, are six bad reasons for adopting a dog that must absolutely be avoided so as not to harm these sensitive pets.
To use it as an educational tool with your children
Some see the dog as an educational tool that they can use to "empower" their children, to teach them altruism or to take care of another living being. Some even see the adoption of a dog as a reward or a means of negotiation or blackmail to use with their children. These are very bad reasons to adopt a dog, for several reasons.
First, a dog, even if it can be very close to a child, must always be under the responsibility of an adult. A child is, in fact, never able to take care of it, nor to control it. Then, a dog or any other pet is a being in its own right that should not be treated as an object, a tool or a means of negotiation.
You should also know that empowering a child by entrusting him with a dog is a method doomed to failure, because children follow the example of the adults around them, especially their parents.To teach them responsibility, dedication and selflessness, it is best to take children to places where it is possible to volunteer, help humans in need or abandoned animals.
To fill the void left by a deceased dog
Many suffer greatly from the loss of their dog with whom they have shared many years of their lives. This is a completely natural and understandable pain. However, it should not push the master to adopt a new dog to replace the deceased one. No dog can replace another, because each has its own character, its own habits and its own way of living its relationship with its master. The new dog is therefore very unlikely to be identical to the previous one, or even to resemble it in the slightest, even if it is the same breed.
To keep a bored dog company
This too is unfortunately an all too common practice, even if it is often counterproductive. Adopting a second dog because you already have a bored one is a very bad idea which, instead of fixing the situation, can make it worse.
The solution to a dog's boredom is to devote more time to him, to take him out more often, to push him to exert himself by making him play and run. He may also be bored because of he alth or diet problems. You must therefore first act on the causes of boredom by investing yourself even more in your role as master.
Also, adopting a new dog can go very wrong. It is always possible that the temperaments of the two dogs do not agree. However, this is not something to avoid. You can perfectly adopt a second dog, but only if you really want to have a second companion.
To follow the trends
Sometimes certain dog breeds are very fashionable. This was the case, until recently, with shiba inus or huskies. These fashions can encourage some who have never had a pet dog or the desire to have one until now to adopt one. This is a fairly common phenomenon and very harmful for dogs.
Others are influenced by those around them, their friends, colleagues or family members, many of whom have dogs and these people end up adopting one, too, to do “like friends”.
These two behaviors are to be avoided, because people who have dogs often adopt them for good reasons, they love them, like to take care of them and devote enough time and energy to them to make them happy . Unfortunately, this is not the case for people who adopt dogs by imitation, because it is often a dazzling passion, but very fleeting. The master ends up getting tired quickly and the abandonment does not take long to arrive.
Because we feel alone
Dogs are great pets. Affectionate, playful, intelligent, they end up forging very strong bonds with their masters and their legendary loy alty, known to all, reinforces the received idea that a dog is ideal for filling the loneliness that a person may feel.
" Because we fell in love"
" Anyone can be seduced, fell in love with a dog. These animals have, indeed, something to capsize hearts. Whether it&39;s a large, beautiful and powerful dog, or a cute little dog, there is something to be seduced by. However, this attraction alone should not justify the adoption of a dog, because, once again, there is a strong chance that the beauty of the dog only arouses a passing passion which ends up fade, making the master regret the pet&39;s recent adoption."
" If you have a crush on a dog, give yourself time to reflect and realize all that its adoption would entail. It is only after careful consideration that you can take the plunge."