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Adopt
a Bullmastiff
So, you want to adopt a Bullmastiff, huh? Great idea! Want to
hear an even better idea? Rescue an adult Bullmastiff. No pooch is too
old for puppy love and puppies are only puppies for a few months
after all, right? Oh, you have your heart set on a cute little
puppy? OK, here's some food for thought and a few reasons why
adopting an adult might be your better option:
Housebreaking:
Before you adopt a Bullmastiff, consider how much time your new
family member will spend alone. Remember, a puppy requires
constant attention. The key to successful housebreaking is
consistency; preventing "accidents" is key. Once a puppy soils the
carpeting, it becomes much more difficult to train them out of
that behavior. Here's a good rule of thumb to consider: a puppy
can hold his bladder just one hour for every month they've been
alive. For instance, a 3-month-old puppy will need to empty his
bladder every three hours! And yes, that does include the middle
of the night! Before you adopt a puppy, ask yourself if you are
available to walk your dog several times throughout the day, and
if you have the patience and commitment to wake up and take him
out several times throughout the night. Of course, before you can
walk him at all, you will need to train him to walk on a leash,
which is a project in itself.
On the other hand, an adult dog's bladder is already fully
developed. Shelter dogs are most often already housetrained and
Mastiff rescue groups make sure their adult dogs for adoption are
housebroken before they go to new homes. You also have the
advantage of knowing that your dog is physically able to "hold it"
for several hours at a stretch. In most cases, adult dogs are by
far easier to housebreak than puppies. You can teach an old dog
new tricks!
Puppy behavior:
Sure, puppies are super-cute, but simply put, puppies are
adorable, relentless machines of destruction. Even the most
well-behaved puppy will destroy shoes, clothing, paper, remote
controls, telephones, leashes, dog beds, carpeting…anything and
everything. More rambunctious pups have been known to obliterate
sofas, car seats, Venetian blinds, electrical cords, door
frames…you name it, they can eat it or shred it. And when they're
teething, look out! Cute puppies have very sharp teeth, and they
are happy to use your hands, feet, nose, hair, etc, as a chew toy.
Ouch! Needless to say, a teething puppy and a small child do NOT
make good companions! To keep the puppy from hurting himself, and
to prevent the destructive behavior from becoming a bad habit, you
will need to spend every waking moment supervising his every move.
Do you have that kind of time?
Many Bullmastiffs in shelters or with rescue groups are already
trained and ready to go! Adults have a much longer attention span
than puppies, too, which means they're easier and faster to teach.
Adult dogs already have recognizable personality traits, so you'll
be able to select one who is great with children. Many rescue
groups use foster homes to make sure each dog for adoption is
trained to be well-behaved indoors. Although all dogs need
attention and playtime, an adult dog's needs are far less
demanding than a puppy's.
Personality:
With an adult dog, what you see is what you get. Their
personality is already developed, and you'll be able to spot the
characteristics you're looking for much more easily than with a
puppy. Shelters and rescue groups are able to assess the
personality of each dog for adoption, and carefully match you up
with the right dog for your lifestyle. When you adopt a puppy,
there is a lot more guesswork involved.
Adult Bullmastiff adoption = an instant friend for life:
Ask anybody who has adopted an adult dog, and they'll swear
their bond with their rescued pal is as deep as they come. When
you open your heart and your home to a dog who needs help, they
really do show their appreciation for the rest of their life! Dogs
who have been uprooted from their homes, or have had difficult
beginnings are likely to bond completely and deeply with their new
human caretakers who they view as heroes. Dogs who find themselves
in the shelter or at a rescue group because of a death or other
tragedy in their former human family usually go through a mourning
period. Once they are adopted, however, they usually want nothing
more than to please their new hero---YOU! No matter what
circumstances brought them to the shelter or rescue group, most
dogs for adoption are exceptionally affectionate and attentive
pets and extremely loyal companions. But first you have to adopt
one!
Adult Bullmastiff adoption = truly saving a life:
When you adopt an adult dog, you are doing the ultimate good
deed. Let's face it: a lot of people think they want a puppy, but
not everyone is lining up to adopt the great adults! Did you know
that every year, 7 million adoptable animals are killed? A
staggering 25% of those animals are purebreds, so you can be sure
there are a LOT of dogs for adoption out there. With such a huge
overpopulation problem, buying a puppy from a breeder or pet store
sadly contributes to this tragedy. Rescue groups that specialize
in Bullmastiff adoption work very, very hard to help adult dogs find
good homes. Rescues are almost always made up of a group of
volunteers. They often keep their dogs for adoption in their own
homes while they assess their health and personalities. If a dog
needs basic training, often the rescuer will provide it. If a dog
needs medical treatment, many dedicated dog rescuers pay for it
out of their own pocket. These people are incredibly passionate
about rescue, and they work tirelessly to make sure every dog
finds a home. Nothing is as rewarding to these heroes as a
successful adoption!
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Knatchbull
Bullmastiffs
Ontario, Canada
hansmann@ican.net |
proud member
in standing with |
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