KEY POINTS:
- Expert trainer Misha Gildenberger wants to encourage people to adopt not shop for dogs. Purchasing doesn't guarantee that a dog will be perfect without proper training, she says, adding that the feeling you get from adopting is "magical".
So, you want to get a dog that's cute and well behaved.
Easy, right?
Not necessarily.
Even if you have deep pockets, you can't buy your perfect dog, believes Bay of Plenty dog trainer Misha Gildenberger, of Roma Dog Behaviour Academy.
Eighty per cent of the dogs she trains for behavioural problems are purebreds, and just because you spend $2000 instead of $100-$300 on a mixed breed, there's no guarantee the dog will behave the way that you want.
Therefore, Gildenberger, who is also a vet nurse, says first-time dog owners need to prepare and consider getting professional help, as to which dog will suit them best.
She'd like everyone to consider a rescue dog first, saying it's a "lifesaving thing"; and prospective fur-parents should consider "pre-puppy classes", much like antenatal classes for babies, except this time, you can opt out of what lies ahead if it sends you into a cold sweat.
Teachings include dog psychology; pet-proofing your house; what you need to buy: "Forget a $100 fancy bed. He's going to tear it up on the first night"; annual leave required to settle your fur-child into their new home. A weekend is not enough. She suggests a week.
Not getting help can set you up for failure, she says, adding demand for dogs is ever increasing.
"It's important that more education and responsibility be applied."
The Argentinian, who lives in Pāpāmoa, has 10 years of experience as a dog trainer.
Fostering through a rescue centre can be a good way to trial what it's like having a dog, and some pounds offer weekend trials, she says.
This is important because rehoming an animal if it doesn't work out can cause it trauma. However, sometimes rehoming is necessary.
The cost of living crisis and the pandemic puppy boom had led to failed adoptions.
Gildenberger gives the example of those who got a puppy during successive lockdowns when they were working from home but have since returned to the office for 10 hours a day, leaving their pooch home alone and claiming they can't afford a dog walker or daytime care. "What were you thinking?" she asks.
Thanks to Covid restrictions, more dogs were also sold without prospective owners having an opportunity to meet the puppy and gauge the breeder's credibility.
There has also been an increase in the number of people buying dogs on social media.
"They get the dog home, it's over-active and they don't have time for it," she says.
"Four months later the mum is crying, the kids are not helping, and the dog has destroyed the backyard."
Gildenberger ran a dog rescue in Argentina for 10 years before moving to New Zealand four years ago with her own rescue dog, Roma.
The time, effort and money animal rescuers invest into animals before adopting them means they refuse to let them go to a home that is not suitable, she says, meaning some rescue applications may seem invasive, but it's for the good of the dog.
Everyone should consider a pound or rescue dog, over buying from a breeder, she believes, saying "thousands" are put to sleep in New Zealand every year because shelters are overrun and many dogs are deemed "hard cases".
"Rescue centres are at capacity too, so the whole situation with dogs is just miserable.
"It is up to the public to take on one of these dogs and invest the time into them to save their lives."
'She's an SPCA special'
When Gail Elliott spotted her dog Ruby on the SPCA website, she knew there was only one way to tell her breed - a DNA test.
Found abandoned on Matakana Island with two five-week-old sisters, Ruby's genes showed she was "whippet, English Staffy, American Staffy, American and English bulldog."
"She's an SPCA special," she says.
"I had a purebred before her - a west highland terrier called Alfie - and purebreds, a lot of them are fine, and most of the breeders are great, but they do have a tendency to have health issues. I'm not saying your old mutt won't, but they seem to be less likely to.
"And, if you want to give a dog a life, a home, and some love, to me, it shouldn't matter what it is."
Save a life
Abandoned dogs needing a home are found in forests, parks and children's playgrounds, says nonprofit organisation Rescue, Revive, Rehome (RRR).
It has 50 dogs in its care and with a no-euthanasia policy, it shut its doors when overflowing, taking emergency cases only.
Despite people's best intentions, living situations can change and few landlords allow dogs, meaning more require new homes, says RRR canine team leader Ronnie McAllum.
However, overall, fewer dogs are getting euthanised, says the team leader of animal control in Rotorua, Arana Waaka-Stockman.
When he started in the role seven years ago, 900-1000 dogs a year were being put down at the pound, now it's about 200.
Dogs are euthanised if they cannot be rehomed and there are many reasons, including aggression. Rotorua Lakes Council rehomes 130 to 150 dogs a year.
With 50 dogs in the pound at the time of print (15 up for adoption), it's time-consuming covering the welfare of the dogs, let alone attempting to rehabilitate them too, he says.
At Tauranga SPCA, centre manager Andrea Crompton says dogs are not euthanised, with the average length of stay from August 2021 to August 2022 being 38 days before adoption.
Unfortunately, orphan dogs are increasing because people won't or can't afford to desex their animals.
Animal cruelty is also a sad reality for rescues, says Katrina Thompson from Vada's Angels.
She's had a blind dog in her care for two years.
Next year, Gildenberger plans on launching a free online training course for anyone in New Zealand who adopts a rescue dog from a shelter.
'Be realistic'
Pāpāmoa's Amy Ellis has had three adopted rescues - Ziggy, a boxer-Staffy cross, 4, Boom Boom, a Beardie-Catahoula cross, 2, and Ru, an unknown mix who recently died.
It's her first time as a dog mum and her advice when picking a dog is "don't adopt based on looks".
Instead, match the dog to your household and lifestyle.
"Be realistic about what will be manageable for you and your family. For example, Booms is a working breed, he could never just be one-walk-a-day dog - he needs mental and physical stimulation every day."
Her other must-know tips are to insure the dog from day one and invest in dog training.
"The more effort I put into understanding my dogs and knowing how to communicate properly, ultimately the better our dogs are. It is a long-term investment."
Finally, don't assume that a puppy will be easier than adopting an older dog.
"Any dog - puppy or older - will need a lot of your time."
And while it can be hard to change or improve existing behaviours, it's not impossible, says Gildenberger.
'Do your research, get some help'
A good rescue shelter or pound will ask detailed questions of you, and you, in turn, should do the same.
"You need to ask about the energy level of the dog; temperament; personality; their full size when grown; behavioural issues; how they are with others; with noise; their health; have they been rehomed before? The whole history so you have a full picture before committing," says Gildenberger.
"You can also ask the rescue for their return policy. Do they have coaching classes for difficult cases?"
Most rescue dogs come vaccinated, microchipped and desexed.
Do your research, get some help, and adopt a dog that really needs it: "Saving a life is a wonderful feeling.
"It's magical, beautiful, and you feel like a hero.
"Thinking that the dog you have comes from an awful past, and could have had a terrible destiny, but you provided that lovely home; a family."
# Visit these Facebook pages for more info
Rotorua Pound – Homeless Hounds
Vada's Angels Animal rescue Tauranga
RRR - Rescue Revive Rehome - Bay of Plenty
SPCA BOP
Roma Dog Behaviour Academy
