What is the
older puppy’s background?
Most of the time, a shelter dog’s background
history is a mystery. We don’t know who
the parents or previous owners are. We usually don’t know why the dog was given
up. Information provided to PupSavers may be nonexistent
or incorrect and most of the time is very limited.With the cut
e fuzzy puppies, determining breed and size of the animal is a guessing
game for everyone. Ask four people or four vets and get eight different
opinions. Even DNA tests will not tell exactly.
When adopting an older puppy, at least the breed characteristics are
more prominent and what you see is what you get! But even for older pups it is still a guessing game. Sometimes it is difficult to determine the
exact age of an older puppy.We can look at their teeth and try to guess!
Once and a while an older pup will have a microchip but this doesn’t mean
he has an owner sitting and waiting for his return. The shelter makes every
effort to find a lost dog’s owner, but if the dog is dropped off by the owner
he relinquishes ownership of the animal.
With older female pups it is difficult for the
shelter to determine if she was spayed prior to coming to the shelter. We look
for scars and tattoos but your vet needs to advise you.
The bottom line is medical and background info of
rescued animals is sketchy at best. These animals are abandoned and left to die
from exposure to the elements or disease or dropped off at shelters to be executed. Each month 500 animals come into the shelter, the lucky ones PupSavers rescue and save their lives and that's the beginning
of their story.
What is the
dog’s temperament? 
Some of the older puppies PupSavers saves are placed in foster
care in New Mexico and are observed with other dogs, cats, kids and people. This
socialization is critical in getting the dog prepared for adoption. Once they arrive in CO, PupSavers fosters
continue to socialize and work with the animal. Also the foster works on house
training, so that's a bonus you don’t get with a small fuzzy puppy!
There are very caring and loving animal lovers at the shelter who interact with the dogs and observe their behaviors around people and other animals. The NM fosters are experienced
and responsible dog people and would quickly report any behavioral issues and concerns. We would never knowingly adopt out a dog with
serious behavioral problems or aggressiveness. PupSavers recommends for every adopter to take their pup to training and socialization classes.
What is the best way to determine if the older pup is the one to adopt?
The answer to that question is easy, FOSTER the dog!! Fosters always get first choice to adopt but that's the second perk of
fostering. The first perk is helping get the dog out of the
kill shelter! The only thing that keeps them from being euthan
ized is a sign put on their cage that says PUPSAVERS. Fostering an older pup is a perfect way to see the
dog in natural surroundings rather than at an adoption event for 15
minutes and taking him home and hoping for the best. You can see first hand what the dog is like and if he is a keeper, then keep him! If it isn't a match, you can provide
valuable information as to why it isn't a good fit and what situation
would be the best for him. It's win win! We provide food and crate, you provide water and TLC! There is no obligation to adopt him, just to foster him until he gets adopted (by you or someone else)! Help PupSavers Save Older Pups! Contact us today. Click here to go to Adorable Adoptables Click here to go to Dogs Who Need Rescue