The 'Perfect' Home

I recently offered to do home visits for my local Vizsla club, and although I will be following their specific criteria when evaluating homes for their dogs, it prompted me to ask myself, “What makes a good home for a dog?”

Much of my time is spent in doggie circles, which means most of the people I interact with are very passionate about their pets, to the point where some might say they go a bit overboard in attending to their dogs’ needs and desires. In addition to providing their pals with top of the line beds, toys, crates, and training attire, many of them indulge in doggie chiropractors and masseurs, acupuncturists and holistic vets, and most provide their four legged friends with homemade cuisines and supplements of every variety. Nearly all of them participate in some sort of doggie activity like agility, conformation, hunting, obedience, and therapy work. And while there is nothing wrong with shuffling Fido around like a soccer mom while catering to his every whim, does that make these people better pet owners than someone with only a rope for a leash and a bag of Ol’ Roy from Wal-Mart?

Before you answer, take a moment to consider it from a dog’s point of view.

Does Buddy care what brand of food he eats, as long as his belly is full? Does Fifi dream about a fifty dollar doggie bed, or can she be just as happy with a balled up blanket in a cardboard box? Does Max care if his leash is endorsed by Cesar Milan, or if it is bought in a boating supply store at a fraction of the cost?

I personally know several families who were denied dogs and/or cats from rescue groups, none for rational reasons. When they were denied, each of them obtained animals from other sources and all of those animals have had their basic needs met over the years – food, shelter, and basic vet care. Most importantly, all of them are or were loved. In at least two of these cases, the animals they originally wanted to adopt remained in rescue for a very long time afterward.

One of them remained on the internet for well over a year.

Perhaps, by holding potential homes to the highest standards imaginable, many rescue groups are perpetuating the very entities that they despise most – backyard breeders and puppy mills. I recently read another blogger’s post, “The Big “Breeder” Debate," which opened my eyes to this possibility. She explained how hard ethical breeders work to try and educate the public about the horrors of puppy mills and the health risks of backyard breeding, yet these same breeders often have waiting lists that stretch into years, and are nearly as stringent with their placements as one would expect from a human adoption agency, often turning people away for ridiculous reasons. She went on to point out that if these breeders think saying “No” to someone is going to stop them from getting an animal, they are sadly mistaken. Puppy shoppers will find an animal somewhere, even if it means they must purchase one from a pet store, or order one online.

The same holds true for rescue.

Sure, if you turn away a potential adopter because they don’t treat their pets like royalty, they may go to a shelter and adopt a mixed breed dog, (and I can personally attest that you can obtain a wonderful companion that way), but often a person is set on a certain type of dog because they desire the traits of that particular breed. Isn’t that what reputable breeders and rescuers want? People who choose a dog that matches their lifestyle? Because if it is not a good fit, guess where that dog ends up? You got it. Back at the shelter. And usually, after having one bad experience with an adoptee, most people will either purchase their next pup, (further supporting those puppy mills again), or forget about having a dog entirely.

Either way, there went a potential home…

Just something to mull over when setting your standards, whether you are a breeder or a rescue group. Perhaps, your initial thoughts are to rule out everyone who does not treat their pets the same way that you do. But are you an average dog owner? Obviously, you still want to educate people and not every family will be a perfect fit, but there is also much more to consider than food choices, holistic vets, or whether or not a potential owner is interested in participating in dog sports. If the dog’s basic needs are met, (food, shelter, basic vet care and training), and most importantly, it is loved, isn’t that better than remaining forever in foster? It is often said that homeless people provide dogs with the best possible lives...lots of exercise, someone to forage with, and a warm body to snuggle up to at the end of a long day.

What more would any dog ask for?

NOTE: I wanted to add that I have not even received my Vizsla club’s guidelines yet, and am in no way referring to their policies in this post! These were just my general thoughts and ramblings after seeing what several other rescues have put acquaintances of mine through over the years.