In the search for the perfect fur baby to bring home, you might be wondering whether adopting a dog is the right way to go.
As an allergy sufferer, your decision to buy or adopt involves so many more factors than it would for others who don’t have allergies to factor in!
There’s no right or wrong answer between choosing to adopt or buy. It’s totally up to you and what you’re looking for. The benefits of adopting a dog are pretty strong though!
We hope this post will shed light on the pros of adoption and, ultimately, helps you with finding the perfect hypoallergenic dog to bring into your home.
3 Reasons for Adopting a Dog to Better Manage Allergies
Let’s be straight up for a moment.
No matter if you buy or adopt a dog, you will be introducing a whole new range of allergens in your home. Now, there are still ways that you can manage your allergies in either case. By adopting a dog, you can do so in the following ways:
- Finding out if your allergies are triggered before you commit
- Getting a trained dog
- Skipping the puppy shedding phase
Finding Out if Your Allergies are Triggered Before You Commit
Allergies account for around 8% of the reasons why dogs are put into shelters in the first place. Too many owners find out they are allergic to their new pet too far down the track.
If you chose to adopt a dog, you won’t be contributing to pet homelessness for a start. Bonus – you can also find out if your allergies are triggered before your new fur baby sets foot in your home’s sanctuary.
When you’re looking for a hypoallergenic dog, you have the chance to spend time with rescue pups near you and get to know them before you commit.
Spending time with a dog is the best way to confirm if it really is hypoallergenic to you. There’s no such thing as a dog that definitely won’t trigger allergies, so play it safe and be doubly sure that the one you bring home will work for you!
Get a Trained Dog
Training is super important to make sure your dog follows your rules.
As an allergy sufferer, you need be sure that your pup won’t go on the bed, won’t lick you or do anything else that might trigger your allergies.
Shelter dogs often go through training and obedience sessions before they are adopted. You can also opt for an older dog that is more calm and likely to adjust to your rules and routine easier.
While you will need to continue training your new pet so it adjusts to your routine, you will have added support along the way. Shelters want to ensure successful placements of pets. That’s why they offer loads more training than breeders typically do!
Skip the Puppy Shedding Phase
When a puppy is around 4-6 months it will start to shed its entire coat as its adult coat grows in. That’s a heck of a lot of vacuuming for an allergy sufferer!
Different breeds experience this phase in different ways. Some hypoallergenic breeds, like the poodle, don’t actually shed. Their coat just keeps growing very long and you will need to brush and clip matted hair frequently.
Shedding is an issue if you are prone to breathing allergies or asthma. It can also contribute to allergens like dander spreading throughout your home.
In either case, you’re left with directly handling a dog’s coat (bad idea if you have skin or contact allergies) or dealing with loads of fur, dander and allergens all over your place!
Wanna bypass this whole situation? We can’t blame ya!
It is typically difficult to buy older dogs or even puppies that have already gone through this phase. You can, however, adopt them.
Some breeds of dogs will continue to shed throughout their lives. Others are known for lower amounts of shedding. You might find the ideal option for you is adopting a non-shedding or low shedding breed that has already grown out of it’s puppy coat.
Win-win!
General Benefits of Adopting a Dog
While there are advantages to adopting a hypoallergenic dog, there are also general benefits of adopting any kind of dog too.
The heartwarming feeling of knowing you’ve done something to save a life is simply irreplaceable! Not to mention how much you could save on costs.
Here are some other general benefits for adopting that you just won’t get if you choose to buy from a breeder.
Saving the Lives of Two Dogs
Let’s be real. The biggest benefit of adopting is the heart-warming feeling you get knowing that you just saved a dog’s life!
Dogs don’t end up in rescue shelters by accident. They may have been listed for death row, saved from an abusive owner, are no longer wanted or they needed a short-term place to stay if they’re left homeless for any other reason. In any case, by choosing to adopt, you will make a big difference it a dog’s life and it will definitely go a long way!
By adopting, you also open up another space in the shelter for another dog to be rescued. You get to sleep twice as soundly at night, assured that you made a massive difference in another dog’s life and they’ll stand a higher chance of a better future as a result.
Nothing else can begin to come close to that feeling!
Saving up to 90% on Initial Fees and Medical Expenses
Buying a dog can easily cost anywhere from $500 to well over $1500. Depending on the shelter, you could adopt a dog for free or as little as $50 to $200. Not to mention what you’ll save on the medical costs the shelter has already taken care of for you.
You’ll still need to book an initial vet visit after adopting. Some shelters may offer a free voucher for this. In most cases, essential medical bills like vaccinations, neutering or spaying and other checkups would have also been covered by the rescue shelter.
Most cases of adoption fees, even ones that seem steep, are a bargain when compared with the out of pocket fees you would incur when buying a dog.
Ongoing support after the adoption
If you’re new to pet ownership, you’ll need all the support you can get your hands on!
In most cases, when you buy a pet, the transaction ends there with minimal ongoing support as you adjust to the new change in your household.
When you adopt, you often have access to many resources and support. You’re going to need support either way when you bring a new dog home. When it comes to adopted pets, it’s worth mentioning they may at times need extra levels of support to adjust in another environment.
We also figure that you’ll need training on how to be a good pet-parent either way. Again, there are special considerations with rescue dogs to ensure they feel safe and behave themselves. That’s why shelters offer the support and resources they do.
Everyone benefits when a rescue dog successfully integrates into a loving home, so why not make the most of the extra support and also make a difference where you can?
