You have finally brought your new puppy or dog home and are now finding that he is not the quiet, placid little pet you thought he would be. You are now finding that he rarely sits still, is barking excessively and is chewing away at your expensive furniture. If you are experiencing this, then it is probable that your puppy or dog is hyperactive.

What is important to know is whether your puppy or dog is just being over energetic or is suffering from a condition called true hyperactivity. True Hyperactivity is a medical condition, fairly uncommon, which sees the dog exhibit frantic behaviors such as restlessness, panting, chasing his tail, and collapsing with exhaustion. If you think that your puppy or dog is suffering from true hyperactivity then it is advisable to seek the advice of your vet.

What you may need to consider is that your puppy or dog may be hyperactive because that is simply the way it has been bred. For example, Pointers which are herding dogs and Collies which are hunting dogs were bred to have lots of energy in order to carry out their work. This is why it is crucial to understand the nature and characteristics of different breeds before choosing the dog that suits you lifestyle.

Consistent training is the only way to train your hyperactive dog or puppy. In this article I have given some ideas on how to achieve this.

An over energetic dog requires plenty of excercise to wear him out. This can be done by walking your dog for at least half and hour twice a day and playing games such as fetch, find and frisbee. This is not only exercise for your dog but also a great way to keep you fit and healthy.

If your puppy or dog is barking excessively and inappropriately then it is important to command them to stop in a stern voice. If he carries on barking then pull him away from what he is barking at, e.g. the door, and give a correction such as a sharp tug on his collar. If your puppy or dog is outside and does not stop barking, you should command him to stop through the door and not open it if you are not ready to let him in. If he does not stop then you could try and kick the bottom of your door from the inside. The idea is that the loud noise from the kick will startle your puppy or dog enough to stop barking.

To stop your puppy or dog from chewing your house to bits, it is a good idea to place your valuables out of reach. Then choose a few sturdy toys for your dog to play with. In order for your dog to have positive associations with these toys, play regularly with these toys with your dog and he will then be more likely to play with them when left alone.

Using a crate is a good idea when during those times when you are not interacting with your puppy or dog. The use of the crate will act like a tranquillizer as dogs like the comfort of a confined and defined space.

After all the hard work you are putting in training your puppy or dog, it is very important to give positive feedback for wanted behavior and negative feedback for unwanted behavior. Hopefully you can now start to use these techniques in order to train your hyperactive puppy or dog.

Visit my Training Your Dog website to read more about training your hyperactive puppy or dog and about how to solve other problems such as biting dogs.

Rescue groups or organizations are volunteer groups dedicated to pet adoption. These groups or organizations take the unwanted, abandoned, abused and stray animals and attempt to locate life long homes for these animals. Rescue groups may also take the animals themselves and care for them, providing them training, medical care and taking care of the behavioural problems until they get a suitable home for them.

Pet adoption from rescue groups is a great way of providing a loving home for pets that may not have any owners or any loving and caring experience. Rescue animals just need a little bit more of guidance and stable environment.

Rescue animals, most of the time, have spent time in a family environment.  So some of the rescue animals have already gone some obedience training and already housebroken. Although there is still some rescue animals, due to owner’s neglect haven’t gone any training at all. Rescue groups make sure that animals have been housebroken or trained before being put up for adoption.

Also, rescue organizations are including temperament testing in their processes before accepting a pet into their programs. Foster families or soon-to-be-parents of the rescued animals have the opportunity to continue in observing the behaviour of animals before being available for adoption. By this procedure, the soon-to-be-pet parents can make an firm decision with respect to their ablity to handle the attitude and behaviour of that animal.

In terms of medical care, rescue animals if already old enough, may have already been neutered and received vaccinations. Rescue pets have already undergone physical examination. If there are some health issues, they have been treated while in foster care. Health problems are being taken care of prior to adoption.

There is very strong bond between rescue animals and their owners. It is commonly noticed and shared that rescue animals are eager to please their new owners. They are usually eager to be part of a loving family where they know they are safe and secure.

Animals that have experienced abuse and neglect when shown or treated with kindness become devoted, loving and loyal companions. Skittish and timid animals become more confident eventually becoming more affectionate and outgoing. There are experiences from rescued puppies to wanting to be in their new owner’s lap and following them at all times.

Rescue organizations are very keen of placing their animals in suitable homes that will be their life long or “forever” home. Pet parents looking to adopt pets go through a procedure of selection which will ensure that the pet is fit for the type of family that is willing to adopt it. If ever the family encounters a problem that cannot be given a solution, most rescue groups have a return clause written in their adoption contract.

But generally, adult pets that you can get from the rescue groups are better adapting to their new family especially kids. Housebroken and adult pets are more mellow and more patient with children. 

Adopting a pet is a good value that can be though to our children. Especially since everything can be bought, adopting provides a great opportunity to teach our children compassion, caring , second chances and responsibility. 

If pet parents are interested getting purebred dogs, there are purebred rescue groups. These rescue organizations are voluntarily run by people having deep knowledge of a specific breed. Adopting fees vary depending on the veterinary and medical costs that have been spent while they are in foster care. Follow-up counselling available too in an event of post adoption problems. 

Rescue groups and organizations provide the opportunity for animals to be relocated in much secure and safe homes. Pet adoption is a great and humane thing to do. 

Pet adoption is taking responsibility over an animal that has been put up for adoption due to experience of abuse, violence, neglect and etc. with previous owners. With pet adoption, animals are given the chance in finding the appropriate, caring and life long home for them. Aside from this humane chance we are giving to man’s best friend, there are also benefits from adopting animals.

The United States Humane Society estimates an whopping of 8 to 10 million dogs and cats are forced to take shelter each year. From these numbers, there is estimated 4 to 5 million of pets euthanized in shelters. Numbers of strays that die due to starvation are not included in this data. 

With these sad figures, pet adoption is a great way of saving a life of a homeless animal. Animal euthanasia is being done because there are too many people giving up their pets and too few people adopting from shelters. There is limited space in shelters, euthanasia is a very hard decision to make by staff members to make way for new animals pouring into their doors. 

Animals in shelter dying by euthanasia can be dramatically removed by adopting pets in shelters instead of buying them in pet stores. By adopting an animal from shelters, other animals can be saved and rescued else where and provided a home. 

Animal shelters, unlike what pet adoption myths say, have healthy animals. Shelters often get as much information from previous owners to determine what kind of vaccination has already been provided. Aside from medical care investigation, shelters also provide the necessary vaccination and many spay o neuter the animals before being adopted. 

Worrying about the temperament or behaviour of the animals is also not a big issue. The general misconception prevails that animals are returned to its shelters due to behaviour problems, however the most prevalent reason is that the owner themselves have personal problems. 

Everybody knows that having pets have actual benefits. According to Sciencedaily.com, there are a lot of researches proving the pet parents have lower blood pressure, less anxiety, and experience lifts in their depression. One study actually proved that with a little than 10 minutes, a pet can lower blood pressure significantly. 

Pet parents even have overall better physical health due to exercise with their pets.  Actually senior, citizens who own pets actually need less medical attention. Not only are sick and old people benefits from pets.  Children exposed to pets during their first year of life have a lower frequency of asthma and allergies. 

Pet parents who have undergone surgery even have lower recovery time. There is even a study saying that heart attack patients with pets have longer life expectancy than those who do not. There is even a study saying that pets decrease heart attack mortality rates by 3 percent which is 30,0000 lives every year. Victims of HIV/AIDS who have pets suffer less from depression and pets can reduce their stress levels. 

There are countless research proving that taking an animal into their homes is a great way to enhance their personal and family health. The love and care that pet parents provide to their pets in indeed reciprocated. Aside from humane and health benefits that pet adoption can give, it is also a great way of saving money.

For a price which is very much less compared to pet store pets, you will get an animal that will be able to provide you with loyalty and devotion.

A pet adoption should not be done spontaneously.  There are numerous reasons why pets are being surrendered in shelters and rescue organization, most common reason is deciding spontaneously about getting a pet and then failing to do the responsibility that taking care of pets requires.

Therefore, before adopting an animal from rescuers or shelters it is important that the animal that you are choosing will be a life-long companion.  Otherwise, this defeats the mission and goal of animal shelters and animal rescue organizations. 

Shelters and rescue groups have wide selection of puppies and full-grown cats and dogs.  It is important to identify which animal will be most suitable for the adopter’s personality and temperament.  Adoptable cats and dogs (whether purebred or mixed bred) displays different characteristics.It is best to choose pet according to it’s behaviour and attitude and not upon it’s physical characteristics. 

Choosing Your Feline Companion

Cats make wonderful pets.  Although they value their independence, they crave for love and companionship.  What is good about cats is that they can easily adjust to different lifestyles and types of residences. 

When choosing cats in an animal shelter, it is best to ask permission or assistance from the adoption counsellor to spend some time with the animals. This is for understanding the temperament and behaviour of the animals better.There are cats that tend to be passive, timid or frightened even if they are social by nature due to it’s lack of familiarity with the new environment. 

Having young children at home is another thing to consider.  Young children usually cannot handle the responsibility of kittens.  A cat, at least four months old will be a good choice. 

If the adopter have other animals at home, it is best to help the new member of the family to adjust to its surroundings.  Adopters can try isolating their new cats in a room and then slowly exposing them to the other animals.By this, they can gradually mix up together and accept the new feline presence in the same house. 

Choosing the Best Dog

Adopters sometimes get overwhelmed with the wide selection of purebreds and mixed bred animals in shelters.  The best way to narrow down the choices is identifying the adopter’s characteristics or personality.  Another thing is learning about the different personalities and temperaments of purebreds and mixes. 

With this process, you can do a process of elimination by removing those breeds and mixes that do not match or complement the adopter’s lifestyle. 
When visiting animals in shelters; always keep in mind that this is a stressful and unfamiliar environment for the dogs.It the dogs are in a safe and secure place then the real character will come up for display. 

Again, ask for the adoption counsellor’s attention to known several information about the dogs you are interested.  Ask the age, the behaviour, and if the animal is good with children.  It is important to narrow down the choices before going to shelter, this also applies for cat adoption. 

Remember that the pets that you are adopting will be your companion for the next 10 until 15 years – or even longer.This stands out as the key reason why the pet adopter’s should choose their ideal pet carefully.  Pet adoption makes the most wonderful unions between pets and owners, as long as the decisions were made in no rush and with guidance. 

Pet adoption is the process of taking responsibility for a pet or animal.The animal or the pet are sent to animal shelter homes because their owners are either not able or not willing to give it appropriate care. 

Common places where you can adopt a pet would be in animal shelters (for dogs, it is more known as dog pound).  Pets that are in captivity without any identification and unclaimed by the owner are also adoptable pets.  There are also people who put up advertisements putting their pet into adoption.  Aside from this, the internet is a good source of adoptable pets.  There are several websites that displays information, photos about adoptable pets. 

Irresponsible owners, owners who abuse their animals continuously, may lose their pets altogether.There are animal rescue groups that save animals from abusive and violent owners.  Not only animal rescue groups or organizations respond to calls of abused animals, but also they take abandoned, unwanted and stray pets.  Rescue groups are frequently run by volunteers. 

Pet adoption from rescue groups most of the times has stricter or more rigid process. Most of the times, it would include veterinary reference, background check and conducting a home visit.  There would be adoption fees but these do not cover transportation for picking up the pet, providing veterinary care, vaccinations, training and food. 

It is important for most rescue organizations to do these since pet adoption really is about knowing if the new owners of the pet will be able to handle the responsibility and care of their new pet.  This is to avoid that the same thing happen again to the unfortunate animal. 

Animal shelters on the other hand, are run by the government.  However, animal shelters are the best place for pet adoption.  Not only do they have adult animals, they also have kittens and puppies.  An interesting fact about an animal shelter is that about 25 to 30 percent of animals in the shelters are purebreds. 

Animal shelters also follow necessary procedures to ensure the proper care of animals put up for adoption.  Many shelters offer adoption counselling and follow up assistance.  This process serves as a background check on the persons who will adopt but also an effort to provide good matches between people and animals. 

Animal shelters also do require adoption fees.  But adoption fees are much less than the animal’s purchase price in the pet store.  Another benefit from adopting from shelters is that the pet is more likely to be already vaccinated, dewormed and spayed or neutered. 

Even so, the new owner, most of the times, still encounter some challenges with the pet.  These cases happen mostly with animals victim of abuse and neglect. The new owners should always provide extra patience in understanding and training the animals. These will help the pets to overcome the past.

According to Kelly Connolly of the Humane Society of the United States, there is an estimated 6 to 8 million dogs and cats enter shelters each year.  With these big numbers, there are just ad estimated 3,500 standing animal shelters in the United State, not including an unknown number of smaller, local and home-based rescue organizations.These records is only substantiate the fact that there not sufficient space to accommodate our pets.

For people who are interested in having pets, pet adoption is a great way of saving money.  At the same time provide a life-long home and love for animals in shelters and rescue groups.