HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGIE in the window? That question may become just an old song title instead of a hopeful customer inquiry, if a trend continues against selling certain animals in pet stores.

Maryland recently became the second state to ban retail pet stores from selling puppies and kittens, a move supporters of the legislation say will help discourage “puppy mills” that breed dogs in inhumane conditions and euthanize the animals when they are no longer able to breed. The law follows a similar one passed last year in California, though the Golden State will allow shops to sell cats, dogs and rabbits that came from shelters and rescue centers.

More than 250 municipalities have imposed their own bans or restrictions on pet sales and breeders. This fall, Ohio voters will decide whether to approve a statewide referendum that would require commercial breeders to meet prescribed standards of animal care and treatment, and would prohibit breeders and sellers – wherever they are located – from peddling pets to Ohio consumers unless those humane standards are met. And state lawmakers in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey are working on their own legislation to ban puppy- and kitten-mill pet sales or encourage municipalities to do so.

“They say the values of a society can be judged by how it treats its animals. It’s a poor statement about us” that puppy and kitten mills continue to exist, says New York state Sen. Michael Gianaris, a Democrat, whose bill would allow pet stores to offer shelter and rescue animals for adoption, and not for sale. Gianaris – who has two rescue cats – says reputable breeders are OK, but “it’s the mass production of animals for sale we’re trying to prevent.”

Maryland already had rules in place that required pet stores to disclose information about breeders and to reject for sale any animal from a breeder that received a citation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the previous two years. But critics said the law was toothless – partly because federal regulations, they say, are insufficient (a breeding dog’s cage can be just 6 inches wider than the dog’s mass), and partly because enforcement is lax. A Humane Society of the United States investigation in 2013 found many stores selling puppies in Maryland were not complying with the disclosure law.

That led Maryland Del. Benjamin Kramer, a Democrat who has a rescue Doberman, to author more stringent legislation banning the sale of dogs and cats at pet stores outright. The law was signed this week by Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican and dog lover whose beloved Shih Tzu died last year.

“In order to starve the [pet mill] industry, we have to cut off sales at pet stores of puppies and kittens,” Kramer says. “Our companion animals have evolved with humans for thousands of years. Dogs have the same chemical releases in their brains we associate with love. We know they experience pain and fear. That’s all they know in those horrific puppy mills. It’s a barbaric institution that has no place in the 21st century.”

Pet shops, meanwhile, say it’s unfair to penalize an entire industry for what some bad players are doing. The Ohio-based animal retailer Petland, for example, supports the Buckeye State’s ballot initiative to require stricter standards – including veterinary care, nutritious food and water, socialization and exercise – for animals bred for sale, spokeswoman Elizabeth Kunzelman says.

“Unfortunately, misguided pet bans are eroding the only regulated and inspected source for pets. The ordinances ban the sale of pets from breeders who are licensed, regulated and inspected by the USDA in favor of rescues, shelters, and internet sellers, many of which are buying directly from the same breeders,” Kunzelman says. Pet lovers, she says, “have a right to choose the type of pet they want and where they want to find it, whether it be a shelter, a rescue, or a pet store who buys from licensed, inspected breeders.”

The pet store lobby is fighting back, winning passage of legislation in Arizona and Ohio that pre-empts municipalities from passing their own bans on commercial pet sales at stores. In a half dozen other states – Illinois, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida and Missouri – legislative efforts to defang municipal bans were attempted and failed, says John Goodwin, senior director of the Stop Puppy Mills Campaign of the Humane Society.

Some of the efforts have been sneaky, Goodwin says, with the emotionally loaded words like “puppy mills” or even “pets” not mentioned in the legislation. Lawmakers in Florida, for example, tried to attach language to a tax bill that would have prohibited localities from banning the sale of taxable personal property that may be lawfully sold in the state. Once animal rights activists noted the language, the effort failed.

While pet shops note that just a small portion of companion animals are bought at the stores, they are “a major outlet for puppy mills, along with Internet sales and flea markets,” Goodwin says. As for pet lovers who want a certain breed – for example, asthmatics who want a hypoallergenic dog – “when you look at all of the shelters and those from responsible breeders, there are plenty of places to get dogs,” he says.

Gianaris is hopeful his puppy- and kitten-mill bill will garner enough support for passage. “The good news about this is that there are animal lovers on both sides of the aisle,” the New York City lawmaker says.

Source

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CHICAGO (AP) — It was a real dog of a ceremony this week during a swearing-in at the state’s attorney’s office in Chicago.

The newly sworn-in worker is a Labrador retriever named Hatty. The 2-year-old will be on a 9-to-5 human schedule. But she’s being asked to work like a dog, to just do what comes naturally to most dogs: show affection.

Her job is to ease the strain of criminal proceedings on young children and those with mental-health issues who have been victims of assault. She’ll handle up to 200 cases annually.

Hatty is the office’s first emotional-support dog and was trained partly by inmates.

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx presided over Tuesday’s swearing-in. Hatty stood on her hind legs over a table and placed her paw across a law book as an oath was administered.

source

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Few things are more adorable—or destructive—than a new puppy. When they pee on rugs, chew furniture, and get aggressive with other pups, their stressed-out owners usually turn to dog training. Now, a novel study suggests programs that use even relatively mild punishments like yelling and leash-jerking can stress dogs out, making them more “pessimistic” than dogs that experience reward-based training.

“[Punishment] training may seem to work in the short run … but these methods can have future negative consequences,” says Marc Bekoff, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Colorado in Boulder who was not involved in the new study. “[These dogs are] living in perpetual stress.”

Previous studies have suggested that although both reward-based and punishment-based training methods are effective, punishment-based training can have negative effects. But those studies tend to focus on police and laboratory dogs instead of family pets, and most used shock collars, which have been banned in several countries, as punishment.

To find out how companion dogs react to more routine punishments, scientists led by Ana Catarina Vieira de Castro at the University of Porto in Portugal recruited 42 dogs from reward-based training schools, which use food or play to encourage good behaviors. The team also enlisted 50 dogs from aversive-based programs, which use negative reinforcement like yelling and leash jerking to train dogs, or even pressuring their rumps to get them to sit.

The researchers videotaped the dogs during training and tested their saliva before and after for the stress hormone cortisol. Dogs in the negative reinforcement programs showed more stress-related behaviors during training, such as lip licking and yawning, and they had higher levels of cortisol in their saliva than when at home, the team reports on the preprint server bioRxiv. Dogs in the reward-based training group showed no changes in cortisol levels during training or at home.

To find out whether these effects lingered, the researchers measured how 79 of the dogs responded to a potential food reward. First, they trained the dogs to associate one side of a room with a delicious sausage. If a dog found a bowl in that part of the room, it would contain sausage. But bowls on the other side of the room would be empty.

Then, the researchers placed an empty bowl at various positions between the two extremes and measured how quickly the dogs approached it. An “optimistic” dog would run excitedly to a bowl in the middle, whereas a “pessimistic” dog would move more slowly. (In humans, an equivalent might be a glass half empty versus glass half full mindset.) Such “pessimistic” mindsets have been associated with separation anxiety and other problem behaviors in dogs. In the test, the more punishment a dog had received, the more “pessimistic” it was, and the more pronounced the results.

“This was a careful study,” Bekoff says. And although the paper does not address which method is more effective at training dogs, Bekoff says this and other findings provide more than enough evidence that dog owners should avoid aversive-based training.

That’s often easier said than done, because many dog training schools don’t advertise their methods, and such training is not regulated—at least in the United States, says Zazie Todd, a dog trainer and animal psychology blogger. She adds that dog owners should look explicitly for keywords like “reward-based,” and avoid schools that use language like “balance training” or “dominance methods.”

Bekoff agrees and says owners should take the time to talk to the trainer and to other owners who have worked with them. “[Reward-based training] may take time, but so what? At least the dog isn’t living in fear or constant stress.”

source

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ROCKLAND, Maine — The Hope man who had sex with a dog and broadcasted the act over social media will avoid jail time if he undergoes counseling and adheres to an agreement reached with prosecutors.

Nicholase Hill, 28, pleaded guilty Oct. 31 to a charge of animal cruelty. He will pay a $250 fine but won’t serve any time for the crime if he undergoes a mental health evaluation and counseling, as outlined in the court deal. He will also be expected to complete 60 hours of community service and have no contact with dogs.

If he fails to meet those conditions, Hill will spend 14 days in jail and pay the $250 fine. Police say Hill had sex with a dog multiple times, and on at least one occasion recorded the act and sent the video to a woman via Facebook Messenger. He was arrested in late August about a week after police received a complaint from an individual alleging that Hill had been having sex with his dog, according to an affidavit filed by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators were able to obtain the video that Hill allegedly sent to a woman in February of himself having sex with a dog. Police interviewed the woman, who said that Hill “wanted her to get involved” in a threesome with himself and the dog, according to the affidavit. The woman refused.

Hill initially pleaded not guilty to the animal cruelty charge but changed his plea last week as part of a deferred disposition.

The agreement comes just a week after a Knox woman convicted of animal cruelty was sentenced to 20 days in jail for locking a dozen cats inside a storage unit without food and water. Five of the cats died. The woman was barred from every owning cats again.

In 2018, the Animal Legal Defense Fund ranked Maine’s animal protection laws third strongest in the nation. Only Illinois and Oregon had stronger laws to protect animals from cruelty.

source

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Your Christmas Tree bring Joy During the Holidays, but it can also bring danger to your Dogs and other pets.  Apart from you, your dog may think that your Christmas tree is her friend during the holidays and cannot see the perils that tree can represent. Most dogs are instinctively drawn to its inviting smell, but beware; that natural curiosity can lead to the risk of serious injury or worse. Your dog’s temperament and demeanor will play a role in how much mischief she might find herself in. Even the most well behaved canine will find it hard to resist the temptation of a Christmas tree and its trimmings. Short of 24/7 supervision, the next best line of defense to ensure her safety is to take precautions that could eliminate or at least minimize risk to your dog’s health.

Christmas tree needles are not digestible, and if your dog tries to eat them, she’ll likely get sick and vomit, and that is if you’re lucky. They are mildly toxic, and if she does manage to ingest them, can cause damage to, obstruct or even puncture to her digestive tract. Oils from the fir tree can also irritate your dog’s mouth and stomach and cause her to vomit or drool excessively. Daily sweeping and vacuuming are the best ways to keep tree needles out of your dog’s reach. Toddler gates are also a good way to keep your dog away.

Be extra careful with artificial trees as the small pieces are plastic and not organic. These small pieces of plastic can get lodged in her digestive tract and lead to illness, large veterinary bills and even death in extreme cases. You can spray an organic dog repellent on your tree to try and minimize the risks.

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The previous recall is being expanded after testing by Rhode Island Department of Health found Salmonella bacteria in Berkley Jensen brand pig ear pet chews.

What’s Being Recalled?

Dog Goods USA LLC of Tobyhanna, PA, has been contacted by the FDA and is conducting a voluntary recall of the following products: non-irradiated bulk and packaged pig ears branded Chef Toby Pig Ears with the lot codes indicated below.

The affected products were distributed nationwide in retail stores.

What Caused the Recall?

According to the company, Dog Goods USA purchased the affected treats from a single supplier in Brazil from September 2018 through August 2019.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, together with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and State partners, is investigating a link between pig ear pet treats and human cases of salmonellosis.

About Salmonella

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever.

Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms.

Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting.

Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain.

Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals and humans.

If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

For more information and Salmonella and its symptoms and health risks, please refer to the following link: https://www.dfs.gov/animal-veterinary/news-events/fda-investigates-contaminated-pig-ear-pet-treats-connected-human-salmonella-infections.

Dog Goods Company Statement

The following statement has been provided by the company:

Dog Goods has also launched an internal investigation to determine, when and where the Products may have been contaminated.

To date, this internal investigation has not indicated any vulnerability in the company’s practices, including but not limited to the inspection, handling and storage of the Products.

Nonetheless, Dog Goods will continue to investigate the matter, collaborate fully with the FDA and the CDC, and provide further information to its customers and the public as appropriate.

What to Do?

Consumers who have purchased the products are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 786-401-6533 from Monday to Friday, 9 AM ET through 5 PM ET.

U.S. citizens can report complaints about FDA-regulated pet food products by calling the consumer complaint coordinator in your area.

Or go to https://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints.

Canadians can report any health or safety incidents related to the use of this product by filling out the Consumer Product Incident Report Form.Canadians can report any health or safety incidents related to the use of this product by filling out the Consumer Product Incident Report

Source

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The FDA is issuing this alert because these lots of Texas Tripe Inc. raw pet food represent a serious threat to human and animal health.

Because these products are sold and stored frozen, FDA is concerned that people may still have them in their possession.

What’s Being Recalled?

The recalled products are sold frozen in 20-pound and 40-pound cases.

Each case contains multiple plastic pouches.

Lot codes to help identify recalled product are printed on the outside of the cases. But the lot codes are not printed on the individual sealed plastic pouches, also known as chubs.

So, if the case has been discarded, there are no unique identification numbers on the individual chubs that allow customers to determine that they possess the recalled products.

These products are manufactured by Texas Tripe Inc. and were sold direct to consumers online and by phone.

The chart below lists the recalled products and lot numbers provided by the firm to FDA on 8/6/2019. These include 35 lots for each of the following 23 product varieties.

The FDA-sampled products below tested positive for Salmonella and/or Listeria monocytogenes (as of 8/13/19) but have not been recalled.

• Texas Tripe Chicken Blend: Lot 19196-6
• Texas Tripe Pork Blend: Lot 19190-09
• Texas Tripe Beef Blend: Lot 19191-05

Where Were the Products Sold?

According to the company, recalled products have been sold directly to consumers in the following states:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Florida
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Virginia

What Caused the Recall?

The Office of the Texas State Chemist (OTSC) collected 23 finished product samples at Texas Tripe Inc. Of the 23 samples, 16 tested positive for Listeria and/or Salmonella.

The FDA followed up these findings with an inspection and collected and analyzed samples of unopened finished product, after the firm performed corrective actions, from additional lots of some of the same products tested by OTSC.

FDA testing showed some of the samples contained Salmonella and/or L. mono.

FDA and OSTC shared their test results with Texas Tripe Inc. The firm initiated a recall on July 3, 2019 by directly notifying some of its customers via email.

Why FDA Is Concerned

Pet foods and treats contaminated with Salmonella and L. mono are of particular public health importance because they can affect both human and animal health.

Pets can get sick from these pathogens and may also be carriers of the bacteria and pass it on to their human companions without appearing to be ill.

People can get sick from handling contaminated pet foods and treats or touching surfaces that have had contact with the contaminated pet foods and treats.

Additionally, if a person gets Salmonella or L. mono on their hands, they can spread the bacteria to other people, objects, and surfaces.

The FDA is aware of recent cases in which humans and/or animals have gotten sick from exposure to Salmonella-contaminated pet foods (Salmonella-human cases, Salmonella-kitten, Salmonella-kitten and dog).

Although FDA is not aware of a documented case of a person acquiring L. mono infection from a pet food, once Salmonella or L. mono get established in the pet’s gastrointestinal tract, the animal can shed the bacteria in the feces when it has a bowel movement, and the contamination may continue to spread.

Because animals can shed the bacteria in the feces when they have bowel movements, it’s particularly important to clean up the animal’s feces in yards or parks where people or other animals may become exposed, in addition to cleaning items in the home.

The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requires that all animal food, like human food, be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled.

Without an effective control for pathogens, such as cooking, animal food is more likely to contain pathogens such as Salmonella and L. mono.

Refrigeration or freezing does not kill the bacteria.

About Salmonella

Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause illness and death in humans and animals, especially those who are very young, very old, or have weak immune systems.

According to the CDC, people infected with Salmonella can develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.

Most people recover without treatment, but in some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that they need to be hospitalized.

In some patients, the Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream and then to other body sites unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.

Consult your health care provider if you have symptoms of Salmonella infection.

Pets do not always display symptoms when infected with Salmonella, but signs can include vomiting, diarrhea (which may be bloody), fever, loss of appetite and/or decreased activity level.

If your pet has these symptoms, consult a veterinarian promptly.

You should also be aware that infected pets can shed the bacteria in their feces and saliva without showing signs of being sick, further contaminating the household environment.

About Listeria

Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono) is a bacterium that can cause illness and death in humans and animals, especially those who are pregnant, very young, very old, or have weak immune systems.

According to CDC, listeriosis in humans can cause a variety of symptoms, depending on the person and the part of the body affected.

Symptoms can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions in addition to fever and muscle aches.

Pregnant women typically experience only fever and other flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue and muscle aches.

However, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.

Pregnant women and their newborns, adults age 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to get sick with listeriosis.

Anyone with symptoms of listeriosis should contact a health care provider.

L. mono infections are uncommon in pets, but they are possible.

Symptoms may include mild to severe diarrhea, anorexia, fever, nervousness, muscular and respiratory signs, abortion, depression, shock and death.

Pets do not need to display symptoms to be able to pass L. mono on to their human companions.

Once L. mono gets established in the pet’s gastrointestinal tract, the animal can shed the bacteria in the feces when it has a bowel movement…

And the contamination may continue to spread, further contaminating the household environment.

What to Do?

If you have any recalled product, stop feeding it to your pets and throw it away in a secure container where other animals, including wildlife, cannot access it.

Consumers who have had this product in their homes should clean refrigerators/freezers where the product was stored and clean and disinfect all bowls, utensils, food prep surfaces, pet bedding, toys, floors, and any other surfaces that the food or pet may have had contact with.

Clean up the pet’s feces in yards or parks where people or other animals may become exposed.

Consumers should thoroughly wash their hands after handling the recalled product or cleaning up potentially contaminated items and surfaces.

If you believe you have symptoms of Salmonella and L. mono, consult your health care provider.

People who think their pets have become ill after consuming contaminated pet food should first contact their veterinarians.

Veterinarians who wish to have pets tested for Salmonella may do so through the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN Network) if the pet is from a household with a person infected with Salmonella.

U.S. citizens can report complaints about FDA-regulated pet food products by calling the consumer complaint coordinator in your area.

Or go to https://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints.

Canadians can report any health or safety incidents related to the use of this product by filling out the Consumer Product Incident Report Form.

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Chef Toby Pig Ears Treats
Product Images

The images below represent the labels of the recalled products:

What Caused the Recall?

Dog Goods bought the affected products from a single supplier in Brazil from September 2018 through August 2019 and distributed them nationwide in retail stores.

The FDA sampled pig ears manufactured by its supplier in Brazil and one sample tested positive for Salmonella.

As previously reported on this website, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), together with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and State partners, is investigating a suspected link between pig ear pet treats and human cases of salmonellosis.

What’s Being Recalled?

Dog Goods USA LLC is conducting a voluntary recall of the following bulk and packaged pig ears branded Chef Toby Pig Ears.

Product lot codes include: 428590, 278989, 087148, 224208, 1168723, 428590, 222999, 074599, 1124053, 226884, 578867, 224897, 1234750, 444525, 1106709, 215812, 230273, 224970, 585246, 327901, 052248, 210393, 217664, 331199, 225399, 867680, 050273, 881224, 424223, 225979, 431724, 226340, 880207, 334498.

About Salmonella

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever.

Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms.

Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting.

Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals and humans.

If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

For more information about Salmonella and its symptoms and health risks, please refer to the following link: FDA Investigates Contaminated Pig Ear Pet Treats Connected to Human Salmonella Infections.

Company Statement

Dog Goods has also launched an internal investigation to determine if, when and where the Products may have been contaminated.

To date, this internal investigation has not indicated any vulnerability in the company’s practices, including but not limited to the inspection, handling and storage of the Products.

No illnesses have been linked to the products to date.

Nonetheless, Dog Goods will continue to investigate the matter, collaborate fully with the FDA and the CDC, and provide further information to its customers and the public as appropriate.

What to Do?

Consumers who have purchased the products are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 786-401-6533 (ext 8000) from 9 am ET through 5 pm ET.

U.S. citizens can report complaints about FDA-regulated pet food products by calling the consumer complaint coordinator in your area.

Or go to https://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints.

Canadians can report any health or safety incidents related to the use of this product by filling out the Consumer Product Incident Report Form.

Source

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Being stressed will cause your dog to suffer from anxiety too, a study has found.

Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden examined how stress levels in dogs are influenced by lifestyle factors and the people they live with.

The levels were recorded over several months by measuring the concentration of a stress hormone, cortisol, in a few centimetres of hair from the dog and from its owner.

The study, which examined 25 border collies and 33 Shetland sheepdogs, found that there was a correlation between the level of stress in a dog and its owner.

The dog’s personality was not a factor, researchers said, but their owner’s personality had a “strong effect” on the long-term stress of the dog, leaving them to believe that the pet mirrors the human’s stress.

“We found that the levels of long-term cortisol in the dog and its owner were synchronised, such that owners with high cortisol levels have dogs with high cortisol levels, while owners with low cortisol levels have dogs with low levels”, Ann-Sofie Sundman, principal author of the study, said.

The study examined both companion dogs, which tend to be less active, and competing dogs, which usually participate in physical exercise with their owners.

It found that the stress level of competing dogs seems to be linked more strongly with that of the owner, which scientists speculate may be associated with a higher degree of active interaction between the owner and the dog when they compete together.

The idea for the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, came from previous work that showed individuals of the same species can mirror each others’ emotional states – including a correlation between long-term stress in children and in their mothers.

The recently published study arose from scientists speculating whether similar mirroring of stress levels over long time periods can also arise between different species, such as between the domesticated dog and humans.

Source

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The idea that an adult dog is somehow “damaged goods” as an adoption prospect is strangely pervasive, especially among people for whom an older dog would be perfect — novices with neither the time nor the experience to raise a puppy properly. Mature dogs of 5 years and older are especially recommended, since many dogs have an extended adolescence that can be avoided by choosing a dog who’s often overlooked in the shelter. Many older dogs have years of loving left, and they deserve a chance.

The older dog can slide easily into your life and will bond just as surely as the dog you took home as a puppy. And older dogs are everywhere, available from private homes, rescue groups and shelters.

If you’re interested in a purebred, a rescue group specializing in your breed can be the deal of the century — these volunteer organizations typically offer their dogs for the cost of the shots and neutering that they’ve already taken care of.

While the older dog can be a marvelous find, you still have to be selective. While expecting to work on some things as your new dog gets used to you is reasonable, you want to avoid those animals who have too many problems, especially if one of them is aggression. Working with shelters or rescue groups that evaluate their dogs and provide them with basic training is highly recommended, as is signing up your new dog for a training class to help work through the rough patches.

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