Adopting an abandoned pet

This wonderful initiative can become a nightmare if we don't inform ourselves about the mistakes we shouldn't make when adopting an abandoned animal.
Taking in an animal only to reject it 15 days later is a further traumatic experience for both you and the dog or cat.

Take into account the animal's environment, availability and expectations when you visit the shelter. Making the right choice about the species (dog or cat), breed and size of the animal you're going to take in will guarantee a lasting relationship.

- Making the right choice

A large, long-haired dog, for example, is attractive, but requires space in the house and car, a bit of land to romp around in, time for long walks, regular grooming and a substantial food budget.

A small companion dog, if you take him out at least three times a day, will adapt more easily to an apartment than a Huskies, a Bernese Mountain Dog or a hunting dog.
Certain breeds with particular characteristics, originally selected and developed by breeders (e.g. shepherd dogs specialized in guarding, defending or herding flocks), need a very attentive master capable of training them with “an iron hand in a velvet glove”; also give them sufficient activity to compensate for their lack of work. If you live with your parents or a partner, you need to be sure that the animal will be welcome. If you have children, you'll need to know whether the animal has already been introduced to them, and how it behaved towards them.
The future “fosterer” should also be aware that certain breeds of dog or cat have temperaments that he or she may not be comfortable with. With a “Siamois” cat, for example, will you put up with its exclusive attachment?
It's rare for shelters or associations to know the precise background of the animals they take in.

Some owners have not been able to understand the reasons for their dog's undesirable behaviors, such as destruction, aggression, barking, uncleanliness... So they reject him.
Others, seeing that the little ball of fur that made them snap has grown up a lot, that it needs to be taken out, fed and cared for on a daily basis, prefer to get rid of it.
Cats, on the other hand, are mostly abandoned close to home by owners who are moving house or going on vacation. They mistakenly think that the cat will be happier near its old home, and that it will be able to find its own food.
Why and how was the dog or cat you chose to take in abandoned? You'll probably never know, but it's certain that he's suffered, and will need time to recover his equilibrium and his trust in man.
First of all, he's experienced the disarray of losing his bearings with his former masters, sometimes wandering before being picked up, sometimes being mistreated, and certainly the suffering of a stay in a shelter with difficult living conditions.
Some dogs are labelled “aggressive” or “biters” just because they growl or show their fangs, and some cats because they “spit” or scratch. Very often these are natural reactions, part of the species' communication codes. Certain forms of aggression may have been “installed” in the animal, in a toxic emotional environment, or due to poor or non-existent education; other times, it's the stress of confinement behind bars...

Otherwise, when you go to collect the one whose unhappy eyes have touched you, prepare for the future with these few tips.

- The right gestures

Don't be overly tender-hearted, and set the right rules for responsible, understanding and respectful owners, but don't be too permissive just because this animal has already suffered too much.
In the car, it's a good idea to put your pet in a transport box, so it can quietly get used to your voice and your smells.
Don't let the children get too noisy: he needs calm to moderate his stress.
If he's ill during the journey, don't try to reassure him, as you'll only reassure him that he's right to be scared.
If it's a dog, take the time to take him for a walk in a quiet place, without letting go of course - it's too early for that. Call him by name in a gentle voice and praise him if he does his business.
As soon as he arrives at your home, let him discover your living space at his own pace, and the places he's allowed or not.
If it's a dog, give it a place with its own basket, toys and water bowl. Choose a quiet corner where he can take refuge and rest without fear, and where he won't be disturbed (especially by children, whom you must teach to respect the newcomer). Not in a high-traffic area (entrance, hallway, bottom of stairs), where you can control everyone's movements and where the animal is not subordinate; nor in any room, which should be reserved for humans.

From his first meal (always after yours), make sure he eats quietly and alone, giving him time to adapt to his new food (probably not the one he's used to). Once he's been given his bowl, never take it away from him on the pretext of showing him who's boss! The dog has waited for it, and once it's been given, it's his. He could fear you and become aggressive, which would only be motivated by fear of an unpredictable person. Don't force contact if he's fearful, and don't rush anything. He needs time to regain his confidence, so let him come to you little by little. He may have been bullied by male humans or mistreated by children and continues to fear them.
Time, patience and understanding will help him to calm down.
If he's messy for the first few days, don't be angry - it's a sign of distress, and he needs time to adjust. If he has relieved himself at night or during the day in your absence, clean up outside his presence. Don't scold him; a dog can't associate your present anger with his past actions.
If it's a male, and he lifts his paw on a piece of furniture in front of you, immediately give a loud NO! in an angry voice. You can only make your disagreement known when you catch the animal in the act, never afterwards.
For the cat, show him where his litter box is, as well as his water bowl and water bowl, placed at a safe distance.
Make it clear to him that he must not climb on the worktop, kitchen or dining room table; forbid him to go into the baby's room and so on. Your cat will soon understand “good manners”...
After being abandoned, dogs fear their new master's absence. So you need to prepare them gently for temporary separations.
When you stay at home, start by getting him used to not sticking to you, and to staying in another room for a while. Then teach him that your departures are always followed by returns: to do this, leave the house without looking at him or talking to him, stay outside for a few minutes and come back with a neutral attitude, without responding to his outbursts of joy. Then gradually increase the time you're away.
In short, to regain their equilibrium, these animals need masters who are indulgent, calm, patient, affectionate but not excessive, and who know how to propose rules of life that respect the animal.