Desert Love: Desert Love: THEY NEED YOU TOO!

Ever so often, here at K9 Friends we get questions like, “isn’t it better to have a purebred” or “will a rescued mix breed adjust to family life after being out for so long” and many more. These are common misconceptions about adopting a dog from a rescue shelter, we aim to debunk these myths and educate those who are looking to open their home to a new pup.

Read on to learn more about our wonderful desert mix rescues who are looking for their forever families.

MYTH: Rescue dogs cannot be trained. Realistically, despite knowing all their basic obedience commands, any dog that enters your home will need a little training to understand your routine. Our dogs spend the majority of their time with volunteers who teach them basic training however, as any dog they too will need extra training when they move to a new home (and yes, it is very much possible).

MYTH: They probably have health issues or get sick often.

Shelter dogs are not damaged, in fact the local desert mixes are the perfect choice to adopt in the UAE as they do well in the weather here and abroad if they move out. Additionally, shelter dogs can be seen as lower maintenance as they could be less susceptible to the diseases and health concerns that can be hereditary in certain pure breeds, due to smaller gene pools. At K9 Friends, we ensure that every dog is health checked, neutered (if old enough), vaccinated and then carefully matched to its prospective new family.

MYTH: You won’t know the dog’s history or where they come from. In some cases, this may be true however, as our volunteers, dog walkers and foster parents spend a lot of time with the dogs, they have observed and gained information about the personality and traits of each dog that are in our care which then helps us match them with the right family.

MYTH: Shelter dogs are too scared or shy.

Like us humans, dogs have their own personalities. Some dogs will be resilient to the stress of being in a dog shelter, but others may struggle. And, despite their fear or shyness at the shelter, your pup may only need a little time to settle into a routine once they get home.