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Are you right for a rescued miniature schnauzer?
The foster families and volunteers of North Carolina Schnauzer Rescue love and care for all of our rescued miniature schnauzers. We are committed to helping each dog find the perfect family for his/her personality and needs, and devote much of our free time to volunteer for the rescue. We also realize that not everyone is suited for a rescued schnauzer, so we want to educate the public about rescued dogs. Everyone should know and understand how much time, care, and money goes into a rescued dog.
What does a rescued mini schnauzer need?
Your Safe and Loving Home - Our schnauzers have come from many situations- some were found as strays, some taken from shelters, and some turned in from owners. Many come with behavioral and/or social problems, which the foster family tries to identify and correct. Providing a safe and loving home helps the dog adjust to a new home. Adoptive families must continue this process of working patiently with the dog. Everyone should realize that rescues will often have problems- they’re usually not perfect and well behaved dogs- and some problems may or may not be identified while they are in foster care. Perfectly trained dogs are rare in rescues because they usually stay with their family. Therefore, a warm and safe environment is important for a rescued dog to adjust and feel secure.
A Commitment to the Rescued Dog’s Needs - Adoptive families must commit themselves and be patient with a rescued dog. They should provide training, socialization, and quality time with the dog, even if it requires a change of schedule. Work is often an excuse used by people who aren’t helping their new dog settle in. Therefore, we try to place dogs in homes where they won’t be left alone all day, or definitely not for more than 8 hours at a time. Being social creatures, dogs can become destructive when bored- chewing, digging, barking, howling, etc. Imagine having a new baby, bringing it home, then leaving it alone for hours on end – you wouldn’t do that, so please don’t expect to do it with a rescued dog!
Your Commitment to Training - There are various training methods that can be used, and will all help build a relationship between the dog and owner. You may want to attend Obedience classes with your dog or hire an in-home dog trainer. Training is a part of responsible pet ownership, and it also teaches the dog to follow and respect the authority of its new owner. We recommend training through positive reinforcement- using praise, treats, or rewards after the dog follows orders or shows correct behavior.
Willingness to Crate a Rescued Dog - For a dog, a crate can become its own “home”- a safe and quiet space of its own, similar to a wolf’s den. Crate training is great for transporting a dog, or when leaving the dog alone in the house. When the dog realizes that the crate is his own personal space, he may choose to go in there to be alone or sleep. It’s important not to use a crate only for punishment, as the dog will associate the crate with punishment and will never willingly go in. But using a crate depends on the schnauzer – some are crate aversive, so it still depends on the dog’s personality.
Regular Exercise - As with most dogs, regular exercise keeps schnauzers healthy and happy. It will also prevent them from becoming bored, which often results in destructive behavior. Make sure that you have the time to play ball in the backyard, play with toys in the house, take your schnauzer to the park, or for a walk around the neighborhood at least a few times a week.
Grooming – Schnauzers should have their hair groomed about every 6-8 weeks. Regular brushing also helps prevent mats and make grooming easier. You may have them professionally groomed (average cost about $30-$40 each groom), or learn how to groom them yourself.
Veterinary Care – Just like all dogs, schnauzers require yearly checkups, need monthly heartworm preventative, and flea and tick prevention. Once you’ve adopted a rescue, all the bills associated with the dog will be your responsibility. Please be prepared and plan for these costs.
I’m ready to adopt and have completed the application approval process, now what happens? Once you’ve been approved to adopt from us, we work to match up the right dog to your family. If we currently have a dog in foster care that is a good “match” for you, we may let you visit him/her in the foster home (if you live nearby) or have you talk to the foster home to find out more info about the dog. If we do not have any dogs available at that time that are a “match” for you, we hope you will be patient and wait for the right one to come along, and inevitably, they do.
When you adopt a dog, you are required to fill out an adoption contract for the dog, and make an adoption donation ($200 for dogs 6 years and over, $250 for dogs 2-5 years, and $300 for dogs under 2 years old.) This fee includes the dog (of course), up-to-date vaccinations, worming (if needed), spay or neuter, a collar (and sometimes a leash and other belongings for the dog.) Monthly heartworm preventative is provided while the dog is in foster care. In some cases, the dog may have undergone heartworm treatments and other medical treatments that will be noted on his/her Medical Form.
If you wonder why we require fees….rescuing dogs is not cheap. First of all, we must pay a fee to the shelter when we rescue a dog from them. About 90% of rescued dogs have not been spayed/neutered, so we must pay for that. Many rescued dogs have been neglected and have heartworms, and must undergo treatment (this can cost hundreds of dollars). We also must vaccinate and worm all rescued dogs. Many dogs we rescue are in need of various other treatments due to neglect (mange, eye problems, ear problems, broken bones, etc.) which cost money, and vet bills make up 90% of our costs as a non-profit.
But think about this: when you rescue a dog from us, you know much more about what you are getting than if the dog came straight from a shelter. The dog is kept in a foster home, and will have been assessed as to their personality. Many of the dogs are house-trained and/or crate-trained, or well on their way to becoming so. We can tell you if a dog is right for you (i.e., good with kids, good with other dogs, very active, laid-back, etc.) When it comes down to it, many adopters are acquiring a $300 - $500 dog with all vaccinations, etc., AND training! We also throw in a collar and any other belongings the dog may have, and sometimes various toys “donated” by the foster family. That's quite a deal if you think about it.
What if I adopt a dog and it doesn’t work out?
We hope that you have made a genuine commitment to a rescued dog and realize it may take some time and understanding on your part for the dog to adjust and for the dog to be integrated into your family. We ask that you at least give the dog 3-4 weeks in your home before saying “this isn’t working.” During the adjustment period, if you have any problem or question, please call or email us as soon as possible so we can discuss it and hopefully figure out the best thing to do for the dog. If you still cannot keep the dog, we will make arrangements to bring the dog back into our care. Our adoption donation fee is non-refundable, but in special cases we may be able to refund part of the donation fee, but realize that doing so, it will take funds away from other dogs in need. |
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Adoption FAQs—Frequently Asked Questions |
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