Django’s Perfect Match

Bondi Behaviourist’s Ian Shivers recently adopted Django from Sydney Dogs and Cats Home and has this wonderful advice for people looking to welcome a new dog into their lives….

When choosing a dog, as hard as it is we should select the dog for our homes with our heads rather than our hearts.

When I was looking for my boy I set out what I was looking for by being honest with myself about my situation.

While I love big dogs, I wanted a dog that was small, because I rent and that can make things easier in the future if I move home.

I live with a cat and so he had to be cat friendly.

I love to exercise, but when I thought about it… this is my alone time and so I didn’t actually need a high energy dog because I exercise for me rather than my dog.

I also prefer taking my dogs to places to relax with them such as quiet walks, picnics, cafes and pubs rather than dog parks so again not a highly active dog.

I work with dogs every day of my life, so I didn’t want a project. This meant choosing a dog that was good with children, adults and other animals.

And finally although I work from home sometimes, he does have to be left alone and so a dog that is comfortable with this was important so that I didn’t stress him out when I leave.

The other things I wanted with my heart was a male dog, a scruffy dog and one that was a bit older so that I could take on a dog that perhaps others might not.

I weighed up my options and waited patiently, there were many dogs that I could have taken home but didn’t quite fit the bill. Little Django came in and since then it’s been plain sailing, he’s a legend of a dog who has done nothing but bring happiness to my life and the only credit I can take is that I was honest with myself and waited patiently for the right one, he did the rest by just being him.

Everyone is different and lives different lives, some people will want the exact opposite from me and that’s perfect. Getting a dog requires commitment no matter what and even the best thought out plans go off track but if we all take the time to assess our situations and be patient when choosing then it is likely fewer dogs would end up in the shelters.