Bringing a Stray Puppy Home: The Story of Jake the Hound
It began with a phone call from our new neighbors: “We found a stray puppy, actually two stray puppies, running down the road on our way home from work. What do we do?”
The puppies were in poor condition. Skinny and bony. Covered in fleas and ticks. And they had scaly, scabby skin issues.
In our neighborhood, dog owners know that they can call me when they need advice. While I’m an integrative veterinarian and founder of ToeGrips, I’m just as happy to be “the vet next door.” I gave the new neighbors several suggestions for good rescues along with our local animal control—as the last option. It was important to get the stray puppies the care that they needed and a good long-term home.
Fortunately, the new neighbors didn’t need to locate a rescue. They had friends who quickly offered to take the stray puppies. A private adoption was in the works. The puppies would begin a new life with a new family in Tennessee!
At least that was the plan.
Sometimes change is a window of opportunity…
One morning as I looked out my window, I saw puppies in my backyard. They looked strikingly similar to the stray puppies that were on their way to their new home. My kids and the dogs were all happily rolling around in our yard.
I called the new neighbors and learned that the adoption had fallen through. Animal control would be picking up the stray puppies soon. But, just as life has twists and turns, so did the journey for these two hounds. Through a chance conversation the new neighbor had with a coworker who happened to be looking to adopt, the two red pups would have homes again!
Now, mind you, all this time these adorable stray puppies were in my backyard. I had done a good job at emotionally distancing myself since I knew they were already adopted. Not to mention, I have eight kids and two dogs. Our house was full.
But that begs the question—are our houses or our hearts ever really full? For those of us who have had one dog and then two, or two dogs and then three, I don’t need to tell you that there’s always room for one more. And the other thing I don’t need to tell you is that it’s never the right time. Just as there is never the right time to have a baby, there’s never the right time to adopt a new dog. You just have to jump in with both feet.
A temporary home in my backyard…
Our neighbor said that the soon-to-be owner was on her way to pick up the dogs, but asked if the two little tail-waggers could stay in our yard for another hour or so until their new owner arrived. I was happy to do that. My kids were really happy to do that.
The two strays, a boy dog and a girl dog, looked to be Redbone Coonhounds. For those of you who are familiar with the book Where the Red Fern Grows (one of my favorite reads as I was growing up), they looked like Little Ann and Old Dan.
Feeling a bit in love with the two pups, I recalled childhood memories of reading that book 78 times. (Incidentally, if you’ve never read the book, it’s a must-read for dog lovers. I’d give it a five out of five tissue box rating. There’s your fair warning.) As I watched the stray puppies (who were about five months old based on their puppy teeth), I observed their personalities:
The girl was spunky and off getting into trouble. She would wander off and my kids would follow her to bring her into the fold. She was the explorer.
The boy was a lovebug. He wanted to cuddle and be carried around by my kids.
My eldest daughter was observing the two stray puppies and said,
Mom, this little guy has a phenomenal temperament. He’s just so sweet. I really think we should think about keeping this dog.”
Wait! I was supposed to be babysitting these dogs for 60 minutes until their soon-to-be mom came to get them! At this point, I was still standing on the porch, so I headed down to the yard and met the two pups. I held the wriggling pups and loved on them. I agreed with my daughter. This boy was special.
We played for a little bit more, and then my husband came out on the porch, and I said…
“Honey, can we get another dog?”
I called the new neighbor back and explained the situation to her. We’d fallen in love with the boy dog. How would the soon-to-be-owners feel about adopting one dog? While our new neighbor knew the soon-to-be-owners had planned on adopting both, we decided I should simply call them.
“I know this is strange, and I don’t want you to feel put on the spot. Obviously, whatever you feel is best is fine. But my kids have fallen in love with one of the dogs. I’m wondering how you’d feel about adopting just one?”
And she said, “Oh, honey.” (Mind you, I live in the South.) “Oh, honey, that would be perfect. We only wanted one dog anyway.”
So, I think she was being a good Samaritan when she had planned to take both puppies! And then she said,
“But here’s the thing. My family really had their hearts set on the girl dog.”
I think I screamed in her ear as I said, “We had our hearts set on the boy dog. This is perfect.”
And I don’t know what came over me, but I asked this lady…
“Do you believe in God?”
And she said, “I sure do.”
And I said, “Well, me. too. And I think this is nothing short of a miracle.”
The road to good health: What to expect when bringing a new puppy to the vet
Before bringing our new puppy (soon to be named Jake) into our home, I took him to the veterinary hospital where I practice and I gave him a really, really good warm bath. I picked all the ticks and fleas off of him. It was important to start him on the path to good health. If you’re adopting a puppy, a visit to the vet is critical. Here’s what you might expect:
1. Checking a stool sample and deworming
It’s very common for puppies to have worms. Puppies can get worms or other parasites in utero or from the mother’s milk. It’s important to know that certain types of internal parasites in dogs, namely roundworms and hookworms, are transmissible to humans through a puppy’s feces. Sometimes parasites may even be transmitted to humans by stepping barefoot in soil where feces (which could contain hookworm larvae) has been.
When you bring a new puppy into your home, typically your veterinarian will do a series of deworming. It’s extraordinarily safe, dirt cheap, and a really good insurance policy. If you’re adopting a dog and the previous owners say that he “got dewormed once,” that’s not enough. For my patients, I check a stool sample. However, even if it’s negative, my policy is to do a routine prophylactic deworming, especially since internal parasites are zoonotic, meaning they can be passed from animals to people.
2. Starting on a heartworm preventative
Since our new puppy was around five months old, I started him on a heartworm preventative right away. Theoretically, he couldn’t have any adult heartworms in his body. (It takes about six months to complete the lifecycle—for adult heartworms to grow from microfilariae in the blood.) So I didn’t need to test him. Most monthly heartworm preventatives not only protect against heartworm disease, which is so important, but they also protect against most internal parasites. A monthly heartworm preventative is key. For more information about heartworm disease, please check out 10 Heartbreaking Heartworm Myths and the Truth Dog Owners Need to Know.
3. Starting a regimen of oral flea and tick medication
As for all the fleas Jake had, I gave him a product called Capstar, which is a quick-kill for fleas. It kills them within 30 minutes. However, it doesn’t last long. So I followed up with another oral flea and tick medication called NexGard. It’s my preferred flea and tick medication because it works so well. Since my kids are always hugging, sleeping with, and spooning the dogs, I prefer oral medications to spot-on products that are applied to a dog. I don’t want my kids’ faces in those chemicals, let alone on the dogs. With oral flea and tick medication, there is the possibility of it upsetting a dog’s stomach. But I think serious side effects are pretty uncommon.
4. Giving your new puppy time to adjust
Certainly, there’s stress in transition. Change is hard on all of us. Before I put more things in Jake’s system to make him a healthy little puppy, I let some things clear out of his system. Additionally, it took several months for his skin disease to completely heal and for him to gain muscle in place of the bony skeletal look that he had. It was our honor and our privilege to give him a home. Now he has such a happy life with six boys who love to take him in the woods to go exploring.
You’ve found a stray puppy? Here are 3 tips for bringing a dog into your home
1. Taking time to quarantine: Do not expose the stray puppy to other dogs in your household until you’re sure he’s healthy
Before you bring a new dog into your home, please quarantine him or her. I did not expose Jake to my other dogs until I had gone to the veterinarian. I gave him a complete physical exam, gave him basic blood tests, took a stool sample, dewormed him, and treated his fleas and ticks. Even then, when we brought Jake into our house, we kept him quarantined from the other dogs for a few days. It was important to know that he was not harboring any disease. If you’re bringing a new dog into your home, please quarantine and make sure that he or she is fully healthy before introducing other canines.
2. Visiting your vet: Begin good preventative care immediately
Take the dog to your vet and begin good preventative care. Getting your new dog started off on the right foot will improve your dog’s overall health and quality of life. (For more tips on making the most of your vet visits, please check out my podcast, Fear Free: Easier Vet Visits, Happier, Healthier Pets with Dr. Katie Berlin, and my blog post, 6 Secrets For Happier Vet Visits.)
3. Scanning for a microchip: Make sure the stray puppy doesn’t already have a home
Finally, I want to mention microchipping. At the office where I practice, we have a universal microchip scanner. We scanned Jake thoroughly to make sure there was no evidence of a chip. He wasn’t wearing any tags, he didn’t have any tattoos, and he was in such horrible condition (as was his sister), that we think the two pups had been on the road for quite a long time.
If you find a dog, please have him or her scanned for a microchip. Make sure that you’re not adopting a dog that already has another home. That would be a tragedy.
BONUS: Crate Sweet Crate
I’m a huge fan of crate training dogs. Our family has crate trained all of our dogs that we’ve rescued. They had zero socialization and zero care. Yet with some TLC, treats, and common sense, they crate trained over the course of days to weeks. Why am I such a big proponent of crate training?
If a dog ever has to be hospitalized, he or she is going to be in a crate–possibly hooked up to IV fluids. It’s critical that the crate is a relaxing, familiar place for the dog. A crate trained dog has one less stress at the hospital.
Happy endings…
Finally, this story, which I also shared on The Buzby Dog Podcast, is dedicated to my eldest daughter who said to me…
Mom, I love that you do podcasts because when you’re dead, I’ll be able to listen to you talk for hours. But your stories are often about diseases in animals. Can you talk about something happier?”
And so this indeed is a happy-ending story especially for her.
To listen to my podcast, please tap the green play button below.
We have a 13 yr old terrier mix and a 9 year old hound mix. We also just rescued a 2 year old lab mix (our best guess). She has been vet checked, vaccinated and quarantined We also had her spayed and have given her 2 weeks to heal. They have all been living in our house but she has been separated from the other 2 for quarantining and healing. Now that she is healed up nicely from surgery and has a clean bill of health, how do we go about introducing a young, hyper dog to her 2 much older, slower and crankier fursiblings?
Hi Wendy,
You sure do have your hands full! Congrats on your new addition to the pack. You can always consult with a veterinary behaviorist in your area if there are specific concerns. I always think it’s a good idea to make new introductions in a neutral area, such as the back yard, so they all have room to walk around and check each other out. In the house, each dog needs to have a safe space they can retreat to if they are feeling overwhelmed and need some alone time. They may prefer to eat separately as well. Each dog is different, and it will be a bit of a learning process to figure out what works best for each of your pups. Good luck on this new adventure!
I like to adopt a stray pup from my neighbours house so it’s now with his siblings soo if I take it to my home it will bark in night so what should I do to make him feel comfortable after he comes to my house?
Hi Christina,
Congratulations on the new family member! Puppies do often bark the first few nights because they are not used to being away from their siblings. You can try having some music on for him, having him sleep in a crate in your room so he knows someone is near, and making his crate cozy with blankets or stuffed animals (assuming he won’t chew them up). It is always a good idea to try to make the crate a happy, calm place so that your puppy will view it as a safe haven. A tired puppy is a content puppy, so giving him some good exercise and then a potty trip right before bed can help him to be tired enough that he falls asleep easily rather than staying awake and barking. I hope that he settles in at your house well!
I like how you mentioned that it is a good idea to give a puppy time to adjust. My wife and I want to adopt a puppy. Adopting a puppy will help us get outside more often.
Hi Henry,
It is great that you and your wife are thinking about adopting a puppy and that you are doing lots of research ahead of time! Best of luck with your new furry family member! ❤
We have found a stray did that’s prob lived his whole life outside. He’s a gentle loving giant pit bull/boxer and I think he also has heeled in him. How do we bring him into a home environment ?? Doesn’t like getting into vehicle or walk through doors. Help !! We would love him as our pit. Very cal loving dog
Hi Debbie,
Congratulations on your new addition. It is wonderful that you rescued him and are giving him a loving home. It is going to take some time for him to get used to all the new things in his environment (doors, cars, floors, etc). It can be helpful to make those experiences as positive as possible. For many dogs this means pairing the new experience with food/treats or toys. Start with baby steps—maybe just get him close to the car at first, then approaching the door, climbing in, etc until you work up to being able to take a full car drive. Before you bring him into your home (especially if you have other pets), I would recommend a physical exam/health check with a veterinarian. If you don’t already have a vet, you may want to consider using a Fear Free certified veterinary practice since the team there will have extensive experience with helping dogs have as low stress of a vet visit as possible. I hope your sweet guy settles in well over the next few months!
It’s good to know that you need to jump in with both feet when you adopt a puppy. My brother has been telling me about how he’s been feeling lonely recently, and I think a puppy could help him with that. I’ll share this information with him so that he can look into his options for getting a dog to keep him company.
Thanks for the comment, Tyson. Yes, a puppy is a life-long commitment and it’s important to be educated about what to expect/plan for before bringing a puppy into your home. I hope your brother finds just the right furry friend. And I have to put in a plug here for adoption! All of my dogs have been rescues and there are countless dogs (and even puppies) out there in need of good homes.
Thank you. We found a puppy as well and have taken her in our home. She is starting to look so much healthier. We call her daisy because she looks like a cow. She looks pit, dalmatian lab ..unsure.
Congratulations on your new addition, Mona! Little Daisy sounds adorable! Please make sure to have her checked by a veterinarian asap, if you haven’t already. All the best to you both!
How long should you quarantine the pup? Is the heart worm pill and deworming the same?How long should they be quarantined? I asked the vet and they had no concerns with us exposing our dogs to the stray puppy following the visit. Now I see that the puppy has fleas, and probably round worms. We were not warned and I’m feeling frustrated. I asked what to expect and if the puppy was safe to bring into our home with 2 older dogs and 2 very small children (twin 2 yr old toddlers and a 5 year old). Puppy couldn’t be sweeter but now I’m afraid I exposed my family to worms and fleas.
Hi Cassie,
I understand your concern and am sorry this situation has caused frustration. There is no definitive time for quarantine. If the puppy received a good report from his initial checkup and received at least one dose of dewormer, then 3 or 4 days of quarantine would probably be sufficient to rule out most of the more serious illnesses and issues. Respiratory viruses are a bit trickier and can take a couple weeks to show symptoms. This is why shelters and other large facilities usually quarantine for a week or more when taking in dogs with unknown medical history. Most people are not willing to keep a new puppy isolated for that long. While the fleas and round worms are a concern, they can be treated fairly quickly. I like to start new puppies on heartworm and flea prevention right away as long as they meet the age and weight requirements. Heartworm prevention and deworming are different. Your typical deworming that a puppy receives will generally cover the most common intestinal parasites only. Heartworms are spread by mosquitoes and live in the bloodstream/heart of a dog and can be fatal. Most heartworm preventatives also contain something that deworms for intestinal parasites, but the type of parasites it deworms for depends on what specific medication the prevention contains. As long as your other dogs are getting their monthly preventatives, there shouldn’t be much risk of the puppy sharing fleas or round worms. To make sure your kids are protected, stay alert about thoroughly cleaning up/disinfecting any fecal accidents in the house and practice good handwashing. It can take a couple rounds of deworming to ensure your pup is parasite free. I hope this helps a bit. I am certain that before too long everyone will be well adjusted to your new family member. Wishing you all many years of happiness together.
Thank you for stating that when adopting a puppy, you should take them to a vet right away and start preventative care. My family and I are thinking about adopting our first puppy, but have never taken care of one before, and don’t know how to go about it. I will definitely keep all of your great tips and information in mind when adopting a puppy.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Carly, and congratulations on your “impending” new addition to the family!
Thank you for stating that you should take your dog to your vet and begin good preventative care. My daughter has been begging me for a golden retriever for her birthday, and I want to get her one, but have no idea how to take care of it. I will definitely utilize all of your great tips and information if I do end up getting a dog for my daughter, so we can properly take care of it.
Hi Carly, Your comment warms my heart. Thank you! I can think of nothing more valuable that helping a new dog owner get started on the right foot (or paw, as the case may be!). It’s important to understand the value of preventative medicine and budget accordingly. I will also put in a plug here for the many wonderful Golden Retriever rescue organizations around the country! Best of luck to your family in this exciting pursuit!
I want to get a German Shepherd puppy in about two months. Thanks for pointing out that shortly after getting my puppy I should take him to the vet. That does seem like a good thing for me to do because I have never had a puppy before and I would want to know if everything is okay with him.
I’m so glad this was helpful to you, Penelope. Yes, I strongly believe that the first stop after getting a new dog or puppy should be to the veterinarian for a complete physical exam and preventative medicine. Congratulations on your upcoming new addition!