ADOPTING A DOG

Adopting a pet should be a happy event.  It helps to be prepared.  If you take a pet into your home without the basic equipment, it can be stressful and dangerous.

IPA Loans Equipment

Our goal is to make adopting a pet as stress free as possible.

Here is a list of basic equipment, required by most dogs: Dogs - Required Equipment

When you adopt a dog from Iowa Pet Adoptions, your dog will come with at least:

• Collar
• Boomerang Collar Tag
• Food, Sample Size

We can also loan equipment, including:

• Crate ($22 - $75)
• Leash ($4)
• Nylabone Chew Toy ($5 - $8)
• Seat Belt / Harness ($8)
• Dog Training Book, by Dr Nicholas Dodman ($5)

When we loan the equipment, you pay us at the time we provide it to you.  Then, you can return it to us within the next two weeks, and we will refund your money.  Alternatively, you may keep it.  When we loan you equipment, we will provide a mailer so you can return the items by mail (a crate will not fit).

Your Dog's Microchip - Keep It Updated

There are numerous pet microchip brands and microchip registries.  When we take in a dog without a microchip, we use AKC CAR chips and register them with AKC CAR.  Some pets may come to us with Home Again, Avid, or 24PetWatch chips.  You can see where your pet's chip is registered at PetMicrochipLookup.org

When we register the chip, we add both our contact information and your information.

Please login to your account here at Iowa Pet Adoptions to keep your contact information up to date.  You can add as many people, phone numbers and e-mail addresses as you like.

Microchips only display a number.  For that number to work, you must keep your contact information current.

If your pet is lost:

• Contact Iowa Pet Adoptions
• Contact the company where the microchip is registered

Boomerang Collar Tag

Your dog will have a Boomerang Collar Tag with our contact information on it.

Boomerange Collar Tags are the best:

• Stainless Steel - never take off
• Silent
• Lifetime Guarantee

After a couple weeks and you are sure it is working out, you may get a free Boomerang Collar Tag with your information on it.

Your Pet Diary - Let Us Know How Your Pet Is Doing

Many people help pets reach your home.  Log into your account and update photos of your adopted pet and let us know how you are doing.

Visit your account to upate your Pet Diary.

Behaviorial Problems

All the dogs we adopt live in private homes until they are adopted to new homes.  They are generally happy, socialized, and potty trained.

We recommend all dogs have a crate, even if rarely used.  Consider this a private room for the pet.  Never use a crate to punish a dog.  Instead, feed them in their crate - they will soon come to love it.  A crate should be a safe place for the pet.

Set the rules from the first day your bring your dog into your home.  Decide whether the dog will be allowed on furniture, will sleep in the bed, and stick to the rules.

To potty train your dog, keep the dog on a leash while in the house.  This will allow you to catch the dog before it potties in the house.  When the dog is about to potty indoors:

• Make a loud noise, to startle the dog - do not scare, yell or hit the dog, simply distract him
• Take the dog outside immediately to potty
• Praise the dog
• Clean any mess with a cleaner such as Nature's Miracle

If you have problems, we have copies of books by true dog training experts.  Most problems can be easily fixed.  Contact us.

Food

We suggest a quality, lower priced kibble, with fresh food added.  Spending $1.50+ for processed kibble is probably a waste of money, and not helping your dog.  Fresh food costs less.