Thursday, December 7, 2017

Meet & Greet DOs and DONTs

Meet & greets can be an exciting day for people and dogs alike.  It could be the initial meeting with your new family member!  Here are some DO’s and DON’T’s to be aware of:

DON’T pass up a dog you’re interested in because it doesn’t look its happiest or is a bit scared at the event.  The dogs do not understand the purpose of a meet & greet, and may react differently in a busy, public place than in the comfort of their foster home.  
-DO ask questions of the dog’s handler at the event!  They will be able to tell you about the dog’s typical demeanor.

DON’T forget your manners!  Try not to get too excited or physical (hugging or in a dog’s face) when meeting the dogs.  Your heightened state may cause the dogs to react negatively: getting afraid, confused, hyperactive, or simply not want to interact with you.  Animals tend to gravitate towards calm, positive, happy people.
-DO ask how the dog likes to be pet, and we’ll be happy to tell you their favorite places for scratches!  Practice good habits of asking if your own dog or your child can approach the rescue dog.

DON’T be afraid to ask questions!  We really care about our foster dogs, and appreciate that you are asking questions and scrutinizing whether the dog will be a good fit for your lifestyle and family.
-DO be courteous to our volunteers, who have given up their day to travel to the event and answer your (and countless others’) questions the best they can - sometimes volunteers who are not the foster family attend with the adoptable dogs.

DON’T expect to go home with Fido from the meet & greet.
-DO take notes and handouts on our adoption process, which consists of filling out an application, having a home visit done, references check, and THEN meeting with our program dog again in their foster home.  Let our volunteers know where you are at in the process to get the best information!

We hope to meet YOU at our next meet & greet on Saturday, December 9th at the Chuck & Don's in Elk River, Minnesota:  Facebook Event & Details

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