transcript
Speaker 1:
[00:13] Hi, I'm Raj Punjabi-Johnson, Head of Identity Content at HuffPost.
Speaker 2:
[00:17] And I'm Noah Michelson, Head of HuffPost Personal.
Speaker 1:
[00:20] Welcome to Am I Doing It Wrong?, the show that explores the all-too-human anxieties we have about trying to get our lives right.
Speaker 2:
[00:26] I feel kind of silly even asking you this, because I know your answer already, but Raj, are you adopting or fostering pets wrong?
Speaker 1:
[00:34] No, this is one thing I think I'm doing right, because I went through it once, and then I had an adopted pet before that. So I think it's really important to do the research, which I did. I did run into hiccups though, so I would love to learn really everything there is to learn about it, because I plan on adopting at least three or four more in my life.
Speaker 2:
[00:56] Yeah, I think people actually maybe don't think about it before they do it, or don't think about it in the way that we're gonna go through it, hopefully. And so I feel the same way. I have never adopted a pet myself. My family has, or Benji has adopted Jumi. So I've been around adopted animals, and I love them. But I think there's a lot that I just don't know. Yeah. And there's stuff that we should be considering that we might not consider. So we're gonna get into it.
Speaker 1:
[01:22] And since there's so many more pets in our future, with us today we have Rachael Ziering. She's the founding executive director of Muddy Paws, a foster nonprofit in New York City that has helped over 10,000 puppers find their homes.
Speaker 2:
[01:36] And we also have Earl, who is a 162 pound puppy. And he's gonna be running in and out of the studio.
Speaker 1:
[01:43] An absolute doll.
Speaker 2:
[01:44] And we are obsessed with him. So get ready. Hi, Rachael. Thank you for being here. Hi.
Speaker 3:
[01:52] Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2:
[01:53] I think we want to start with, why should someone, if they're gonna get a dog or a cat, get it from an organization like yours rather than going to a breeder? A lot of people wonder about that.
Speaker 3:
[02:02] So many reasons. You know, there's so many dogs who already exist who need homes and are sitting in shelters or foster homes, right? And there's just, you know, I don't see a reason to breed more of them when, you know, you have so many that you can go adopt. And, you know, I think by adopting or by buying from a breeder, you know, you're kind of contributing to the overpopulation crisis. So, you know, really adopting is the only way to go, in my opinion.
Speaker 2:
[02:34] Yeah, I agree with that.
Speaker 3:
[02:36] I do.
Speaker 1:
[02:36] I've adopted my guys.
Speaker 2:
[02:37] I know people want, like, particular breeds or fancy things. And I guess I get that to a point. But I just think knowing what we know, these dogs need love. They need a place to go.
Speaker 3:
[02:49] And also we have those breeds. We have, if you're looking, we posted on our social media today. I think there's this gray poodle. I think her name is Izzy. And she has this frou-frou gray hairdo and she's ridiculous looking. But we get poodles, we get shih tzus, we get all of the things. We get puppies. So it might take a little longer than just kind of buying whatever you're looking for. But we do get all kinds of dogs.
Speaker 2:
[03:15] That's a great point.
Speaker 1:
[03:17] I'm curious because I'm looking at Earl who's in studio with us today. And if anyone's not watching on YouTube and listening, I'm gonna be absolutely chaotic today because I'm in love with this dog. Why do pets end up at shelters? I think there's like a narrative. I'm not sure if everyone really knows.
Speaker 3:
[03:33] All the possible reasons you could think of, people lose their housing, people can't afford them, people, their life circumstances are changing. Maybe they had a baby who's highly allergic or sometimes they just had a baby. So there are dogs who don't do well in certain circumstances. Like New York City is not a place for every dog, right? Manhattan can be stressful. But really it is sometimes the best thing for the dog to find a new home, because they're stressed out where they are.
Speaker 2:
[04:03] Before we go any further, we should say we do have a puppy in the studio, which is totally like you said Raj, chaotic and crazy, but the minute you suggested bringing one in, we were like, yes. So if you're listening, you can't see him. If you're on YouTube, you can. He's wandering the room. His name is Earl. Just tell us about Earl. Describe him a little bit and how he came to you.
Speaker 3:
[04:24] Earl is the biggest dog that we've ever had at Muddy Paws Rescue. He is 162 pounds. He's basically a small lion. He is my foster. I've had him for a couple of weeks now. He came from Manhattan Animal Care Centers. So he's from New York. He was found tied up to a pole or a tree or something like that. And then the cops came and brought him into the shelter. At the shelter, the email that I got from the rescue partner team was kind of like, we have this giant teddy bear who just wants to give you his paw. And it's just like pictures of him with his paw up on people. And I saw the email and I just, I love the big dogs. And I'm not usually a fan of like the fur. Like I love the big pitties with like the short hair usually, but and Earl does shed quite a lot. But I couldn't turn down a chance to have the biggest dog we've ever had. Previous to this, I think it was 142 pounds or something like that. So it's a good 20 pounds more. That was also my foster. But no, Earl is wonderful. I have four dogs at home. He's great with them. He's been to our adoption events, loves saying hi to everyone, which is good because everybody wants to say hi to him. He's really chill. He'll have his bursts of like zoomy, I mean 162 pound dog zoomy energy. But for the most part, he just kind of lazes around. Like he's a pretty lazy, typical big dog.
Speaker 1:
[05:52] Can you tell us a little bit more about the types of shelters, like city versus private groups, just in case we're in the market?
Speaker 3:
[05:58] There are private shelters, there are public shelters, like with city contracts, there are municipal shelters, and then there are also foster-based rescue groups. So Muddy Paws is a foster-based rescue group. And we usually have anywhere from 80 to 100 dogs in our care at any given time. We are dogs only, but there are also groups out there that are cats only, groups that do both. So yeah, there's a lot of ways you can go about it. You can either head to a shelter, see what they have there. Because we don't have a physical location where the dogs live, they all live in foster care, we usually have people register online ahead of time, and that way they're good to go whenever they kind of see a dog that suits what they're looking for. So with us, your registration is good for a year, and then you can kind of shop around, look for what the right match would be.
Speaker 1:
[06:48] For people who don't have their eye on a certain type of dog and really kind of just want to help, what's the one shelter that you might want to reach out to first to be like, oh, they're inundated, and maybe I can help by adopting or fostering?
Speaker 3:
[07:01] I mean, honestly, any shelter. Everyone is inundated right now. In New York City, I would definitely say New York City Animal Care Centers, they are the city shelter. There is a location in Staten Island, there's one in Queens now, and then there's one in Manhattan. It's on East 110th and 1st. They've got endless dogs and cats, and sometimes random other animals as well. But yeah, that's definitely where I would start. Okay.
Speaker 2:
[07:28] Will you bust some of the myths about shelters, and I think shelter animals, I think sometimes, I mean, I was reading online before we came in here, people think, oh, they're unhealthy, they can't be trained, that's why they're there.
Speaker 3:
[07:39] Sure.
Speaker 2:
[07:40] Just sort of speak to that.
Speaker 3:
[07:41] We talk a lot in foster care about the decompression period, and when dogs enter foster care, what you see in their behavior might not be the behavior that you're going to see a few months later, because they're stressed, right? Their nervous systems are like super amplified, and they're kind of in like survival mode. We've almost 10,000 dogs come through our care over the last 10 years now, and most of them are perfectly normal, healthy dogs. We do take a lot of seniors, and sometimes seniors will have more health issues, just based on when you're older, you have more health issues.
Speaker 1:
[08:14] Of course, aging.
Speaker 3:
[08:15] We try to give a lot of information about the dogs in our care, which we can do because they're in foster care. So if you adopt from a foster-based group, you're generally going to get to know what's the dog like in a home ahead of time versus a shelter. So there's one reason for kind of doing a foster-based adoption.
Speaker 1:
[08:31] Again, say we're in the market. What should we think about and consider about our lifestyles before we even walk into a shelter?
Speaker 2:
[08:38] That's a good question.
Speaker 3:
[08:39] I like to say that there's a dog for every person and a person for every dog, unless you're allergic, I guess, which should be really sad.
Speaker 1:
[08:46] Take the pill. Get the shot.
Speaker 3:
[08:50] We talk a lot about matchmaking at Muddy Paws where we collect a lot of information from people about what your lifestyle is like. And it's not so that we can judge it, it's so that we can hopefully match you with a dog that is going to fit your lifestyle. So things to consider would be are you out of the house all day? And that doesn't mean you shouldn't have a dog, it just means maybe you want an older dog or at least your dog. Are you super active? If you want to be super active, a dog is probably not going to make you super active. If you're thinking it's going to make you run marathons, it's probably not. Also, just like who else is in your house, if you have kids, if you have other animals. We have project dogs if you're looking for a project dog, who are you? Do you want a turnkey, easier quote unquote addition to your house?
Speaker 2:
[09:35] I would add two things to that. My boyfriend has a dog, my husband. We just got married. I keep forgetting that.
Speaker 1:
[09:42] It's going to take a little bit.
Speaker 2:
[09:43] Yeah. I did not want to date someone with a dog because they're a lot of work. Now, I love Jimmy more than anything. I love him more than my husband maybe, you know what I mean? But dogs are a lot of work.
Speaker 3:
[09:55] They are.
Speaker 2:
[09:55] You have to have your eyes open when you go into that, and it's not just something to think it's just going to be a fun thing, or you have to be committed to it.
Speaker 3:
[10:04] Yeah.
Speaker 2:
[10:04] Also, it can be a lot of money too.
Speaker 3:
[10:07] It can be.
Speaker 2:
[10:07] Depending on the dog. I mean, our dog needed to get his ACL or the equivalent repaired. He lost a tooth. We had to go to the dentist. He's on Prozac because he's anxious.
Speaker 3:
[10:17] Sure.
Speaker 2:
[10:17] Things can happen, and so it doesn't mean your dog is going to have any of that, but just know you have to spend some money when you have a pet.
Speaker 1:
[10:24] Yeah. You want to think about your travel lifestyle as well. I have two cats, and we thought long and hard about getting a kitten because that's a different kind of thing than our 10-year-old, who can stay while we're at work, etc. We really took a lot of time to think about it because ultimately, you want to give your baby the best possible life ever. That's just like my wake up and that's my goal. There's a reason you're here with me and I want to make sure you're happy and comfortable.
Speaker 2:
[10:53] Absolutely.
Speaker 3:
[10:54] Well, I'll add also that if you don't feel like you're in a good place to give a dog a forever home or a cat, foster.
Speaker 2:
[11:02] It's beautiful.
Speaker 3:
[11:02] Because we need fosters more than anything. We can't take dogs from shelters unless we know that we have a foster home for them. Even if you can only foster on weekends. We have foster parents who need coverage on weekends because they go away a lot, but they keep the dog longer term otherwise. Sometimes we pair people up and the dog goes back and forth. In an ideal situation, the dog would stay in one home until adopted, but that's not the reality for most people, especially if you do what you can.
Speaker 2:
[11:29] What is an organization like yours going to want to see from a potential person who wants to foster or adopt? What makes someone a good candidate for that?
Speaker 3:
[11:37] Being alive, honestly. We try very hard not to be judgmental about people's lifestyles or say, this isn't going to be a good dog for you or you shouldn't have a dog. If you want a dog, we're going to try to find you one that works for your lifestyle.
Speaker 2:
[11:53] What about when we're going to come visit you? What are questions that we should be asking the organization or the shelter about the pet? What are some good just baseline things to know?
Speaker 3:
[12:01] Sure. Yeah. I mean, I think, have you seen the dog with other dogs? Have you seen the dog with cats? And usually the answer is no there, but in a foster based rescue, sometimes the answer is yes. It depends on where you live, right? If you live in Manhattan, you're really going to need a dog who can tolerate the streets of Manhattan and getting around. If you live in a suburb and you have a fenced in yard, and I don't recommend just using the fenced in yard, I recommend walking the dog as well, but you might have different concerns. I mean, temperament is, for me, temperament is number one. And I would definitely ask about that. And then in terms of medical, you're going to want to make sure the dog has all of its basic vaccines and testing and alter and all of that stuff, which any reputable group is going to be doing.
Speaker 1:
[12:45] Okay. Should we, if we're in the market to adopt a dog or a cat, should there be multiple visits? Like, should we go in and hang with the pet, potential pet a few times? I know when I went to get my kitten, it was like love at first sight and he crawled into my arms and I was like, I'm running away with you after I got interviewed like very intensely. Yeah.
Speaker 3:
[13:06] Because we only have a set number of foster homes and every dog that we have is kind of holding a spot. That means we can't take another dog yet from the shelter. We don't generally do that unless it's a dog who is very like stranger danger or we know they're going to take a couple of times to warm up to somebody. When people do their adoption meetings with us, we'll have them do their meeting and then we will take the dog back from them and have them step away and talk about it on their own without the dog in their arms because it can be verified.
Speaker 1:
[13:38] I know there are some dogs that are traumatized from something. If you're a person who wants to adopt and wants to give so much love, how do you make that dog feel more comfortable?
Speaker 3:
[13:48] Yeah, I think that it really just talk to the shelter, talk to the rescue, see what has worked for the dog, see what they suggest, recommend, work with the trainer. It's really different for every dog.
Speaker 1:
[13:59] But really like listening and kind of personal to each dog.
Speaker 3:
[14:03] Yeah, yeah. I mean, I think depending, I personally, I love the scared dogs. I love like the ones that are really in their shell and you kind of have to draw them out. And by that, I mean, basically do nothing until they come out, right? Which is a lot of people are always like, well, how can I, you know, I'm going over and I'm petting the dog and he doesn't want anything to do with me. And I'm like, well, stop petting the dog, right?
Speaker 1:
[14:22] That's how you learn boundaries. I love learning boundaries.
Speaker 3:
[14:26] Let it do its thing. It'll come to you when it's ready, you know? And oh, it hasn't eaten in two days. Okay, okay. Well, unless, obviously, unless there's something wrong with it medically, that's fine. It's going to live. It'll eat when it's hungry, you know? There's a lot of rescues, honestly, just waiting and giving them time and space.
Speaker 2:
[14:41] Yeah. I love watching those TikTok videos where it's like the shy dog or the, you know, and then by the end of the video, they're like so cuddly. That's all I want to watch.
Speaker 3:
[14:51] That's my favorite type.
Speaker 2:
[14:52] Yeah. What should we be thinking about if we already have another pet at home?
Speaker 3:
[14:58] For the most part, it's like, go slow, take your time. Really, you know, give them a chance to, don't throw them in the same room and expect them to be fine, right? They've never met. They don't, they may not have even, like if you're an indoor cat, maybe you've never even seen a dog, right? I guess if you already have a dog, I would say, the first question is, does your dog want to live with another dog? Because sometimes people want two dogs for themselves, but the dog you already have might not be thrilled about that idea.
Speaker 2:
[15:23] I think that that's so important. Like put your dog's needs ahead of your desires. Because people are selfish.
Speaker 3:
[15:30] Have a friend over who has a dog, see where your dog reacts. Your dog might do great at the dog park, your dog might love dogs on the street, but in its house, in its own home, it might be different.
Speaker 1:
[15:38] Sharing resources and everything.
Speaker 3:
[15:40] Exactly. Really, I would also say foster is the answer for this as well, because it's a temporary, it's not a permanent solution that you're bringing the animal home and then it's yours no matter what. But if you foster, not only can you see how your resident pet does with the dog or the cat, but you may also just find the perfect match that way and then it might end up never leaving.
Speaker 2:
[16:02] We're so worried. Jumi is so obsessed with squirrels and rats that we're afraid that he's going to think a cat is that and help just eat it.
Speaker 3:
[16:13] Yeah.
Speaker 2:
[16:13] But when he sees cats in bodegas, he's afraid of them.
Speaker 3:
[16:18] Yeah.
Speaker 2:
[16:19] And they, you know, rule the roost. Like they're not afraid to tell him.
Speaker 3:
[16:22] Cats usually win over dogs, I would say. Some dogs have really strong prey drive, and that is something that is really hard to kind of get past with a cat in the home. But squirrels and rats in New York, we have a lot of those. It's usually they're okay indicators, but it doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to be bad with cats. Because a squirrel is going to run. A cat might jump up high and just watch.
Speaker 2:
[16:51] Or give them a swat.
Speaker 1:
[16:52] Yeah, I love a good swat.
Speaker 3:
[16:54] Yeah. I have one dog who would absolutely murder a cat, which is why I don't have any. But I have other dogs who would run from a cat. At the sight of it, I think Earl would be petrified of a cat.
Speaker 2:
[17:04] I will say, Jimmy too, we once were walking by a stoop and there was an American girl doll that someone had left out. He was terrified. And we're like, we're such an idiot. So I think a cat could handle him because he just...
Speaker 3:
[17:18] Yeah, and some cats will pick up and run and some cats will sit there and that's less of a prey drive thing for a dog. If it's running, they're going to want to chase it. If it's calm and just kind of existing, it's less likely to be a problem.
Speaker 2:
[17:33] That makes total sense.
Speaker 1:
[17:34] I know that I would love at some point to adopt a senior dog. I mean, it's just my dream. Just senior pets in general, want to give them their best last few years of their lives. What should we know about that if we want to adopt a senior dog or cat?
Speaker 3:
[17:49] Senior dogs just give you so much that a puppy might not. The dog has developed. The dog knows who it is. You know who the dog is. If you adopt a 10-week-old puppy, it may have one personality. Then when it hits adolescence, when it's six months to a year and a half or so, it could change completely, right? Dogs have, that's when dogs really hit their puberty, basically, is when they become who they're really going to be. As a senior, you know what you're getting, especially if it's been in a foster home and you know what it's gonna be like in a home. Senior dogs are my bread and butter when it comes to fostering. Earl is so much younger than most dogs I foster. Normally, I take the decrepit 10-year-olds with all the issues and the arthritis and the cushings and all of the things, but watching those dogs go from petrified, scared, shelter dogs to, oh, this is actually a pretty great life. It's just, there's nothing like it.
Speaker 1:
[18:54] I can imagine, it sounds wonderful. Is there anything that we should know about, whether it's an elder dog or a younger dog with some disabilities that might come along with aging, that we can adjust in our home or behaviors that might be helpful?
Speaker 3:
[19:08] I would always recommend a crate, having a crate. Senior may or not, may not want it. And they will probably, I'm not going to guarantee anything, but they would probably be fine without one, right? They aren't the ones who are going to chew on your tables and, well, hopefully the ones who are going to chew on your tables and, you know, knock your trash over and all of those things. So a senior, I would say, requires, I mean, maybe some, depending on the dog, but I have like stairs to get to my bed for the dogs, that kind of thing.
Speaker 2:
[19:35] I just, I'm such a proud dog dad that I can't stop telling stories, but when I first started dating Benji, he, Jumi was a puppy and we came home one night and he had gotten a bag of rice open and he ate half a bag of uncooked rice. And we were just like, okay, I guess we'll just see what happens. And the next day Benji was walking me home and Jumi went to the bathroom. And I will never forget the sight of the uncooked rice spewing out of him.
Speaker 3:
[20:06] We had a dog recently ate a whole pound.
Speaker 2:
[20:08] Yeah. And it is a sight. It's like a horror movie.
Speaker 1:
[20:11] Yeah.
Speaker 2:
[20:11] And I will never forget that.
Speaker 1:
[20:12] That's, I've heard so many of these stories and I do feel like young pets are crazy.
Speaker 2:
[20:17] They're insane.
Speaker 1:
[20:18] And they'll, I have, we call my kitten a dog because when he was super little, he jumped on the counter and ate half a zucchini. And I was like pan, we came home and there were like bite marks.
Speaker 3:
[20:28] Are cats usually afraid of, oh, it's cucumbers?
Speaker 1:
[20:30] Cucumbers. He's been afraid of the zucchini. He's crazy. But puppies and kittens, y'all heed warning. Like don't just go get a young animal and be like, yo, that's the ones you need. I mean, tell us for puppies, like what do you need to do to your house? You need to do stuff.
Speaker 3:
[20:45] Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, honestly, I am like, I will tell you what I know, but I do not foster puppies because, because they're babies, essentially.
Speaker 1:
[20:54] There's a price that comes with that adorable timiness.
Speaker 3:
[20:57] Yes. And I don't, personally, I don't have the patience. I think a lot of people do, and that's great. We need those people who do, and if you're listening, please foster puppies. But I think to prep for a puppy, you're going to want to set up barriers. You're going to want to have a puppy pen. You're going to want to have puppy pads. They're going to go through light diapers. You're going to want to choose to keep them entertained because they're teething, and otherwise, they are going to be barking. You might want to watch for cables that are running along the floor. Make sure your trash isn't accessible. Even if you really think it's okay, triple check it because it might not be. Dogs are smart. There's just a lot more preparation really that has to go into the babies.
Speaker 2:
[21:39] Once we get the pet home, what should we expect? I heard there was something called the 3-3-3 rule.
Speaker 3:
[21:45] Yeah.
Speaker 2:
[21:45] What is that?
Speaker 3:
[21:47] The 3-3-3 rule basically says that you're going to be seeing a different dog three days in, three weeks in, three months in. It's a pretty generic average rule. I don't usually use it because then people talk about it because then people expect this is what they're going to see at three weeks. Again, it's going to be very individual based on the dog. What should you expect when you bring a dog home? Not much. We talk a lot, like I said, about decompression with our fosters. These dogs are, well, a lot of them, at least have come from shelters where it's non-stop noise, that's just barking all day long, every day. There's dogs walking in front of them all day long, and when they're walking, they're seeing other dogs and people all day long, and they don't have a chance to just relax. So it really actually affects their stress levels, like their cortisol levels, and it physically takes time for that to get back to baseline. So really expect to need to give them patience and time, right?
Speaker 1:
[22:56] How should we be talking to them if we want them to feel happy? Is it like I heard like higher pitch or just like a baby, but is that true or do they just love your voice?
Speaker 3:
[23:06] I think it depends on the dog and the situation. Okay. I actually, I mean, baby talk is like, I sound so stupid when I'm talking to my dog. Same, same. We have, of course, have voices for each of the dogs at home, and full conversations back and forth. But it's funny, in a medical setting, I was just saying to our vet that one of our dogs I think had a behavior issue, and I was saying, and he spoke to him in a high pitch, and did all the things. My vet was like, actually, no, don't do that. In fear-free vet care, which is a fear-free certification that vets can get, they actually talk a lot about low tones and calming tones, and just keeping things chill. In training, I've found, especially if you're working with a fearful dog, keeping a high-pitched sound can be really helpful to them, because then they think, oh, you're fine. Why am I worried? Yeah, they're going to mirror what you're doing. If you're walking down the street and you're like, oh, there's a dog over there. We have to avoid that. We have to avoid this, and we have to go this way. They're going to be like, whoa, makes sense. What are you doing? But if you're confident, I always say you have to find a good mix of confidence and caution because you do want to be looking out for other things that may be coming your way. But just be a strong presence for them, and they're probably going to take that from you.
Speaker 2:
[24:34] What are some common mistakes you see people make when they are fostering or adopting? Is there anything that comes to mind?
Speaker 3:
[24:40] We've had a foster who, we require that everybody create their dogs, their foster dogs, unless they are like crate anxious or confinement anxiety, that kind of a thing. But we have just found that it's good structure for them, it's safer for the dog and for your belongings. Yeah, a lot of dogs like their safe space. But some fosters are like, well, I'm just going to run to the corner, it'll be five minutes, I'll be right back. And then they come back and their apartment is destroyed, right? And so, I mean, not trusting the crate is one, I would definitely recommend that for everyone. Knowing, I keep mentioning like the trash can, like triple checking that your dog can't get into things that they're not supposed to get into, whether it's like food or medication or trash. I have seen dogs jump four paws on the table, or on the counter, big dogs, to get what they want. So making sure that you don't leave the lasagna sitting out on the stove, or my sister called me the other day, she's had her dog for like two years now, and she's like, Cece ate half a carrot cake, is she going to die? And I was like, no, she's going to be fine. But how did she get half a, she's like, well, I don't know, it was on the counter and I came out of the bathroom and it was gone. And it's like, she's going to be fine. She's so cute, she might be a little sugar high, but you know, but yeah, just learning, you learn things along the way. And if you make a mistake, then you're probably never going to do it again.
Speaker 2:
[26:11] Yeah, I don't think it hurts to do a little bit of research too. I mean, I was just looking at really dumb stuff, like I didn't know dogs shouldn't eat onions.
Speaker 1:
[26:18] Yeah.
Speaker 2:
[26:18] And like, if you just do a little bit of research before, and I like the thing you said about just like, it's almost like baby proofing your house too. I was with my friends in Nashville and my friend had brought weed with him and edibles and her chihuahua who weighed like three pounds, he got 150 milligrams of weed.
Speaker 1:
[26:39] Oh my God.
Speaker 2:
[26:40] I mean, we thought he was going to die. And this is so much more common now too, where people, you know, edibles are legal everywhere, and you know, so yeah, make sure your edibles are locked up or put away and-
Speaker 1:
[26:52] Was your friend's dog okay? Just high for a while?
Speaker 2:
[26:54] He was high for 24 hours.
Speaker 3:
[26:56] I mean, they have like the best time of their lives.
Speaker 2:
[26:57] Yeah, he was just drooling on the couch, but we were terrified.
Speaker 3:
[27:00] It happens all the time. We have an emergency line that fosters can call for medical problems. Like at least five times in the last couple of years, you know, we get the foster, it's poor foster called sobbing. You know, the dog won't, the dog can't stand up. The dog is like dribbling urine. The dog is, and I'm like, oh, the dog is high.
Speaker 2:
[27:17] Right.
Speaker 3:
[27:18] I know what this is.
Speaker 2:
[27:19] Yeah.
Speaker 3:
[27:20] You know, they're like, well, I don't keep any of that in my house. I don't know how it would have happened. And I'm like, well, it's New York, it's Manhattan. They probably just ate something off the street.
Speaker 2:
[27:28] Yeah.
Speaker 3:
[27:28] And they rushed them to the vet and that's what it was. The dog was high and it was a bigger dog. It was just kind of like waited out. But no, that's definitely something that will happen.
Speaker 2:
[27:36] If you can avoid it, you know, put your edibles away.
Speaker 3:
[27:39] Yeah.
Speaker 1:
[27:40] That's really good advice.
Speaker 2:
[27:41] It's a different world once you have a dog.
Speaker 3:
[27:43] Yeah. You can get your own CBD oil for your dog.
Speaker 2:
[27:46] Completely.
Speaker 1:
[27:48] Anything else we should be proofing in our house? I know Mike Kitten fell in our toilet when he was really little. And he's totally fine. He just like got scared and hopped out. But should we be making sure the toilet is shut? Just things people might not know when you bring a pet home.
Speaker 3:
[28:02] But the toilet, I would have never even, I have a friend who has cats and when I go to her house, I always forget to close the toilet seat and she always yells at me. Because their cats are going to go in and drink the water or whatever. So, if it's a dog, put a baby gate on the room where you really don't want the dog in. Or we also recommend starting small, give them one room that they can be in, and then expanding that space slowly over time. Sometimes too much space freaks them out. I don't know what to do. Dogs can open doors sometimes. Oh my God. It's terrifying. Especially if you have a lever handle, a dog will jump on that and just put the door just opens. In Manhattan, we've had more than a few fosters get out of their fosters apartment entirely. Luckily, they're usually on the fifth floor or something, and they can't get to the street. But it's happened where some dogs have made it through multiple doors out into the world.
Speaker 1:
[28:59] So scary.
Speaker 3:
[29:00] So scary, yeah. Or we'll get a call from, we have our dog's number or our number on all of our tags. So I got a call, hey, I had this dog, it has your tag on it. I'm in a stairwell in a building. And I'm like, okay. We didn't even know we had a missing dog. And then I call the foster and she's like, what do you mean he's not in the crate? You know, she had no idea. She left the house 10 minutes earlier. And so things you would never, if you have a yard, you want to like quadruple check your fence, because I guarantee you there are spots that your dog will fit through. And if it's a cat, cats can squeeze through like the tiniest holes. So a dog can dig right under the fence, or you just want to like reinforce everything you can.
Speaker 1:
[29:46] I love that idea of kind of putting yourself in a dog's shoe.
Speaker 2:
[29:49] Playing the dog.
Speaker 1:
[29:51] And you're just like crawling around your apartment and be like, what can I get into?
Speaker 2:
[29:54] Is there a cable here that they might chew? Like things like that. It's so smart.
Speaker 3:
[29:58] Even like, you know, leaving, I mean, a dog like Earl is gonna, like his head is counter level. So we can't leave anything on the counters. He's very good. He won't jump. But, you know, we've had the dogs who they will, they won't think twice about, you know, popping their paws on the counter and just like grabbing whatever's up there. So, counter serving, that's another one to look out for.
Speaker 1:
[30:19] I love that.
Speaker 2:
[30:20] I love that.
Speaker 1:
[30:20] Prepare for the worst.
Speaker 3:
[30:22] Yeah. Then you can only be, you know, happy when it doesn't happen.
Speaker 2:
[30:25] Yeah.
Speaker 3:
[30:25] Yeah.
Speaker 2:
[30:26] Lastly, just in general, what is one thing that's going to make fostering or adopting successful in your mind? Like what's the one thing people should be thinking about?
Speaker 3:
[30:35] Fostering, you know, we call it like a foster fail if you end up keeping the dog. If you're looking to adopt, great, good for you. If you're looking to foster and not adopt, I really recommend fostering a dog that you would never want to adopt. So for example, if you hate chihuahuas, foster a chihuahua. If you, you know, love big dogs, maybe you foster a 20 pound dog because you're less likely to keep it and then, you know, you can foster and save more. I think for adopting, you know, well, that's why I always recommend fostering before adopting, but really kind of just making sure that the dog is gonna fit the lifestyle that you already lead. If you wanna become a marathon runner, like, getting a dog is probably not the way to do that. That's probably not gonna...
Speaker 1:
[31:16] And that's putting a lot of pressure on the...
Speaker 3:
[31:18] Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:
[31:19] I get what you're saying.
Speaker 3:
[31:20] Yeah.
Speaker 2:
[31:21] Well, I mean, I don't want this to be over because I don't want Earl to leave.
Speaker 1:
[31:25] No, I do because I wanna go play with Earl right now, unfettered.
Speaker 2:
[31:28] Yeah.
Speaker 3:
[31:29] He's literally just been, he hasn't moved this entire time.
Speaker 2:
[31:31] He hasn't. He seems so happy. But thank you, Rachael, for coming and thank you for bringing Earl.
Speaker 3:
[31:36] Of course. Thank you for having us.
Speaker 2:
[31:41] All right, you guys, it's time for Better in 5. These are our top five takeaways from this episode.
Speaker 1:
[31:46] Okay. Number one, just because you get a dog from a shelter, doesn't mean that they're going to be more trouble or more challenging to raise.
Speaker 2:
[31:52] Number two, before you even walk into that shelter, spend a little time thinking about what kind of dog you think would be best for your life, or if you're even ready to have a dog in the first place.
Speaker 1:
[32:03] And number three, fostering is actually a great way to test out your pet parenting abilities.
Speaker 2:
[32:08] Number four, okay, you've decided to get your dog. Now, do a little puppy cosplay. Get down on the ground, paw around, see what you see, get rid of your cables, basically pet proof your place.
Speaker 1:
[32:20] And number five, consider adopting an older dog because they're less chaotic than puppies and they have a lot to offer.
Speaker 2:
[32:26] Amen.
Speaker 1:
[32:27] Okay, Noah.
Speaker 2:
[32:28] Yeah.
Speaker 1:
[32:29] Were you adopting pets wrong?
Speaker 2:
[32:32] No, because I haven't done it.
Speaker 1:
[32:34] You would never adopt a pet wrong anyway.
Speaker 2:
[32:36] I like to think not, but I did learn a lot. And I think the thing that I'm just taking away from this is that it's a big deal to adopt a pet. It's not something, you know, you think about when I was growing up, you know, people would get a puppy like in a box at Christmas. They'd open it up and the puppy would pop out. And then maybe the family hadn't thought about like how much work it was to have a puppy.
Speaker 1:
[32:57] Yeah.
Speaker 2:
[32:57] And so I loved Rachel saying, you know, think about what are your desires versus what this dog is going to need. And it's not just a vanity project. Don't go into this flippantly.
Speaker 1:
[33:07] Right.
Speaker 2:
[33:07] Don't really think about how your life is going to change. And if you can give that dog everything it needs.
Speaker 1:
[33:12] That's the whole point.
Speaker 2:
[33:13] Yeah. What about you? What did you learn?
Speaker 1:
[33:15] Well, I was being a little bit smug at the beginning. I was doing it a little bit right. But I definitely learned a lot more. And I want to take that with me when I walk into a shelter the next time or try to adopt Earl because I think I'm in love with him.
Speaker 2:
[33:31] I'm sorry. But your husband will murder you. Oh, my God.
Speaker 1:
[33:33] Could you imagine a little New York City apartment?
Speaker 2:
[33:36] No, I can't.
Speaker 1:
[33:37] A hundred and sixty pound dog. Yeah, I'm going to work on it. I'm going to work on it.
Speaker 2:
[33:41] I support you. I would love for you to have Earl, but I don't think it's going to happen.
Speaker 1:
[33:44] I would never be sad again.
Speaker 2:
[33:46] But someone will. And I'm excited. We will actually update listeners about what we hear about Earl. Yeah, I think he's going to go quick.
Speaker 1:
[33:52] I hope he ends up with one of you guys.
Speaker 2:
[33:53] He's such a sweetheart. And also put your edibles away. That's the other thing I learned. You know, if you're going to do it, God bless you. But don't let your dog eat it.
Speaker 1:
[34:01] That's right.
Speaker 2:
[34:03] Anyway, until next time, as long as there are things to get wrong, we're going to be right here to help you do them better.
Speaker 1:
[34:08] Love you guys. Am I Doing It Wrong is a co-production between HuffPost and ACAST.
Speaker 2:
[34:15] Our producers are Eve Bishop, Carmen Borja Carrillo, and Malia Aguadelo.
Speaker 1:
[34:19] Our executive producers are Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder.
Speaker 2:
[34:23] Special thanks to HuffPost's head of audience, Abby Williams.
Speaker 1:
[34:26] Head of video, Will Took.
Speaker 2:
[34:27] As well as Kate Palmer, Marta Rodriguez, and Terry D'Angelo.
Speaker 1:
[34:31] And we're your hosts, Raj Punjabi-Johnson.
Speaker 2:
[34:33] And Noah Michelson.