maskormenace | [Audio]

[ There is a lot of noise in the background, not enough to be overwhelming, but the sounds of nature on a windy day are having a good time despite Ruby's (moderately successful) attempts to block the wind from the microphone. ]

I have a question. A couple actually.

First, well, how do you pick out a dog from a shelter? What sort of things do you keep in mind? I live with other people, and plan to have a talk with them about if the dog would be allowed inside or not - people get weird about letting animals inside! Er, anyway. I'll be talking with them about whether or not the dog will be allowed inside, and will keep that in mind, but... What other sorts of things need to be considered? Most of what I know about animal care is their care in the wild, or in situations they shouldn't have been put into to begin with.

And second... Does anyone know any locals who can be trusted to take care of a pet should an imPort be ported out? I'm not going to do something that I know will leave an animal as a part of a media circus the moment I'm not here to take care of it. But I also don't want to risk a pet switching hands twenty times or whatever because the porter is having a fun time at the animal's expense. Or to unceremoniously end up leaving the animal without any specific home, possibly making a housemate feel obligation to care for an animal they never asked for.

Any advice on either thing would be appreciated.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

All dogs are good dogs. I think smaller dogs are better, but maybe you'd like another one. They don't deserve to be locked up in shelters without a real home.

[ Oh she sounds quite happy in her reply. ]

All dogs are good dogs! I have no real size preference. I have mixed feelings about shelters, but I definitely agree they deserve real homes. They deserve good owners who will take care of them.

Yeah. More people should get dogs.

What's your favorite kind of dog?

There are several things to keep in mind from a practical standpoint when picking out a dog. The most important ones to start with are health, age, and size. Small dogs live longer than big dogs typically, so an old dog that is large may not have much left in them. A pup of a large breed will get you further than an older small dog sometimes. And health is pretty obvious. Living with a dog with health conditions is doable, but it's a LOT of work to commit to.

After that you want to consider things like how you get along with them. A lot of shelters will let you interact with the dog some, see if you mesh. You'll want to ask how they were with others. Other people, other animals, and the shelter's staff.

You'll also want to know if the animal is already house broken and trained. Usually yes for the former, no for the latter. But there's some great places to train pets here. So that's less of a concern.

And I'll do it. I don't think I'm going anywhere any time soon, and given Josh and me, we can probably handle a pet. Not to mention the company could be nice.

The lifespan being different based on size is a good point. I'd not thought about that. I'm used to things dying, so if I end up deciding on an older dog I can handle that. There is the fact that older dogs are more likely to have health conditions, though, which I don't think I'm ready to commit to.

I have an advantage there. I've been able to commune with animals since I was born, or, at least near enough as to not know the difference. I'll have a better chance of finding out if we get along or not, and how they react to others. I'll also be able to affect how they react to other people and animals while I'm around, though a particularly jumpy dog might not be a good idea for either of us. It seems like a feedback loop or whatever you'd call it waiting to happen.

I know most of the basics of training, though getting someone to help show me how it works outside of a cult compound would probably be a good idea.

It's a relief to know there's someone I can trust to take care of my dog if I get ported out, but I admit I'd feel even better if we could find a local just in case we all three end up ported out at the same time. Also, I'll totally bring the dog over to meet you once it's adapted a little to things. I think it would be a good idea for you to get to know each other.

That's fair. But given the whole treatment you've gotten from natives... that might be a hard thing to arrange without it just being someone trying to get a connection to you.

Oh, good questions.

I'd say their overall temperament? Like, do they need a lot of attention or are they alright on their own? Will they get along with a wide variety of ages and other animals?

And shedding. How much would you need to groom them?

[Jane ponders the second question, though.]

I'm not sure either. I might find someone who lives here and wouldn't port like us.

I think I can modify the temperament easily enough, I've been able to do that with other animals, but it would probably be a good idea to get a dog whose default fits well. Attention required seems to be the only thing I can't modify over time, so I'll prioritize that part of the temperament.

I'm prepared to groom a dog multiple times a day, so I think I'd look more into what the dog will be dealing with in various weather.

Yeah, I've been trying to, but it's... sort of hard to know what locals can be trusted and what locals are kind of awful.

Dogs do need a lot more attention than other animals, but even that can vary to a degree. You might even look into an older dog too! One that is just happy getting petted.

Yeah … you have a point there. Maybe the shelter would have something set in place, in case that happens? Some of them have protocols for pets that need to be surrendered for one reason or another.

[ There's a little bit of a laugh, good natured. ] I can communicate with animals, so finding out a specific dog's energy levels shouldn't be too much of an issue. I'm hoping to be able to bring the dog wherever I need to, so medium levels of energy is probably the best. I won't lie though, I've definitely thought of an older dog. People don't adopt them as much.

I should ask about that. I'd like to be able to get my dog back in case I port out for a medium amount of time, like a month, but I'd rather make sure my dog doesn't get mistreated even for that short a period of time.

You can? How did I not know that?

You might want to go for a smaller or medium sized dog too, so they have an easier time going around different places.

[She nods.]

Good thinking. Animal shelters with a good reputation are always your best bet, but touring a place should give you a better feel overall.

[ Ah there's another laugh. ] It probably just never came up somehow.

Medium and the smaller side of medium is what I'm hoping for. Small enough to not be an issue in public, but large enough to get my attention if I space out or start acting weird.

I actually work pretty closely with a few animal shelters, so it shouldn't be too hard to get more information from them.

Maybe, but that’s interesting!

That sounds perfect for you. Maybe small enough to not be too heavy in your lap?

I wish you the best of luck, Ruby.

I'd be more than happy to tell you more, if you wanna hear.

Yeah, a big dog could probably literally suffocate me in my sleep. ... Actually, one could probably suffocate me without needing me to be asleep. You've seen how tiny I am...

I'll probably need that luck.

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voice;

(Sorry I dropped off the face of the planet, brain was weird!)

it's alright; i hope everything is okay!

It seems to be less weird at the moment, so that's good! :D

that's awesome! it's great to have you back!

Thank you! It's glad to be back! :D

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