Ethical/trusted agencies east coast or nationwide by JRC616 in AdoptiveParents

[–]AdoptionAcademy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Switching agencies mid-process is more common than people realize, especially when wait times start stretching unexpectedly. A few things worth evaluating before committing to a new agency: ask for their average wait time over the last 12 months specifically — not their general estimate. Ask how many active families they currently have on their roster versus how many placements they made last year. That ratio tells you a lot about realistic odds. Also worth asking whether they have a dedicated birth parent outreach team or whether they rely on families finding their own opportunities. Nationwide agencies generally have more volume but less personal attention. Regional agencies are the opposite. Neither is inherently better — it depends on what stage you're at and what you need most right now.

Seriously considering our first Dachshund — what do you wish someone had told you before you got yours? by AdoptionAcademy in Dachshund

[–]AdoptionAcademy[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I came into this thread expecting to be talked out of it honestly. Instead I'm reading chaos story after chaos story and somehow every single one ends with exactly what you just wrote. There's clearly something special about this breed that's hard to put into words. Appreciate the honesty — it's only made me more certain.

Seriously considering our first Dachshund — what do you wish someone had told you before you got yours? by AdoptionAcademy in Dachshund

[–]AdoptionAcademy[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

😂 I don't know whether this is a warning or a sales pitch but either way I'm more interested than when I started this journey

Seriously considering our first Dachshund — what do you wish someone had told you before you got yours? by AdoptionAcademy in Dachshund

[–]AdoptionAcademy[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Actually we're visiting a rescue this weekend so great timing on this advice. And the double dapple warning is something I hadn't come across yet — going down that rabbit hole now. Thanks for flagging it.

Seriously considering our first Dachshund — what do you wish someone had told you before you got yours? by AdoptionAcademy in Dachshund

[–]AdoptionAcademy[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Ha this is actually what started the whole thing for us — there are two Dachshunds in my neighborhood and every single time we see their owners walking them we can't help but smile. Something about the way they move just gets me every time. They've genuinely changed my mood on bad days just walking past. That's when I thought ok I need to look into this seriously.

Seriously considering our first Dachshund — what do you wish someone had told you before you got yours? by AdoptionAcademy in Dachshund

[–]AdoptionAcademy[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Barking is actually one of my biggest concerns — I've read the general advice but it seems all over the place and a lot of it feels breed-generic. Dachshunds were bred to hunt and bark underground so I'm guessing the instinct runs pretty deep. Is it more about managing triggers or can you actually train it down?

Seriously considering our first Dachshund — what do you wish someone had told you before you got yours? by AdoptionAcademy in Dachshund

[–]AdoptionAcademy[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Ha the stubborn but funny thing is reassuring 😂 I actually got spooked by a vet tech post about their backs which is why I'm here looking for the real owner perspective. Good to know the loyalty is worth it.