# Adopting a Retired MWD



## LoneRider (Mar 16, 2013)

I'm considering, after I PCS from Fort Leonard Wood, MO to Fort Shafter, HI this summer, adopting a retired military working dog. I've found the website Military Working Dogs Adoptions to be quite helpful as far as information is concerned. Ideally I'd like to adopt a retired MWD, because as a military type myself I'd like to give a four footed, furry fellow veteran a good home.

Are there any things, other than this list (The ABCs of MWD Adoption), that others would keep in mind?


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## Trotter (Jan 16, 2013)

I have no thoughts about the background of the dog. Working breeds need a LOT of exercise (and some mental stimulation) or they can become anxious and destructive. At a minimum, I think you'd need 45 minute morning and afternoon walks to keep the peace. My dog's happy-factor minimum is a 2 mile bike ride (me riding, not him) in the morning, 15 minutes of obdience training twice a day, 15 minutes of flirt pole work in the afternoon, and 20 minutes on the treadmill at a 2 mph pace, followed by a 1.5 hour leisure evening walk over uneven terrain. Your dog will survive with less, but there may be issues. 

Assuming you have the time/energy for that commitment, consider the military life of moving from post to post and look at your local craigslist at the multiple families dumping their dogs because they're off to the next post and can't take him, etc. I don't know what they're thinking. I was in the military in the late '70s (did my basic training at FLW - Brrrrrr) and would not have considered getting a dog while on active duty, but I was an enlisted guy who went where/when they told me. Things may be different now, but it's something to consider.

Finally, do your research on getting a dog into Hawaii. There is a lengthy quarantine period away from you (120 days??) UNLESS you follow the shorter process that still means at least 5 days quarantine for the poor dog following the minimum 5 hour plane flight.

These are things I'd be thinking about, in your position.


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