Those are all excellent suggestions. I especially like the part about people standing around at the dog park talking---when we were going regularly it was so I could PLAY with my dog in an enclosed area. If there were positive interactions with other dogs, great, but there were a lot of people who looked at their dogs and said "go on, go play, go run" while the dog obviously preferred to stand next to them waiting to have some fun with his pack member, the owner, and maybe other dogs. When we play outside now the dogs are perfectly happy with literally 5 minutes of jumping over things, fetching the ball, lunging at each other, checking the perimeter, barking at squirrels, etc. And I talk to them and actually invite them to play. It's fun! So we do about 5 minutes several times a day. Not a big expenditure of time. Then we go for walks as we have time for. I am constantly talking to them when we are in the house. If I am home during the day their eyes are usually drooping by about 9:30 AM because that is their nap time, and they can nap all day for 8-10 hours. But I know that when I get home they will be wanting a few minutes of QUALITY time with me. I hope that rescue and adoption agencies offer these kind of written tips and guidance to their potential adopters.

Put down remote. Walk dog. Lose 5 pounds. It's a great concept!

My sisters and I agree with you. My mom works with a rescue group and we've had a couple of kids come here who were no longer wanted by their families. We're just glad that mom and dad understand we are not disposable!

Here is a good sit on keeping dogs and babys

http://www.imom.org/reading-room/dog-and-baby.htm

Oh it is so irriating--people don't realize how easily most dogs adjust to new situations with their familiar person! I dragged two Golden Retrievers with me all through college, moving all the time, etc--they did fine. I would have never considered getting rid of them even though they moved from a house to an apartment to another apartment, and another and then back to a house. We just made extra time for walks, play time, etc. I suppose I could understand if someone was having triplets and didn't have much money to live on! That's a lot of work and the family dog might truely suffer, but generally, making some changes in our lifestyle is what we should have accepted when we got our pets, regardless of what might happen. I did see a lady one time who lost EVERYTHING--I MEAN EVERYTHING. Job, house, husband, etc and she had to give up her two dogs just because she could not afford to take care of them--she couldn't even properly care for herself. She was devestated and was balling. I felt terrible for and for her to be in that position!

That's how I came to my new family. The ppl that had me gave me up becaue they wore moveing out of the country. And now I'm with my new family. No I can't just run out the door now and go any place like I did befor. And they have to put that thing on me and walk me. But I do get to sleep with the kids. And I'm in a nice warm house all day. And my new family found out that I have worms so I'm going to be getting meds now. They mush love me already...

It makes me sad when people just give up their dog because they move or because they have a baby. Its like dogs are disposable. I think when you adopt a dog that is a commitment as big as having a kid.