Any advice for choosing a shelter dog?
My daughters and I have been wanting to adopt a fur child for the past couple years but were unable to until now. Tomorrow we are going to a local shelter to try and find our new baby. Does anyone have any advice on how to choose the right dog? The only thing we know is that we want a female and probably not a puppy.
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@mbaker566 might be able to help here2
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I'd start by thinking about what kind of space you have and what kind of life you lead. Maybe look around at some of the popular breeds and see what each needs. For example, if you want a dog you can take long walks with, you might want to try a bigger one. Or if you have a small house or apartment you might want a smaller one. Terrier breeds can be high energy, retriever breeds CAN be calmer, herding breeds love to work but can be strong willed and really need running room. Fighting breeds need a good trainer who is knowledgeable about animal behavior. Each dog is an individual but some general guidelines are still good to keep in mind. Try and see if you can find out anything about the dog's history. It's cool that you're wanting to adopt!5
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Check to see if there is a rescue organization for the breed(s) you'd be interested in close by you. These non-profit organizations are run by people who adore the breed. They don't all work like this but we got our sheltie through one and it was a great experience. The organization gets dogs from owners who have to give them up, shelters, etc. The dogs are all vet checked and any health issues taken care of. The organization has foster homes where the dogs will stay for a few weeks. This allow the organization to see it the dog is house trained, how it interacts with other animals, small children, etc. The adoption fee it typically a bit more than a traditional shelter, but you know more about the dog you adopt. Plus most of them will gladly take the dog back and refund your money if there is an issue (someone in the house turns up allergic, etc).
Best of luck.4 -
Let the dog choose you.. not the other way around. Do the research on the breeds and their temperament.8
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Be aware that all the dogs are going to be adorable and you can't take them all home with you!
As mentioned above, think about what size dog you want and how it will fit in with your lifestyle. Take advantage of the "get acquainted" time and get to know the dog a little before making a decision. Dogs at the shelter are usually a little discombobulated and might take some time to warm up to you.
The people who work at the shelter we adopted our last two dogs from were awesome and really knew the personalities of the available dogs.
When we adopted our current dog, we actually went to look at a gorgeous lab/whippet cross. They said she had a lot of energy but when she came out she was absolutely bouncing off the walls and totally uninterested in people. Her paperwork listed a whole bunch of "doggie downers" she was taking and still was super hyper. Just no way we could take her home (she was adopted by someone else, hooray!). But we had noticed this really cute Cattle Dog and asked to see her. Staff told us she was very sweet but super shy and wasn't really comfortable with males. Brought her out, she jumped right up on the bench where my husband was sitting and licked his face. Guess who came home with us and is currently snuggled up on the couch with hubby?
So don't be afraid to look at several dogs, you don't have to adopt the first one you see.8 -
First.. that is awesome 🤗💗...congrats on your decision!
And second, you've gotten great advice so far and I'm no expert but I've had 7 dogs in my life and all from shelters. They were all different except the last two which were terriers....a silky who ended up looking like Benji 🤣 so dont be surprised if you do get a puppy and they may not be exactly what you think they are.....and our latest yorkie sweetheart .....if you live in an apartment or small home yorkies and terrier in general are great dogs ...playful and sweet but small enough to not feel overwhelmed.
Those are things to take into consideration...your environment....how much play time they'll need....certain breeds while love attention are more loners while others need constant attention....shedding or not? Can be overwhelming believe me
..my fav dog was a husky who would walk by our couch while shedding and leave a lovely sheet of shedding fur along the way....some people hate that so ...ya know things like that is good to decide on or at least acknowledge 🤷🏻♀️
In every case the dog just sort of picked me ....but if you can't make up your mind I know the staff at our local rescue were super helpful and told us about certain issues we needed to take into consideration....hyperactive....biter....barker....etc.
I would suggest if you don't find your dog the first time around ....because that happens sometimes ....you Will!
I'm so excited for you!! And would love to hear/see who picked you! Lol😍🤗🐕🐶💗2 -
If you find one that seems like a good prospect for your family, ask the staff caring for them what they notice about the individual dogs personality/behaviour.
Maybe ask if you can take them on a trial basis to see if they fit in well with your home environment/lifestyle - you never know how an animal may adjust in a new environment. Most people who are in the animal care industry want the best for the animal and are totally willing to do this...it's not about finding a home for the animal, it's about finding the 'right' home, because they all have one!
❤❣❣
Please do share your new family member when he/she arrives!3 -
Let the dog choose you.. not the other way around. Do the research on the breeds and their temperament.
Yep. When we went to the house of the person who was running the rescue organization we were sitting in their screened in porch. They let 5-6 dogs in and one came over and sat between our 2 boys. One of the kids said, well she wants to go with us and she did.3 -
In most cases, you don't know for sure about breed(s), nor history, so be ready for anything once you get her home. Be patient and expect that it could take a year for the dog to really settle in and show her true colors... but IMO, it's soooo worth it.3
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this one looks nice .....
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Motorsheen wrote: »this one looks nice .....
I vote this one0 -
Thanks for all the tips! We are about to go check out the shelter babies. Will definitely post if/when we get ours!6
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Like others said, think about your lifestyle and how to pup needs to fit into it. Be candid with the staff about it and let them guide you, they know the animals.
Be patient the first few weeks, it will take the new pup about 2 weeks to adjust to your families routine and then things will get easier.
Enjoy your new family member!2 -
This pretty lady chose us. 5 year old good girl. We are picking her up on Monday after we get all her stuff and get the house ready for her. I think we are naming her Barbara. 😊
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That’s a Man Eater.... it damn sure is.
And a pretty lucky pup.6 -
What a beauty! Congrats!1
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