Pet Adoption - How to Choose a Puppy

That's me when I came home from the Shelter

When a puppy is sitting in a kennel at a pet adoption center or in a cardboard box outside the local supermarket, all they want is a loving home. Unfortunately, they are at the mercy of whoever adopts them. Will their new pet parents make them part of the family or will they end up chained to a tree as a 'watch dog" or perhaps alone and forgotten in the back yard when their new family can't deal with behavior problems or gets too busy?

I was lucky! As dog adoptions go, I couldn't have asked for better human parents but lots of dogs aren't so lucky. It's hard to believe but 3 to 4 million dogs and cats are put to death each year in shelters across the country. Thousands more suffer cruelty at the hands of humans.

Adopting a puppy or full grown dog is a great way to help rescue a dog but it's important to consider all aspects of a pet adoption to it will be successful and happy for both you and your dog. It's better not to adopt at all than to get a dog and discover you don't have the time or patience to handle behavior problems or even daily care of your dog.

If you'd like to adopt a pet consider this first:

Leo's an old dog now and needs thyroid meds

• Dogs can live for 15 or more years if well cared for. Are you and your entire family willing to commit to taking care of a dog that long? When dogs get older, they often have health issues which need to be taken care of as well.
• There's no such thing as a "free dog" even if you get one from that cardboard box at the market. Dogs need to be spayed or neutered, they need food, shots, vet visits, licenses, heart worm prevention and many other things that cost money.
• Are you willing to take your dog to puppy classes or some sort of obedience training? Or at least read up on puppy training so you can teach your dog how to behave? When my mom volunteered at the animal shelter, she saw many dogs turned in for behavior problems that could easily have been fixed if the owners were willing to find out how to do it.
• Do you have a place to keep a dog where they can be warm in winter and cool in summer? If you plan to keep your dog mainly in the back yard, are you willing to have the dog in the house with you during adverse weather conditions? Here in north Texas, we have huge thunderstorms, which I personally am very afraid of. My mom has some herbal essential oils she puts under my chin and I certainly don't have to go outside. It can snow here and it can reach 105 degrees so I'm lucky to only have to go outside once in a while if it's like that. There are people around here, though, who leave their dogs out all the time, no matter what the weather. Would you be one of those?
• Are you willing to spend the time it takes to make sure your dog is fed and walked or exercised each day?

All of these things are important for a successful dog adoption. If you decide your family would like to rescue a dog, here are some other things to consider so that you can get the right dog for your family.

How to Chose a Puppy

All puppies are cute, let's face it but they do grow up. Once you decide to adopt a dog, think about the size and breed that would be best for you.

• Do you live in a house or apartment? How big a dog can your family handle? I only weigh 50 pounds and I'm not a big dog myself. Leo is a Labrador retriever but she's a mutt like me and not a big lab. If you don't have room for a dog to run int he back yard, or you aren't willing to take your dog on long walks, get a smaller dog. Also consider that large dogs eat more and will be more expensive that way.
• Choosing a dog breed is important. Huskies love to run and need lots and lots of exercise. Australian Shepard's like me are working dogs so we need a job. My job is to herd grandchildren and sit in the front window and be the family watch dog. My pet parents are planning a great retirement place int he country though, where I'll have some animals to herd as well. Some dogs need a very active life or they'll be chewing furniture and some dogs are lazy and love to lay around all day and sleep. Do a little research to see what kind of dog would best fit into your family.
• Ask the folks at the pet adoption center for recommendations. They spend their days with the different dogs and cats and know their temperaments. The people at the shelter want the pet adoptions to be successful and many times they can give you recommendations about which dog might be the best for your and your family.

Choosing an Older Dog to Adopt

This was Charlie-110 lbs of teddy bear!

Puppies are cute but older dogs need homes too and might make the best pet for you. Some older dogs in shelters already have obedience training and, let's face it, puppies like to chew and most aren't potty trained either. If you look at older dogs, shelter staff can tell you what their temperament is - if they would be good with kids or if they need lots of attention or whatever.

Lastly, if you're going to adopt a dog, please consider a pet rescue adoption first before purchasing a dog. Obviously, if you want a dog you can take to dog shows, you'll need a pure bred dog, but rescue mutts have a lot to offer and you're saving a life too.

Some people think shelters charge too much for dogs but most are spayed or neutered, have their shots and have been screened for behavior problems like biting. The price for the spay/neuter often makes the cost of shelter adoption worthwhile. Many shelters, if they don't offer the spay/neuter there, will give you a rebate on the cost when you bring back proof that you've had it done at a Vet of your choice.

PetFinder offers more great tips to consider before adopting a rescue dog.