Adopting A Dog From A Shelter | Introduction |
| Things to consider |
| Where to get your dog |
| Visiting a shelter |
| Taking your new friend home |
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If you've decided that you want to get a dog then you should have already thought carefully about whether or not your current situation is suitable. If you are not sure or if you are still trying to decide if getting a dog is right for you then you should read the ten considerations prior to adopting a pet. Also visit Critter Haven to find out about the horrors of puppy mills and why you shouldn't buy from a broker, petshop or puppy mill.
Having decided you want a dog there are many decisions to be made, the first of which is likely to be do you want a purebreed or a "mutt". If you want a purebreed then a shelter may not be the best place to go to, although up to 30% of dogs in shelters are said to be purebred. The information contained here is specifically about getting a dog (of any type) from a shelter. If you are looking specifically for a purebreed you will find a lot of information on the web - you may find the following sites useful as a starting point:
How to Find a Reputable Breeder
Having determined that a dog is for you and that you definitely want to get one from a shelter you need to do some homework. Firstly you need to think about what you would like and what realistically you can deal with.
Puppy Versus Adult
You may want a puppy, after all who wouldn't want a cute ball of fluff in their lives - but remember puppies are hard work, they need housetraining, house rules (or you'll end up living with a monster), several visits to the vets for vaccinations, de-worming, neutering/spaying etc. In addition puppies can be really destructive if left to their own devices and although small at first will grow up and could end up at well over 100lbs.
If all this makes you shudder then an adult dog may be the thing for you. Firstly you know how much dog you'll be getting and often you'll find that they are housetrained and perhaps even have some basic obedience training. In addition adult dogs from shelters will have been vaccinated and neutered/spayed (saving you the time and expense).
Commitment from You
Dogs can live for upwards of 15 years and will need you looking after them all this time. Again if you aren't prepared to commit to this then you shouldn't get a dog.
No matter if you get a puppy or an adult you need to remember that dogs are expensive. To start with there is the cost of the dog. Pedigree dogs from a breeder are expensive costing hundreds of dollars. Dogs from shelters are a lot less expensive, typically being less than $100. The cost will depend on the shelter you visit and to some extent the dog you take on (e.g a shelter I got two of my dogs from charged the equivalent of $75. One of my dogs had had 5 homes and was going to be put to sleep he was seen as that unhomeable - they charged me $15 for him).
Apart from the set up items like beds, bowls, toys and crates there are ongoing costs which include food (good food costs upwards of $30 a 30lb sack), flea and heartworm treatment (runs upwards of $10 a month), annual check up plus Parvo / distemper vaccinations and 3 yearly rabies vaccinations (about $50 a year) plus any other unforseen visits to the vets (this year my 3 dogs have cost me $1000). If you don't think you can afford this kind of financial commitment then please don't get a dog, consider instead either volunteering at a shelter or becoming a foster parent.
Firstly, either find a reputable breeder or visit a local shelter, please don't get a puppy from a pet store or puppy mill. These animals will likely have been brought up in dreadful conditions and may suffer from both physical and behavioural problems. If you don't know about puppy mills then I urge you to read this article.
When looking for shelters you will likely come across terms like "kill" or "no kill", "public" and "private" shelters. Basically the difference between them is as follows:
Public Shelters
These are county run facilities who take in strays. They offer the animals for adoption if they've not been claimed within a specified time (usually about 1 week). Dogs from these shelters usually have no history so new owners must be prepared for anything. Remember, some people give up their dogs for legitimate reasons, but many just want rid of a nuisance or a problem. Public shelters may also be called kill shelters because, due to the large numbers they take in they must put to sleep healthy animals to make room for new arrivals.
Private Shelters
These shelters tend to be small and run by a few staff and dedicated volunteers. They take in pets turned in by their owners for a variety of reasons as well as taking in strays. Animals in these shelters are not put to sleep unless there is a medical or behavioural reason and as a result owners wanting to give up their pets may be turned away or put on a waiting list. The advantage of these shelters is that often they have an animals history and even if they don't, because they are smaller and the animal stays until it is rehomed the staff get to know their charges and should be able to give you a fairly detailed picture of them.
A shelter can be a daunting place. For a start it'll be noisy and you'll be faced with kennels containing seemingly hundreds of dogs of all shapes and sizes - to get the most out of your visit you need to be prepared. This again means doing your homework, this time about what kind of dog you're looking for. The following is a list of things you may want to consider, some may not be relevant to you and there may be other things you can think of, this is purely to give you a starting point.
| Male or Female |
| Small, medium or large |
| Shorthaired or longhaired |
| Does it need to get on with an existing dog or cat |
| Does it need to be good with children |
| How much exercise can you provide |
| Do you have a fenced yard |
| What age do you want |
So you have your list and you know which shelter(s) you want to visit. On arriving find a staff member and talk to them about what you are looking for, they should be able to suggest some dogs that fit your requirements.
Having spoken to the staff you should go and look round the kennels. Look at all of them, not just any suggested by the shelter staff (one of my dogs was tucked away in a corner kennel and had been overlooked for 6 months)and take your time. As you go make a note of any dogs you are interested in and remember the way they act when you're at their kennel is likely not how they usually behave.
You may find nothing that you're interested in. In this case go onto another shelter or come back in a few weeks. Depending on the shelter you may also be able to leave your name and phone number with a copy of what you're looking for.
If you see a dog(s) you are interested in then ask the staff about the dogs history and if you have children or other pets enquire as to how the dog gets on with them. If everything checks out then ask to see the dog(s) out of it's run. Spend a few minutes stroking and playing gently with it and then, if you are still interested ask to take it for a walk. During this walk run through your list, consider anything the staff may have told you about the dog and make a mental note of anything else you want to ask about. Don't expect anything from this walk (my dogs all pulled on the lead all the way through the walk they were so happy to be out), rather see how the dog reacts to you and things you come across.
By the end of this walk you should have made a decision as to whether the dog is suitable for you or not. If the dog isn't right for you or you're not sure then either go onto the next dog you were interested in or come back another time, the shelter would rather you did this than return a dog to them. If you think you've found your perfect partner, congratulations. If you have another dog, now is the time to introduce them, you don't want to take your new friend home only to have to return him the next day because of a conflict. Ideally you want to introduce the dogs on neutral territory, keeping both on leads and watching their behaviour. It will be clear almost immediately if things will work out or not, but give them five or ten minutes just to be sure.
If everything is still OK then you want to talk to the shelter staff about the dogs vaccination schedule and how it's health has been during its stay in the shelter (with a lot of dogs together illnesses like kennel cough are common). You also want to ask about taking the dog on trial. Many shelters will let you take the dog for a week to see how you all get on together. At the end of this time you pay your adoption fee, or, if things don't work out, return the dog.
Once you have asked the shelter staff questions they will start asking you questions about your lifestyle and home set up and may even insist on visiting your home prior to letting you have the dog. Don't be offended by this, no one is trying to trick you, all they are doing is ensuring that their dogs will be going to good homes.
So you have your new dog, the first thing to do is to have food, bowls and a bed ready before you bring them home. The next is to get them home safely. Ideally you should have a crate/cage in your car or else a dog seatbelt to keep them restrained. If not then have someone ride in the back with the dog on a lead. This journey will likely be quite traumatic for the dog who may cry or even be sick - it's a good idea to have newspaper in the car just in case.
Once you get home take things slowly - remember this is a strange environment for the dog. Let them have a look round and then introduce them to their bed and their bowls. At this stage you shouldn't expect too much but you should establish your house rules and outine from the start so the dog knows what is expected of it.
In the first week or so you should visit your vet (or find one if you don't have one already) and have the dog checked over to make sure everythings alright. This is also an opportunity for the vet to get to know your dog before, heaven forbid, they're ill or have an accident. At this time if your dog hasn't been spayed or neutered please arrange to have it done, about 12 million healthy pets are destroyed each year because homes can't be found for them. You might also want to talk to your vet about having your dog tattooed or microchipped so if they ever get lost they can be returned to you. there are several schemes available and your vet or the shelter will have details of options in your area.
During the initial few weeks it's also a good idea to enrol in basic obedience classes. These will give you a chance to meet other dogs and their owners and will help you in training your dog. With a bit of effort on your part you will see amazing results - it's fun too.
Finally, there are loads of things to do with your dog including obedience, agility, flyball, therapy work, tracking, freestyle etc. You'll also find groups of dog lovers on the web who love nothing more than to tell you about their exploits with their best friends. Most of all HAVE FUN and enjoy your time with your new friend.
Each year millions of unwanted pets are destroyed. Please help reduce this number by spaying / neutering - all my dogs are .
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