It’s Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, so we’ve been talking about ways to support your shelter and the dogs in their care. But what’s one of the best things you can do: Adopt a Dog, of course! Here are a few tips for finding the right dog for your family:
Before you start looking at dogs, take a good look at your lifestyle. Once you’re in a shelter or browsing Petfinder, it’ll be hard to resist falling in love with a dog based on how it looks. The gorgeous fluffy puppy is going to put you in a trance and your ability to remember that you work long hours and won’t have time to housetrain this furry toddler will go right out the window! So our very best advice is, before you start looking, think long and hard about your lifestyle.
Be honest. If you work very long hours, a puppy may not be the right choice for you, since they need bathroom breaks every few hours and lots of positive interactions, plus training classes in order to become well socialized, well behaved adult dogs. If you’re a neat freak, avoid dogs that slobber or shed a ton. If you have active kids, you may not want to adopt a dog that prefers quiet environments. If you enjoy reading and watching movies, steer clear of dogs that need hours of exercise every day in order to be calm and comfortable in the house. You want your dog to succeed in your household, for their sake and your sanity, so why not stack the deck in their favor and figure out what works best for your family first!
Look at the individual dogs. We tend to think that if a dog is a certain breed it will act in a particular way, but that’s not always the case. We’re more likely to find the right match if we look at the dog as an individual and not assume it will act a certain way due to it’s breed (or breed mix). For instance, just because a dog is a Lab or Lab mix, doesn’t mean it wants to swim or play ball (some Labs don’t get the memo that they’re supposed to love those things!). So the best way to find a great match is to look at the dog in front of you and, with the help of an adoption counselor, learn about the unique personality of the dogs that are available It might turn out that the Hound mix is the swimmer and would be the best dog to adopt if you’re planning on spending every summer at the lake!
Adult dogs are awesome. There are countless well behaved, nicely trained adult dogs that are available. Just because they’re up for adoption doesn’t mean they are defective. Dogs are surrendered to shelters for all kinds of reasons that aren’t their fault: housing changes, divorce, finances, lack of time, etc. Adult dogs are true treasures.
Be patient! Especially if you have other pets or kids. Sometimes it takes a few visits to the shelter to find the right match for all the members of your family. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t find the right dog on your first trip. Know what you’re looking for, be honest about what does and doesn’t work for you, and respect that everyone (from the cat to the teenagers) need to feel comfortable with the dog you choose to bring home.
Those are just a few ways to find the right match. Next week we’ll talk about how to set your new dog up for success once you bring them home!