So you’re thinking about getting a dog! It’s very exciting, and also kind of overwhelming. You’ve got 8,000 things to think about, where do you even begin?
That’s a rhetorical question. You begin here. With this in-depth, honest (possibly too honest) guide to the whole process.
Here’s the thing: we love shelter dogs. All our dogs so far have been shelter dogs. We’ve both spent a big chunk of our lives working inside shelters. Tiny private rescues, huge municipal “dog pounds,” well-funded organizations, chaotic disorganized ragtag operations.
And we’re also professional dog trainers. So we’ve seen the whole arc: the hopeful meet-and-greet, the adoption high, the post-adoption regret phase, the heartbreak of bad matches, and the magic of meant-to-be matches.
If you’re looking for a sugar-coated narrative about how love magically fixes everything, this probably isn’t that. If you’re looking for realistic guidance from people who have worked with thousands of adopters, you’re in the right place.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1. HOW TO MENTALLY PREPARE
(Each chapter has a video version, if you’d rather watch than read. Keep in mind that the written version is kept up-to-date. The video isn’t)
If you’ve done any Googling on how to prepare for a dog, you’ve probably found a million articles that all basically list the same things: research dog breeds, make sure you have enough time, make sure you can afford it, buy dog supplies, dog-proof your house, etc.
All very practical stuff. Great advice. You should definitely follow it.
But what I think is more important than all that is taking the time to mentally prepare. Often when people get a dog and have a really terrible time with the experience, it’s because they didn’t take into consideration everything I’m about to tell you.
What to expect: 6 things you gotta understand if you want this to go well
This bit is to prepare you for some of the uncomfortable experiences that spook new dog owners.
1. Getting a dog means building a relationship
Pretty obvious on the surface. But in practice, this tends to look much different than people expect.
No matter how long it takes to acquire this dog and bring them home, the real adoption process does not begin until that dog is sitting in your home, looking up at you going, “who are you and why am I here?”
You and your dog will be complete strangers to each other. No matter how well your initial meeting at the shelter or rescue or breeder goes, there will be an adjustment period where you have to get to know each other and figure out how to live together.
Life can get crazy during this time.
It’s entirely possible, that outside of maybe a honeymoon phase during the first few days, you won’t feel much of a connection with this dog. Or they won’t feel a connection with you.
This tends to freak people out.
We get a lot of messages from people who’ve had their dog for just a few days or weeks, saying “I don’t love my new dog, and she doesn’t love me. Am I just a terrible person?”
You’re not a terrible person. This is just how it goes.
I mean, you wouldn’t expect to meet a new human and be best friends on day one. Getting to know, love, and trust somebody takes time.
See also: Whatever Tomorrow Brings: Important Things to Know Before (and After) You Adopt a Dog
Plan on getting a puppy? See the puppy-specific things to expect here: What to do With a New Puppy: An Uncomfortably Honest Yet Reassuring Guide to the First Week
2. This is exciting... for you. For the dog, it's probably more complicated
Being adopted is one of the most stressful experiences a dog will ever go through – and that stress does not end the moment they leave the shelter.
When it comes to rescue dogs, we tend to think of the “before and after.”
Before: The bad times. Abandoned or lost, stuck in a shelter.
After: The good times! Rescued! Riding off into the sunset with their new human best friend to live happily ever after!
But the early months of the After are still a time of chaos and upheaval.
New people, new places, new rules, new routine, new smells, new food, new experiences, new words to learn, maybe new animal roommates. Not to mention that this dog may have trauma from their previous life to decompress from. They may miss their old family.
By becoming a dog guardian, you chose the responsibility of ushering this at least mildly-traumatized being into the next chapter of their life.
So I mean this in the nicest way possible: it just ain’t about you right now.
3. Your life will be chaotic for a while
The early weeks with a new dog are a time of major change and disruption.
We all have daily routines that we’re often not even aware of. A new dog will take each one of those routines and shatter them into oblivion.
You suddenly have to THINK about things that used to be second nature. You can’t roll out of bed five minutes before work, because you have to take care of the dog’s needs first. You can’t leave the house for a few hours without planning for how the dog will go out to pee. If you have little kids, you have to make sure the puppy doesn’t bite them all the time.
This routine-disruption is one of the sneaky things that really trips people up. If there’s one thing the human brain hates, it’s change. After three days of having your life thrown upside down, your brain may slam on the brakes and say “no! I want my life to go back to normal!”
4. It may be harder than you expect. A lot harder
Getting a dog is hard work. It’s a big responsibility.
Blah blah blah.
You know this. Everybody knows this.
But it’s one thing to “know it,” and another thing to KNOW IT.
It’s one of those thing you can’t really understand until you’ve done it. Just… be ready for things to get intense. They might cry like the world is ending every time you go to the bathroom. Your puppy could get pneumonia, of all things. Your adolescent dog could eat your entire couch or steal the dinner you spent your last five dollars on.
(All true stories, btw)
I’ll never forget the day my precious baby River ate something that disagreed with her and then ran around the house puking. In the space of approximately 12 seconds, she had thrown up in five different locations. All. Over. The. House.
See: Puppies Aren’t Just “Hard Work:” What No One Tells You Before You Get a Puppy
5. Wherever there is stress in your life, a dog will amplify it
If you’re dealing with any major stressors already, like moving, going through a divorce, caring for a sick relative, etc, a dog could make that stress worse.
And look, the standard advice would be to hold off on getting a dog until you’re in a more stable situation. Which is very good advice. Very responsible. Very rational.
But life isn’t always rational.
Story time:
When I was 18, during a time when my life was very busy and chaotic and I was in ABSOLUTELY NO POSITION to get another dog, I was working at shelter volunteer job.
I walked outside to set some freshly washed litterboxes out to dry. And looked up just in time to see another volunteer walking… my dog.
That’s the only way to describe it. Instant connection.
Against my better judgment, I went to go meet him.
And that little border collie went home with me. And that little border collie was Merlin. And life was very hard (read: disasterous) for a while. But he ended up being one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.
Sometimes when you’re going through stressful life changes, a new dog is exactly what you need to get through it. If you think that might be the case for you, that’s cool. Just be prepared for the possibility that things will get worse before they get better.
Which brings me to my next point:
6. It will sometimes feel like everything is going wrong. Even if it isn't
Sometimes it sucks – and that’s okay! The adjustment period with a dog is a journey, and like any worthwhile journey, it’s not always fun. There will be moments when raising your dog really sucks. But just because it sucks, doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong.
This may be one of the best things you ever do. But to get to the good parts, you gotta make it through the bad. The best thing you can do is settle in for the long road ahead. Which will make it easier to avoid getting too discouraged by day to day setbacks.
More mental preparation resources:
CHAPTER 2. FIGURING OUT WHAT KIND OF DOG IS BEST FOR YOU
(Each chapter has a video version, if you’d rather watch than read. Keep in mind that the written version is kept up-to-date. The video isn’t)
This section will help you figure out what you actually want. As you read it, you should start making a list of your dog criteria. The traits you’re looking for as well as your deal breakers.
Trainability: the bullshit-tolerance factor
How much training are you willing to do?
All dogs will need to be trained to some degree.
But some dogs are easier to train than others, because they have a high tolerance for frustration and are quite forgiving of human error.
Which is a polite way of saying:
These dogs are so eager to work with people that they’ll put up with our bullshit. Our mistakes, poorly timed cues, and sloppy communication.
They’re also relatively easy to motivate, because they’re willing to work very hard for motivators that are easy to control, like food or toys.
These are the dogs that we call “eager to please” or “smart.”
This would be a good dog for someone who doesn’t want to have to put much effort into training.
For instance, let’s say you’ve got two young kids plus a demanding boss, and you’ve got enough on your plate trying to juggle all of their motivators and short attention spans. You’ll want one of these dogs who is highly motivated by food.
I’ll give you some tips on how to find a food-motivated dog later.
The bullshit tolerant category can include:
Pit bulls, Dobermans, Papillions, golden retrievers, labs, Shetland sheepdogs, German shepherds, Australian shepherds, border collies, and pretty much all the herding type dogs.
(But, caution: as we shall see later, the herding types will make you pay for their easy-to-train-ness)
A dog might be harder to train if they’re:
- Less tolerant of human bullshit
- Not quite as passionate about working with people
- Have motivators that are harder to implement in a training session.
Scent hounds, like beagles and bloodhounds, for example, can be harder to train because they get keep getting distracted by their noses.
Dogs with a low-tolerance for bullshit are sometimes referred to as “stubborn.” A lot of Siberian huskies, Alaskan malamutes, shiba inus, and chow chows fall into this category.
For more on this bullshit-tolerance concept, see : Is there hope for your stubborn dog? Why some breeds are harder to train, and the secret to success
How much training do you WANT to do?
You might be one of those people who look forward to doing as much training as possible, like if you want to train a dog for agility competitions or if you want to nerd out over clicker training and teach your dog a ton of tricks.
(In which case, you’re definitely one of our people. Welcome to 3 Lost Dogs, we’ll get along just fine)
A harder-to-train dog might be a fun challenge for you. “Stubborn” dogs tend to respond really well to clicker training.
But most likely, you’ll want a dog who is as big a nerd as you are. Especially if you’re new to your sport or new to training. Look for a dog who is food-motivated and toy-motivated. Being excited about toys tends to be a pretty good indicator of a dog who will do well in dog sports.
Energy level
How active are you, really?
You don’t need to share your answer with the class, but you need to know it.
A mismatch in energy levels is one of the biggest sources of conflict between dogs and their humans.
Let’s say you want a buddy for hiking and walking. If that means you plan on taking your dog on big adventures several times a week, then a more athletic, high-energy dog might be for you.
But if you work full time and save all your hiking for the weekends, a high-energy dog will make your life miserable.
So in that case, the best dog for you is one you can live with the other five days of the week. The one who will be happy to sleep the day away while you’re at work.
On a similar note, if you’re thinking of trying your first agility class, a border collie puppy is probably overkill. Shelters are full of well-socialized, young adult mixed breeds, who often make fantastic first agility dogs.
Beyond physical exercise, consider the dog’s other enrichment needs.
Dogs need ways to exercise their brains, otherwise they go crazy. Generally, the “‘smarter” a dog is, the more brainwork they require.
See: How to Live with a High Energy Dog Without Losing Your Mind
Herding dogs like border collies and Belgian shepherds are very smart and very trainable, and they will be happy to work on whatever projects you want.
If I want to spend all day perfecting a new frisbee trick, my belgian malinois, River, is completely happy to do that. She will never get tired of playing frisbee. And if I want to try some nerdy new clicker training technique, my border collie Merlin was delighted to spend all day on it.
The price you pay for the herding dog’s intelligence and enthusiasm:
You have to devote a lot of your day to your dog. Otherwise, they can develop all kinds of problems. These dogs are best for people who want a dog to work with, rather than just a pet.
If the thought of studying dog training methods and constantly coming up with new ways to challenge your dog’s brain makes your eyes glaze over, a herding dog will drive you absolutely fucking insane (to put it in polite terms).
If you’re not super active or don’t have a lot of time to devote to exercising your dog’s body and mind, look for a lower energy dog.
This could mean a dog who is at least 4-5 years old – comfortably middle age, well beyond their wild teen years. Or consider a lower energy breed. Avoid dogs in the terrier, herding, and working categories.
Moderate-to-low energy breeds typically include:
- Pugs
- French bulldogs
- English bulldogs
- Great Danes
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Chow Chow
- Shih Tzu
- Mastiffs
- Bernese Mountain Dogs (NOT “bernadoodles.” Mixing any breed with the super athletic poodle risks kicking things up a notch or twelve)
- Irish wolfhounds
- Lhasa Apso
Sociability with dogs
If you have dogs at home, a big priority should be finding a dog who gets along with dogs. Not just tolerates them, but actively likes them.
See: Tips for Successfully Adding a Second Dog to Your Family
Sociability with humans
Do you want a dog to cuddle with? Look for a dog who wants to sit in your lap during the meet-and-greet, and avoid the ones who don’t show much interest in affection.
If you have kids, look for a dog who loves kids, not just tolerates them.
A good choice for families with little kids tend to be outgoing medium-sized, moderate-energy dogs. A hyperactive 70 pound teenage pit bull might love your kids, but you’ll spend all your time keeping him from knocking them over. And delicate little toy breeds are breakable. And toddlers tend to, ya know, break things.
Should you get a puppy or an adult dog?
Puppies are delightful. They also take an incredible amount of time and energy to raise well. So only get a puppy if you can make that a priority for the next six months.
The biggest issue for puppies under five months of age: socialization.
During this time, puppies need to be carefully introduced to the world. Meeting new people, learning how to communicate with their own species, and experiencing a variety of new things. Otherwise, they can end up being fearful or “rude” when they get older.
The socialization process can be a lot of fun, and it means you can prepare your puppy for exactly the kind of life you plan for them to live. If you intend to compete in agility, for instance, you’ll introduce your puppy to agility obstacles and big crowds and parks where there are big events happening so they’ll get used to that kind of chaotic environment.
But socialization can also be stressful on the human: if you do it wrong, you could make things worse.
No pressure.
Another big issue? House training.
During the day, puppies under five months need to go to the bathroom every 30 minutes to two hours. This can be a logistical nightmare if everybody in the house is at work or school all day.
If you have a toddler or young kids, you’ll be amazed at how quickly your life suddenly revolves around keeping the puppy from chewing on them.
If you’re ready for the challenge, great! If you’re just looking for a dog to chill on the couch while you play video games, maybe don’t get a puppy. Puppies have no chill. No chill whatsoever.
Babies (human or canine) are not blank slates
Think of the classic tale of the dad who raises his son to be a basketball star, only for that son to reject dad’s dream and embrace musical theater instead.
We are not extensions of our parents.
Your puppy will not be an extension of you.
Sure, there’s plenty you can do to influence your puppy’s behavior and help them become the best dog they can be. Good socialization, training, etc. We’re big believers in that stuff, and we teach it in Puppy Survival School.
But there are other factors that are out of your control.
A lot of behavior is based on genetics. That’s the whole point of breeds, right? No matter what, a border collie is going to turn out differently than a Shiba Inu.
And some elements of aggression, separation anxiety, and fearfulness are genetic. Behavior can also be influenced by the puppy’s neonatal environment, and even their prenatal environment!
Experiences the mother dog has during pregnancy can have a strong impact on their puppies’ behavior.
If she’s stressed out, her puppies may turn out more fearful, or with less resilience to stress.
It’s a pretty straightforward survival mechanism: mom lives in a world that’s scary, unpredictable or with scarce resources? Welp, better prepare these kids to survive in that world.
These puppies’ brains get wired around this. The impact will be lifelong, no matter how well you train or socialize them. The best training in the world can’t change brain structure.
Things that can cause this kind of stress for the mother include:
- Poor physical health
- Not getting enough food or sleep
- Abusive or unpredictable caretakers
- A chronic lack of getting their enrichment needs met – exercise, mental stimulation, sniffing, playing, doing “dog things,” etc
Chaotic environments can tick a lot of these boxes. Animal shelters, commercial breeding operations (aka a puppy mill), the “streets,” hoarding situations, many backyard breeders, etc.
So if you’re adopting a puppy from a rescue, this is something to be aware of.
Should you adopt a dog with serious behavior issues or a traumatic background?
Not all rescue dogs have difficult behavior issues. But it’s common enough that it’s worth thinking about before you start visiting shelters.
Common issues include separation anxiety, reactivity, and fearfulness. Some dogs are aggressive with other dogs and need an adopter who can commit to being a one-dog household. There are a lot of teenage dogs whose previous owners bought when they were eight weeks old, didn’t socialize them, and surrendered them when they became rude, un-socialized adolescents.
Adopting a dog with “issues” can be very rewarding, but you need to make sure you can handle it
Some issues, like mild shyness or adolescent rudeness, can be worked through with a lot of patience. But others, like severe separation anxiety or reactivity, will completely change the way you live your life.
So before you commit to a dog like this, do some research into the kind of training and behavior modification they’ll need.
A starting point: our behavior problems archives
Can you afford to invest in professional behavior help? Are you willing to consult with multiple trainers/behaviorists until you find the right one?
Do you have a support network of friends/family who can dogsit sometimes? Because dogs with clinical separation anxiety cannot be left alone until they’ve gone through months of behavior modification. And with any challenging dog, it’s important to get breaks now and then, for your own sanity.
Do you want this? Do you want to become basically an amateur dog trainer? Because most owners of challenging dogs have to.
What kind of life do you actually want?
Some people dream of a dog who can tag along to dog-friendly cafes, socialize at the dog park, happily greet houseguests, travel easily, or feel comfortable in busy, unpredictable environments.
And that’s amazing! It only becomes a problem when we adopt a dog without taking a hard look at whether they’re likely to enjoy those things.
The kindest thing you can do for many rescue dogs is accept their limitations
I realize that statement goes against the cultural narrative that love and training can help any dog “rise above” their tragic backstory. Become the calm coffee shop dog, the therapy dog, the agility champion.
But how much of that is actually for the dog’s benefit, and how much is for our own egos?
Many dogs will never thrive around crowds, strangers, strange dogs, or constant novelty. Hell, it’s the same with humans. I’m a huge introvert. You could drag me to fancy parties every weekend, and I’d do my best. I’d put on my happy social mask. But would I enjoy it? Nah.
And hey, something important to keep in mind about those “overcoming the odds” before-and-after rescue stories:
Many of those dogs were adopted by professional dog trainers with a lot of resources. A mechanic might decide to buy a broken-down car that needs a million things fixed before it can even run. But there’s no way I, the very much not-a-mechanic, would take on a project like that.
A real (and real common) example
We once worked with a client who had a very full social life. They loved hosting parties and going to lunch with friends. They wanted a dog to join them in that.
But the dog they actually adopted came from a pretty serious hoarding situation. At minimum, this little guy was poorly bred, poorly socialized, and neglected. At worst, he may have been abused.
When the client brought him home, they discovered he was fear-aggressive toward strangers. They sent him to an expensive board-and-train program. Which suppressed his barking and other outward signs of fear for a while, but it couldn’t change who he was.
The client first reached out to us few months later. After the dog had started lashing out “unpredictably” at doggie daycare workers, party guests, and restaurant servers.
Don’t get me wrong – these folks were great clients whom we respected a lot. They loved their dog deeply and were willing to put in a lot of work to help him.
They just hadn’t really thought about what adopting a dog with severe trauma would mean for them before they committed.
The choice to make
None of this means you should never adopt a dog with serious behavioral challenges. It just means you have to be reeeaaally honest with yourself. About the life you want, about your capacity, and about what you are (and are not) willing to sacrifice.
If you think you could do it, great! If not, that’s great, too. There is no shame in recognizing that you’re not what a particular dog needs, and moving on to find a dog you can help.
Another option is to join a shelter as a foster home, so you can temporarily take in challenging dogs without the lifelong commitment.
CHAPTER 3. HOW TO CHOOSE A DOG FROM A SHELTER
(Each chapter has a video version, if you’d rather watch than read. Keep in mind that the written version is kept up-to-date. The video isn’t)
So now the fun part – it’s time to go to the shelter and find your canine soulmate. This section will give you some tips for how to evaluate a dog.
Disclaimer: I’ll explain our preferred strategy, but always follow the shelter’s lead on the meet-and-greet process. Some shelters have very structured methods, others don’t.
Heads up: most dogs don’t show their true personalities in the shelter
Being in a shelter (or being bounced from foster to foster) is kind of stressful for a dog, to put it mildly. Naturally, their behavior might be a little off.
So here’s the most important first step: learn dog body language
Learning to “speak dog” is going to be the most reliable way to be able to know what you’re getting into.
I worked as a shelter adoption counselor for several years. When I conducted meet-n-greets between dogs and prospective adopters, I would watch these dogs speak with their bodies, providing a wealth of information about who they were and how they were feeling.
But the adopters often had no clue that the dogs were saying anything at all.
Or worse, they thought the dogs were communicating something they actually were not. Oops.
The most common miscommunication: the difference between calm behavior and shut down behavior.
They kinda look the same if you don’t know what you’re looking for. A dog who is shut down means that he’s so afraid, intimidated, or hopeless, that he’s just stopped doing anything.
He might sit still or move very slowly.
Sometimes, adopters look at this dog and say, “oh wow, he’s so calm and relaxed!”
Narrator: he was the opposite of calm and relaxed.
Dog speak is incredibly subtle. Once you learn it, you’ll be amazed at the whole new world that opens up to you.
The next step:
We have a free online course about canine communication and body language, which features footage of dogs in shelters. Click here to check out Dog Speak 101
This will take you some time, but it’s worth it. Seriously. You want my best advice on how to pick a good dog? This is it. You can stop reading this article now. Go watch some dog body language videos.
If possible, avoid visiting the shelter during big sales or on busy days
Is your local shelter advertising a reduced-fee adoption promotion? Wonderful! Avoid it like the plague. Only because they’ll be insanely busy. With more people visiting, the staff stretched thin, and the animals more stressed than usual, it’ll be hard to take the time you need to get to know the dogs.
For the same reason, weekdays are a better time to visit than weekends.
I usually advise that you adopt a dog when you’ll have a few days off work to get her settled in. For most people, this is at the beginning of a weekend. But if you have the opportunity to do this during a time when everybody else is at work, take advantage of it.
The shelter walkthrough
If allowed, take a stroll through all the kennels, making sure to see all the available dogs.
When you see one who catches your eye, crouch down next to the kennel and offer your hand.
Generally speaking, the dogs who are best suited for inexperienced owners or young families will come to greet you and lick your fingers, tail wagging.
Just keep in mind that the way a dog acts in her kennel may be misleading.
Some dogs will bounce off the walls, go crazy or act fearful in the kennels. But once they get a chance to get away from the stress, they’ll be perfectly friendly and nice.
Other dogs will totally fawn over you when you interact with them through the kennel bars, and then act like you don’t exist once you take them out.
So don’t make your choice based on how she acts in her kennel.
When you find a possible candidate, take note of their location (if there’s a number on the kennel, write it down), and move on to explore the rest of the shelter.
Talk to staff or volunteers. Explain what you’re looking for and ask questions about the dogs. The crews at the good shelters love it when adopters do their homework, and they’ll be happy to answer your questions.
Once you have a few possible dogs in mind, ask a staff member to take one out to a meet and greet area.
Translating kennel card descriptions
Most shelters are great at providing detailed descriptions of their dogs. But sometimes you have to read between the lines.
“A one-person dog.” “Loyal.” “Takes a while to warm up to people.”
This may be a shy or fear-aggressive dog.
“Still has that puppy energy!” “Boisterous.” “Energetic.” “Easily excited.”
This dog may be difficult to handle.
“Prefers an owner who is home all day.”
Tendency toward separation anxiety?
There is usually no intent to mislead on the part of the people writing these descriptions. They may be completely accurate, but always dig deeper and ask exactly what behavior has been observed.
What questions to ask shelter staff when choosing a dog
The level of familiarity that the staff will have with each dog varies.
One shelter I used to volunteer at was a large county “dog pound,” where hundreds of dogs came in and out every week. Everyone there works hard to give the animals the best care and attention possible, but it’s difficult to get to know individual animals well.
Another shelter I volunteered at was much smaller. Every staff member was familiar with every dog’s personality and history.
And no shelter can tell you everything about a dog – again, behavior changes a lot once a dog is in a stable home environment.
Think of the staff’s responses more like clues and insight, not guarantees.
“Are there any behavior notes in the dog’s file?”
Staff and volunteers often write notes about behaviors they’ve observed
“How drugged up is that doggy in the window? (i.e. has the dog been spayed or neutered? If so, how recently?)”
If the dog experienced major surgery within the last few days, they may still be recovering – and pumped full of medication. Which makes it really hard to judge their actual personality.
“Has this dog lived in a foster home? If so, what was that like?”
Foster homes offer the most realistic picture of behavior in a home environment. Ask for any insight into house training, the dog’s behavior when left home alone, noise sensitivity, behavior around strangers or other dogs.
“What do you see as this dog’s biggest challenge?”
A shelter willing to talk openly about behavior challenges is a good sign.
“What kind of home do you think this dog would do best in?”
This flips the question from “is this dog right for me” to “am I right for this dog.”
“Has this dog been introduced to other dogs, or other animals?”
Most shelters won’t know about the dog’s behavior around cats, FYI. Cat-owning adopters often asked if I could walk a dog past the cat kennels to see how they do, but a good shelter will politely decline that request.
It isn’t super ethical to stress out shelter cats by “testing” dogs with them, for one thing. For another, seeing a cat behind glass in a chaotic shelter environment is not a good indicator of how they’d actually live with a cat.
So if a cat-friendly dog is important to you, look for one whose history with cats – in a home environment – is well known.
The meet and greet
Once you have the dog out in a play yard or quiet room, you may need to give her a moment to adjust. She’s likely been locked up in a cramped and noisy kennel for a while, so she’ll need to stretch her legs, explore, or take a bathroom break.
After the initial warmup (and with the staff’s permission) offer toys and treats. Many dogs are too distracted or stressed to play with toys in that environment. But you will find quite a few who get very excited about toys at the shelter. Dogs like that are good dog sports candidates.
When you offer food, most dogs will take real meat treats. Lack of interest in real meat may indicate that the dog is too overwhelmed or afraid. But if the dog shows a lot of interest in the food, ignoring all other distractions, or if he is just as excited about boring dry biscuits as he is about the real meat, this indicates a highly food-motivated, easier-to-train dog.
How does the dog do with your kids? The best family dogs will be thrilled to meet your children In fact, ideally the dog should rather play with them than you. Beware any dog who avoids or ignores the kids. Also watch out for dogs who just doesn’t interact with them enthusiastically. This might be his way of telling you he’s just not a kid person.
Ask if you can take the dog to a different area. Dogs sometimes act differently in different environments. So if the shelter has an indoor meet-and-greet room and and outdoor play yard, ask if you can take the dogs to both.
Watch the dog’s behavior when he walks through the shelter. He’ll probably pull on leash. That’s fine – it’s not really fair to expect perfect leash manners in this chaotic environment. Just take note of if it seems like he might be too much for you to handle.
And you’re also looking for is any sign of aggression or fear. Does he lunge, barks, cower or growl at passing people or dogs?
Does he pay attention to you despite the distractions? If you have a dog out in a play yard, and he wants to focus on you despite all the excitement around him, this is a good sign. Indicates he might be easier to train.
Don’t rush through a meet-n-greet for the staff member’s sake. People often apologized to me for taking up my time, which was very nice of them, but unnecessary. You’re making a big life changing decision, after all. Take all the time you need.
I recommend meeting more than one dog. Even if you think you’ve found The One on your first try. This will give you a better idea of how dogs behave in the shelter, what’s normal, what’s not, and what is a possible warning sign.
When you find The One
So you’ve finally found the right dog. Woohoo!
Now, it’s time to fill out your paperwork and pay the adoption fee. Every reputable shelter will require their animals to be spayed or neutered before going to their new homes. If your dog has already been fixed, you should be able to take her home that day. If not, she may have to stay a couple days to have the surgery done.
Before taking her home, ask about what vaccinations she’s had so you can continue the proper vaccination protocol with your own vet.
Ask about what food she’s been eating. You’ll want to feed her the same food or similar for at least a couple weeks, to avoid causing stomach upsets.
After that, it’s time to go home! It’s a very exciting feeling, starting life with a new dog. The journey is always unique with each dog, and always an adventure. With hard work, patience, and a healthy dose of humor and understanding, your adventure will be a rewarding one.
