Dog Adoption: What Do You Need to Consider?

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Dog Adoption: What do You Need to Consider?

Dogs are loyal and perfect companions. They can reduce stress and boost your happiness. They can add to your children’s playmates too.

But it takes patience and a lot of work if you want to own a pet. Taking care of your dog includes training which requires money and time.

Adopting a dog can be a terrific choice to make. But it is also a big decision that you shouldn’t take lightly. Not only your time would be needed but also your money for additional expenses to your family.

Preparing basic needs, veterinary bills, and some for emergencies.
Adopting a dog means he already came from a family. Shelters accept dogs because of the owner’s reasons, like moving to another city, needing a divorce, or worse, cruelty from the pet owners.

Usually, dogs in animal shelters are homeless and need proper care. So, adopting dogs might be challenging to most pet owners.
Dogs have personalities that you need to handle too. They need training and proper exercise, so they might actually eat up a lot of your time.

Therefore, choosing the right dog for the family is essential. So here are some tips if you want to adopt a dog successfully.

Consider your lifestyle

The most essential factor in deciding the kind of dog you should own is your lifestyle. Considering your lifestyle affects how much time you could give attention to your adopted dog.

If you are busy and take your time mostly at work, you might need a senior dog who doesn’t need to be trained every day.

You’d probably need a pet who’s more likely to sleep and wait for you until you come back home. But if you are single, with a lot of free time, you can accommodate a dog who’s not house trained well.
Since you have a lot of free time that you can spend with your dog, you may walk your puppy in the park or train him. Deciding what kind of dog to choose to adopt is hard.

Some dogs are easily trained, and some are stubborn. You may also consider the expenses, size, or energy level of the dog. Also it’s not just your time to spend with your dog that’s important but also your money.

Routine vet care, food, some emergencies, or grooming expenses means your pocket should be ready for all these costs. However, if you have already experienced adopting a dog or getting a new dog, you should already know what to consider.

Adopting a dog, being stubborn or tenacious, can be very challenging. But if you’re a fur parent who loves challenges, Terriers are suitable for you.

Consider your family

Some families want to adopt a puppy because their children just want a playmate or just want to add a family member.

If you have kids under 7, it is best to have a professional trainer with you to help pick out the right dog at a rescue shelter. Picking the wrong dog to adopt might just cause problems for the family. Toddlers suffer the most from dog bites.

Check your home

Look around your house and check every detail from a dog’s point of view. Remove everything into their places which would harm your dog or could possibly be destroyed by your dog.

Things like electrical cords, kids’ small toys, wires, or shoes are something a dog might ruin. If planning to get a big breed who might dig his way out, check your yard and make sure it’s fully enclosed.
If you live in an apartment, you might want to check these breeds that will be best for you to adopt: Top 8 Dog Breeds For Small Homes And Apartments.

Choose the best shelter.

Visit animal rescue groups or local shelters by not judging the exterior or no-kill basis. It is not because the animal shelter doesn’t apply euthanasia policy means it is wise to choose that particular shelter.

Don’t discriminate against animal shelters as “One shelter’s euthanasia number is everyone’s euthanasia number,” says Sternberg.

Walk around the whole place with your professional dog trainer, and do not skip a single cage. Check every kennel and choose the one that is right for you.

Dog Adoption: Assess a dog’s attitude

It is good to know your adopted dog’s personality before taking him home. Evaluate his sociability and temperament.

A dog with a relaxed forehead, wagging tail, and blinking eyes who looks back at you, is a friendly dog based on Sternberg.

Try to test the dog by closing your hand and offer the back of your knuckles, leveling the height of his head. Move your fist in a square with 4 inches in each direction.

Stop every 2 seconds on each side. The friendliest dog will lick your knuckle, three out of four sides of the square. The most likely to misbehave will just sniff and go away.

It’s still better to ask for that dog’s background and behavior.

Ready some basic supplies

Make sure to prepare everything your dog might need, like a collar, water bowls, leash, and food. Give your dog an ID tag with your personal information.

If your dog doesn’t have a name yet, put your name and phone number on the tag. Make sure to know your dog’s food from the shelter.

Use this food and slowly change it to make a smooth transition if you want another dog food for him. This is to avoid stomach upset.

Prepare some dog toys for him and cleaning items to remove the smell from accidents made by your dog.

Spend time with your dog

Spend time with your new dog the first time you take him home. You can go exercise with him, start basic training, or play with him.

Make sure to give him enough treats to get to know your puppy. If you’re going to give it much attention, try to take a day off from work.

As a practice, try to leave him for a short time in one part of your house where he will stay when you’re away at work. This will make him learn where he should wait until you come back.

Make this a habit for a few days until he knows. You can also schedule a visit to your trusted veterinarian.

Although he may be done with his vaccinations, it’s still important to establish a relationship between your dog and his vet.

Author

Belle Derecho

I grew up as a goal digger who always looks for inspiration to strive hard and to fulfill my dream as a writer. I began writing fictional stories at a young age and continued playing with my imaginations as I unraveled the real world of adults. Now, as a young adult, I have realized that I shouldn’t give up writing because great things are just waiting around the corner.