No matter where you live in the United States there are usually dogs to be found in animal shelters in your area. But should you adopt a shelter dog? Is it a good idea? What are the pros and cons?
Pros
1. Adopting a dog from an animal shelter gives a dog a chance at a new home. A dog’s owner may not have been able to keep him for a very good reason — perhaps the owner was moving or someone in the family was allergic to the dog. By adopting the dog you are giving that dog another chance.
2. There are many mixed breed dogs in animal shelters and mixed breed dogs have been shown to live as long or longer than giant and medium-sized purebred dogs. You may find a very good mixed breed dog that will happily live with you in your home for years to come.
3. Many animal shelters try to screen the dogs they adopt out to match them with the best families. This helps reduce the number of dogs that are returned to them. It also increases the chance that you will get a good dog the first time you try to adopt one.
4. Dogs from animal shelters already have had their shots and been spayed or neutered, which is good for most people wishing to adopt.
However, there are some reasons why adopting a dog from an animal shelter is not the best choice for everyone.
Cons
1. You won’t know much, if anything, about the dog’s history. You may not know the real reason why he was taken to the animal shelter. If he has a behavior problem of some kind you may not find out until after he is living in your home.
2. Contrary to what some sources say, it is difficult to find purebred dogs in animal shelters. Shelter workers tend to label many dogs as “purebreds” if they bear any resemblance to some breed of dog in order to try to get them adopted, but that doesn’t mean they’re really purebred dogs. The overwhelming number of dogs in shelters are mixed breed dogs. If you are looking for a purebred dog you should try a purebred rescue organization or go to a breeder.
3. Many dogs coming from animal shelters may have behavior problems and they are not a good choice for the first-time dog owner. The behavior problems may be something minor, such as jumping up on people, and the problem can be easily solved, but the dog would take some work. Keep in mind that you will have these same problems if you buy a purebred dog.
If you are interested in a dog from an animal shelter you should try to spend as much time as possible with the dog before adopting. Get to know him. Try to find out all you can about the reasons why he was brought to the shelter. If you like the dog and think you can work with any problems he may have, give him a go. But you shouldn’t give up on him if he shows problems when you first take him home. It will take time to overcome any behavior problems that he may have.
Over the years I have adopted many dogs from shelters and from owners that needed to give them up. I must tell you that I have had excellent results with each of them. The best part about adopting a dog that is 1 -2 years old is that you can see what he is and how well he is behaved. With an older dog you don’t have to go thru all the puppy stuff and to me that’s worth a bunch!
Tell us about your shelter dog experience….is it good or bad?
Until next time………….
About the Author: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN. Wayne has been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network, www.K9-University.com .
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Great points Wayne. I prefer the private adoption from the dogs owner. I adopted my 1st golden retriever and 6 months later adopted a second golden retriever the same way. Within I have also done this for several clients last year. Private adoption gives you a better idea of where they came from and more information on the dog.
I would love get involved in a state prison system that would allow me to teach inmates how to train a dog by rescuing from a kill shelter, and re-home after the training is completed. Already being done in a few states with great success.
Ditto Wayne. I had adopted my best friend Mathilda from the ‘owners’ who just got a hyperactive Brittany Spaniel and lived in a mobile home. They were out of room, and my first wife knew I was looking for an Australian Cattle Dog (Blue Heeler) and saw the ad in the paper.
I never had a more loyal friend than her (perhaps that seems sad, but there is nothing like unconditional love) and from two years old until she died at twelve years old we were best buddies. My first wife left when Matty was four so the dog stuck with me longer than the human.
My second wife found “Pepper” at a local pound, and she unfortunately had the habit of digging under the fence to escape. The fourth time she got out we were not able to find her.
My wife started out with a Rottie, who had to be put down because the dog bit her middle son- little did she know at the time but the kid used to torture the dog so it’s no wonder he was bitten. She then had a few Weimeraners which she purchased at great cost. I believe that purchasing a dog in many ways supports an often ugly industry.
It never occured to me to buy a dog because the pound is full of them, and as you pointed out with the Internet you can find purebreeds should you want one. My friend back in NY has some SAR dogs which all came from the pound and turned out to be great dogs that worked tirelessly at Ground Zero. This proves, everyone deserves a second chance, don’t you agree?
Great article, Wayne. I recently adopted a Great Pyranese mix from a shelter. What I find is that the rescued dogs seem so appreciative of having a home and a family to love them. I have had great success with adopting from the shelter. I adopt them, nurture them, teach them some basic commands and then find a great family for them.
That is great Jan. I’m happy to hear that you have taken the time to help some of these dogs get trained and find new homes.
Wayne
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