What Should I Expect? I Have So Many Questions!?
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
So tommorow I am going to the pound and rescue a dog hopefully a puppy. I already have a 5 year old papillon mix, he is a little jealous but I plan on doing a proper introduction so that no jealousy arises. So my question is what should I expect going to the pound in terms of the dogs there? ( by the way im in a city) . Are there always puppies? Do the dogs/puppies generally com healthy or do they sometimes come out sick (ex kennel cough, manges,parvo, etc) What should I ask? Also should I rescue a puppy or a slightly older dog? Or what breed or mix do you suggest:: Heres my living situation
I already had a huge dog, unfortunately it died a few months ago, so my mom doesnt like big dogs because she thinks they are to much to handle. I dont think so and I would be responsible in training and I personally would be up for it., (by the way Im 23 so its not my first and Im not a little teenager or kid) She really has her heart set on a littler one but I would also like a bigger one to walk and jog with me. Exercise wouldnt be an issue. The other issue my mom has is that she wants a low – no shed dog. So what are your thoughts- puppy or adult dog? small or bigger dog? if so what breed/s ( considering the fact that alot of the dogs are mutts in the pound) and again what are some questions should I ask them? by the way I am going by myself. Thanks for your help and no sarcastic or rude answers.
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I adopted a dog from the humane society two days ago and am loving who I picked. I got a one year old and I think that is the perfect age. She potty trained-a big plus. She doesn’t chew on anything besides her toys and she’s still yound enough to play and have fun.
Now what to expect- expect your heart to break at all the dogs there. I wanted to take every one home. Expect to not bring home the breed you wanted. Keep an open mind and how they act there is NOT how they will act at home with you. There are tons of dogs there and they are kept in cages all day so when u get one out to play with it it will be extremely hyper.
Yes sometimes they are sick but most rescues offer an exchange program or a warranty or something. They should come with shots and spay/neuter though.
Ask them why they were surrendered or if they know anything about their past. Ask them if they have tested for aggression (like food, toys, chewbones, etc). That is REALLY important. Ask if they offer some sort of low cost behavior traning. And anything else that comes to mind.
Good luck with your new addition!!
How about rescuing a greyhound or a whippet? They have short hair, and the whippets are fairly small, and a greyhound is almost a large dog. The greyhounds love to run, obviously. I think you are to be commended for helping out a dog in need. Good luck.
A few years ago I adopted a dog from the shelter and they had so many there that I liked I had a hard time deciding which one to get. I could only get one. I basically let the dog pick me. Which ever dog that seemed to like me the most, is the one that I took home. Years before that my husband and I were adopting a shelter dog and he really liked one that they said did not like men. Well they let it out of the cage and it cuddled right up with my husband and didn’t want to go back in the pen so we took him home. He was a great dog!
Shelters have to disclose to you any problems with any dog that they are aware of, so don’t be afraid to ask your questions. If they want to adopt out a dog, they will answer them for you! Pretty much every dog sheds, but if you brush them daily that will minimize the shedding. I know there are some out there that are low shedding dogs, but sorry, I can’t remember which breeds right now. From my experience with shelters, puppys are kind of hard to find..meaning they seem to get adopted the quickest. i’d go with an older dog if possible.
I’d suggest adopting between 1-3 years old since there’s a good chance that it may be house-trained and already know a few commands. Also, be open to adopting whoever fits best with your family and don’t based so much on low-no shed(unless there are allergies) or size unless space is a serious issue. Your best bet might be to aim for a medium sized dog that is small enough to be a companion for your mom and large enough to be your exercise buddy. My 17 pound pup is great for that since he’s small enough to be a lap dog but can keep up when I’m out for a jog.
Also, since a fair amount of the dogs coming into a shelter are probably strays, there is a chance that they might be sick but it won’t show up until a few days after you’ve brought the new addition home. So make sure to bring it to a vet soon for a checkup and a spay/neuter if necessary. To reduce health issues later I’d also recommend a mutt since the genes from having mixed breeds can help ‘cancel out’ the purebred health issues.
If you have any questions about your dog, ask the person who is helping you with the adoption, they want to see that the person who is adopting cares enough to voice their concerns.
Look for a medium sized 1-2 year old dog, already housebroken. The shelters in my area have them spayed/neutered and first shots. That being said–I went to the shelter for a “little house dog”, asked to see the dogs on what I call “death row” and walked out with a 2 year old registered Old English sheepdog, his “problem” was that he liked to play and the kids fell over him. He spent 10 years with us, with our son playing and falling all over him!
This website below has a list of low-shedding dogs. If you click on each breed name you can see what it looks like. Most of the poodle crosses are low shedders. A medium size dog would be a good compromise with your mom. It should still be big enough to jog along with you.
As previously stated, get the previous history and shelter intake and evaluation information. Ask about aggression, bad manners, health, etc. How do they get along with other dogs, etc. How long they have been in the shelter. When you find one you like, try to take it to a quiet place away from other dogs and people and just sit quietly and see how the dog reacts. Give them time to take a good sniff around the place and then see if they come to you to solicit attention. How does it react when you stroke its back, etc.
Not all adult shelter dogs are house trained, so prepared for that. Puppies are always cute but you can never be sure what size a shelter puppy is going to grow into. I have ones that I thought would be bigger and some I thought would be smaller.
Well thank you for adopting a dog, currently I have my lab curled up on the bed with me with his paw wrapped in my arm, snoring…
unrelated but its cute.
Most city pounds dont have puppies, just keep that in mind. They go pretty fast! Most of the dogs at a pound are either young adults, that owners dropped off because they found out they were far to active for what they were expecting, and older dogs that people have become bored with. Sorry, its the truth of it. I would recomend if there wernt any puppies, to get one between 9mo & 2years, that way you can get a general idea of their adult size, some mutts are unpredictable.
There is no such thing as a no shedder, nor is there ever a pure breed at the pound, included is a link about breeds of dogs that shed little.
You could meet half way and get a 30-40 dog.
Also, most humane societies require a meet and greet between the adoptable and the dog at home (or cats) this is usually supervised by an employee to see if its a good match.
A final thing to note, black dogs have the lowest adoptable rate just because of their color, and because my little gassy gem next to me is a black lab, I have to mention that. Included is a link to that as well..
Good luck on your puppy adventures.
I would suggest one about the same size as your papillon. That way they would more likely get along good together. Everyone always wants to get a puppy but I find a little older dog is nicer. They seem more grateful and eager to please. If you got a female it might make good friends with you existing dog. Another thing about the pound or rescue is if you don’t see the dog you want on your first try, just wait a little while and they probably will have it.
. And I will say again, please consider and slightly older dog than a puppy. So many good dogs are being passed up.