October is Adopt a Shelter Dog month
Tips for choosing the right dog for you and your family:
·
Choose a dog that will fit in with your lifestyle
o Things to
consider are the dog’s size, exercise needs, energy level, friendliness and compatibility
with children, strangers and other pets.
o Do you live
in an apartment, condo or house? It’s also good to consider your housing
situation especially if you’re interested in a large breed dogs
·
Age differences
o Are you
interested in a puppy? Have you considered everything a puppy needs?
§ Is someone
home during the day to train and socialize the puppy?
§ Who will be
responsible for taking the puppy out in the morning and during the night?
§ Puppies
need to be fed three to four times a day and go out often immediately after
eating or drinking.
§ Accidents
inside happen as they are being housebroken.
o Many older
dogs (meaning not puppy age) have some basic training and can be left alone for
longer times.
·
Don’t rely on first impressions alone
o You can’t
often get a good feel for a dog’s real personality in a shelter
environment. Some dogs can get
overstimulated by the number of other animals and/or noise in the shelter
environment. This may cause dogs to bark excessively.
o Don’t
overlook quieter dogs. They may not appear to be vying for your attention but
that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be a good fit for you and your family.
·
Talk to shelter staff
o Since they
interact with the shelter dogs daily, they would have the best knowledge about
the dog you’re interested in.
o Visiting
the shelter frequently allows the shelter staff to get to know you and your
family and help figure out which dog would work best with your lifestyle.
·
Ask to see the dog outside the kennel area
o Ask if you
could take them for a walk outside the shelter
o Ask to
visit with the dog in a quiet visiting room
·
Visit more than one shelter
o Compare the
shelters
§ Are they
clean?
§ Are the
staff friendly?
§ Are they
willing to help?
·
Consider costs
o The ASPCA
estimates the annual cost of care for a dog, including pet insurance, is as
follows:
§ $737.00
annually for a small dog
§ $894.00
annually for a medium dog
§ $1,040.31
annually for a large dog
§ This does
not include initial costs including adoption or fees, beds, crates, leashes,
collars, harnesses, toys, food/water bowls and other items needed to bring your
new doggy home
·
Keep in mind the dog you pick will be with you for
many years.