Thinking about adopting a dog
June 22, 2018 4:09 AM Subscribe
I'm at a point in life where I'm considering adopting a dog. I've always wanted a dog and things may be coalescing to a point where it might be a good time to do so in the near-ish future. But I don't really know where to start with considerations of breed, age, where to find one, etc.
Upcoming changes in my schedule and income, as well as the death of my much beloved cat (who would have tolerated but been very jealous of a dog around) have got me considering adopting a dog - something I've wanted to do for more than a decade.
I have no idea where to start, however. I'm looking for resources that will help me answer questions such as:
-Puppy vs older dog?
-Size and breed?
-Where to adopt?
-Things to think about/consider prior to dog adoption?
I grew up with dogs which were all purebred and purchased from breeders. I'm disinclined to get a dog this way, and would much rather adopt from a shelter or similar, but this is complicated by the fact that I live in a somewhat rural area without a lot of dogs in shelters up for adoption. So resources particularly with this in mind would be much appreciated.
Other possible relevant details:
-Live alone in two story townhouse that I own. No breed or size restrictions.
-No fenced in dedicated yard, but lots of green space with nearby dog park.
-No children or other pets.
-Flexible schedule that allows me to come home during the day usually to walk the dog etc.
-Nearby family willing to care for dog if I am away.
-Am leaning toward something in the medium size range, but other than that I have no other firm ideas of what I'd like.
-In the midwest, US.
Any places you can point me to to help me start to figure this out would help tremendously! Thank you!
Upcoming changes in my schedule and income, as well as the death of my much beloved cat (who would have tolerated but been very jealous of a dog around) have got me considering adopting a dog - something I've wanted to do for more than a decade.
I have no idea where to start, however. I'm looking for resources that will help me answer questions such as:
-Puppy vs older dog?
-Size and breed?
-Where to adopt?
-Things to think about/consider prior to dog adoption?
I grew up with dogs which were all purebred and purchased from breeders. I'm disinclined to get a dog this way, and would much rather adopt from a shelter or similar, but this is complicated by the fact that I live in a somewhat rural area without a lot of dogs in shelters up for adoption. So resources particularly with this in mind would be much appreciated.
Other possible relevant details:
-Live alone in two story townhouse that I own. No breed or size restrictions.
-No fenced in dedicated yard, but lots of green space with nearby dog park.
-No children or other pets.
-Flexible schedule that allows me to come home during the day usually to walk the dog etc.
-Nearby family willing to care for dog if I am away.
-Am leaning toward something in the medium size range, but other than that I have no other firm ideas of what I'd like.
-In the midwest, US.
Any places you can point me to to help me start to figure this out would help tremendously! Thank you!
I have several friends and coworkers who adopted puppies in the last year and I’ve been surprised to observe how much it has in common with being the parent of a very young child - lots of behavior issues, scheduling constraints (though not quite as severe as with parenting), and waking up in the night to deal with small puppy bladders. It sounds like maybe you haven’t been the primary caregiver for a puppy before, so if that’s true, the lifestyle adjustment required is something to keep in mind.
Good luck and I hope you find a great friend!
posted by eirias at 6:11 AM on June 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
Good luck and I hope you find a great friend!
posted by eirias at 6:11 AM on June 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
We adopted a retired greyhound and we enjoyed eight years of Gracie's wonderfulness. The Greyhound Project. Ten reasons to adopt a greyhound and 10 reasons not to. Life at the Track. They love to run, but not for long - they're used to sprinting in on race day in roughly 45-second long races, and then resting for some days til the next one. We did not have a fenced yard, but a dog park fairly close so we could let her off the leash there. My wife would hold her collar while I called her from about 50 yards away, and then she'd let Gracie go. She'd get to full speed - ~35 mph - in about a second and come to me. This consistently took my breath away. An amazingly beautiful sight. Two or three of these sprints , and then she was done. She'd then just lie down under a tree. Other greyhounds may be different, of course.
As with every breed, there is a very big and committed greyhound community on line, easy to find. All breeds have idiosyncrasies, times when they're high maintenance, but that's pets for you. They need some coaching to learn to let you know when they need to go; when racing they are on a regular schedule for that. They may never have seen stairs before. That can take patience. They need a couple of 15-20 minute walks every day, and a few shorter ones if you have time. Other than that they love to lounge, play with toys, and get tummy rubs. They're used to crates and confinement for long periods, so they're okay to leave for hours at a time if they've had a chance to empty out, so to speak.
My closer: Greyhounds playing in leaves.
posted by conscious matter at 6:18 AM on June 22, 2018 [9 favorites]
As with every breed, there is a very big and committed greyhound community on line, easy to find. All breeds have idiosyncrasies, times when they're high maintenance, but that's pets for you. They need some coaching to learn to let you know when they need to go; when racing they are on a regular schedule for that. They may never have seen stairs before. That can take patience. They need a couple of 15-20 minute walks every day, and a few shorter ones if you have time. Other than that they love to lounge, play with toys, and get tummy rubs. They're used to crates and confinement for long periods, so they're okay to leave for hours at a time if they've had a chance to empty out, so to speak.
My closer: Greyhounds playing in leaves.
posted by conscious matter at 6:18 AM on June 22, 2018 [9 favorites]
I wouldn't rule out getting a puppy, but I think getting an adult dog is a little less work and maybe a better fit for a first-time dog owner. You're also in a position to be a candidate adopter for certain classes of dogs that can be a little harder to adopt out--dogs that aren't a good fit for families with young children or busy households, cats, etc.
Have you looked at Petfinder yet? That's a good starting point to see what local resources are out there beyond the local Humane Society/Animal Control shelters. Also, many smaller organizations that keep animals in foster homes rather than group shelters will have adoption events at local pet stores where you will have the chance to interact with multiple dogs and get a better sense of personalities and talk to people who are clued in to their personalities, quirks, etc.
If you don't have a strong leaning toward any one particular breed or type, I wouldn't get too hung up on that at this point. In the medium-sized range you'll find that many adoptable dogs are some kind of Heinz 57 mix of the most popular medium-sized breeds: lab/shepherds/husky/hound/pit bull types. There are tons of pit bull mixes out there in need of adoption due to high supply and lower demand: I know lots of people who own and love their pitties, and if you might consider that option, read up on the REAL pluses and minuses of the breed (tend to be super affectionate and easy-going in a loving home; but also tend to be high energy + not exceptionally bright/biddable, which can be a training challenge).
If the geolocation in your profile is still accurate, I grew up in the Quad Cities and still have strong ties there, including people involved in dog rescue so if you're interested I can hit up that network and see if they have Eastern Iowa/Western Illinois organizations they do or don't recommend. Read yelp/google/facebook reviews of organizations.
posted by drlith at 6:19 AM on June 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
Have you looked at Petfinder yet? That's a good starting point to see what local resources are out there beyond the local Humane Society/Animal Control shelters. Also, many smaller organizations that keep animals in foster homes rather than group shelters will have adoption events at local pet stores where you will have the chance to interact with multiple dogs and get a better sense of personalities and talk to people who are clued in to their personalities, quirks, etc.
If you don't have a strong leaning toward any one particular breed or type, I wouldn't get too hung up on that at this point. In the medium-sized range you'll find that many adoptable dogs are some kind of Heinz 57 mix of the most popular medium-sized breeds: lab/shepherds/husky/hound/pit bull types. There are tons of pit bull mixes out there in need of adoption due to high supply and lower demand: I know lots of people who own and love their pitties, and if you might consider that option, read up on the REAL pluses and minuses of the breed (tend to be super affectionate and easy-going in a loving home; but also tend to be high energy + not exceptionally bright/biddable, which can be a training challenge).
If the geolocation in your profile is still accurate, I grew up in the Quad Cities and still have strong ties there, including people involved in dog rescue so if you're interested I can hit up that network and see if they have Eastern Iowa/Western Illinois organizations they do or don't recommend. Read yelp/google/facebook reviews of organizations.
posted by drlith at 6:19 AM on June 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
As for where to find a dog, use https://www.petfinder.com/. They aggregate listings from a million shelters so you can find dogs near you. If you're in a sparsely populated area, near you might mean an hour or two a way. But I'm in a big city and I've gone a few hours away to adopt the right dog. You basically do all the paperwork and interviews ahead of time and only travel to the dog for pick-up.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:20 AM on June 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:20 AM on June 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
A lot of rescue groups post their available dogs on PetFinder.com and similar sites if they don't have a physical shelter. Smaller organizations generally only have their available pets in foster homes, so more might exist than you realize. On PetFinder.com and other sites like AdoptaPet.com you could put in your zip code and search to see what is closest to you.
I definitely recommend rescuing a dog rather than getting one from a breeder, especially since it seems like you are pretty flexible with what kind of dog you can accommodate. I adopted my dog when she was 2 years old and that was a great age because she still had lots of energy but required a bit less training. She is 50 lbs and that is a nice size since she isn't too big for me to handle. She's a retriever mix (looks most like a small black lab) but probably has some pitbull in her too. I think you can be open to different breeds and just find the right pup that you bond with most!
If you think you might want a cat again in the future, keep that in mind too. That is what is great about getting a dog who has been in a foster home- they can often tell you if the dog will be good with cats and other dogs. Or, you can get one of each now! This time of year there are tons of new puppies and kittens so you will probably have more options if you adopt soon rather than waiting until later in the year. Good luck!
posted by Katie8709 at 6:20 AM on June 22, 2018
I definitely recommend rescuing a dog rather than getting one from a breeder, especially since it seems like you are pretty flexible with what kind of dog you can accommodate. I adopted my dog when she was 2 years old and that was a great age because she still had lots of energy but required a bit less training. She is 50 lbs and that is a nice size since she isn't too big for me to handle. She's a retriever mix (looks most like a small black lab) but probably has some pitbull in her too. I think you can be open to different breeds and just find the right pup that you bond with most!
If you think you might want a cat again in the future, keep that in mind too. That is what is great about getting a dog who has been in a foster home- they can often tell you if the dog will be good with cats and other dogs. Or, you can get one of each now! This time of year there are tons of new puppies and kittens so you will probably have more options if you adopt soon rather than waiting until later in the year. Good luck!
posted by Katie8709 at 6:20 AM on June 22, 2018
There are various Q&A apps that can help narrow down the types of breeds, such as Dog Breed Selector
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 7:00 AM on June 22, 2018
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 7:00 AM on June 22, 2018
The breed rescue groups tend to get most of the dogs of that breed so if you want a Golden Retriever or Poodle, you pretty much have to work with the rescue groups. They can be a bit idiosyncratic. Talk to your vet and other vet offices, tell them you want to adopt a dog, and they may know of a dog that needs a new home. My friend got the most beautiful poodle that way. I got my fantastic dog from a shelter in the South when I was there for family stuff. In the South, even the Midwest, there are shelters full of wonderful dogs who will be killed if not adopted. My local shelter brings dogs from kill shelters in the South to dog-lovers in Maine. Iowa City has some sweet puppers.
I chose my specific dog because I was flying and the airline said he had to be in a crate under the seat, so I chose the little guy of several wonderful dogs. He's been an excellent dog, smart, well-behaved, trainable, excellent traveler. I would probably like a dog that is a bit better about protecting; he protects his territory from other dogs, but he'd let a burglar with a dog treat take everything.
Puppies are just the cutest, but I have adopted adult dogs from 1 - 6 years, because house-training is not that fun, and puppies chew everything - shoes, furniture, a previous dog ate part of the back seat, and he was @ 2. Current dog was @ 1, not fully house-trained, but figured it out in days. Adopting a senior dog is an excellent thing, so many of them are abandoned, but you will fall in love and have a shorter time.
As for breed, the shelters are full of pit bulls and other 'aggressive' breeds. They can be excellent dogs, loyal, protective, sweet-natured, but they are strong and if they do attack, can cause very serious harm. If you get a dog in that category, you really have be committed to training. Personally, I can't have a dog that strong because walking that dog on snowy and icy roads would be treacherous. Greyhounds are so bred to chase that they truly cannot ever be off-leash, for their own safety. Some dogs need a lot of exercise and need a visit to the dog park or a long run a couple days a week or they will be miserable and ill-behaved. Some breeds have health issues due to the way they've been bred.
I recommend visiting all the shelters near you and visiting lots of dogs. That will be fun, and will help you decide, or, some dog will just steal your heart and resolve the question.
posted by theora55 at 7:26 AM on June 22, 2018
I chose my specific dog because I was flying and the airline said he had to be in a crate under the seat, so I chose the little guy of several wonderful dogs. He's been an excellent dog, smart, well-behaved, trainable, excellent traveler. I would probably like a dog that is a bit better about protecting; he protects his territory from other dogs, but he'd let a burglar with a dog treat take everything.
Puppies are just the cutest, but I have adopted adult dogs from 1 - 6 years, because house-training is not that fun, and puppies chew everything - shoes, furniture, a previous dog ate part of the back seat, and he was @ 2. Current dog was @ 1, not fully house-trained, but figured it out in days. Adopting a senior dog is an excellent thing, so many of them are abandoned, but you will fall in love and have a shorter time.
As for breed, the shelters are full of pit bulls and other 'aggressive' breeds. They can be excellent dogs, loyal, protective, sweet-natured, but they are strong and if they do attack, can cause very serious harm. If you get a dog in that category, you really have be committed to training. Personally, I can't have a dog that strong because walking that dog on snowy and icy roads would be treacherous. Greyhounds are so bred to chase that they truly cannot ever be off-leash, for their own safety. Some dogs need a lot of exercise and need a visit to the dog park or a long run a couple days a week or they will be miserable and ill-behaved. Some breeds have health issues due to the way they've been bred.
I recommend visiting all the shelters near you and visiting lots of dogs. That will be fun, and will help you decide, or, some dog will just steal your heart and resolve the question.
posted by theora55 at 7:26 AM on June 22, 2018
When I lived in Idaho I drove to Vancouver, Canada to get a dog after falling for him on line (when I thought he was at a closer location). He was completely worth it.
You might make contact with the SPCA/ shelter in the nearest big city - fill out their application and turn it in, bookmark their cite and when you see a dog that interests you take a drive and check him or her out. I've had puppies and older dogs. I think a good compromise is a dog that's 1 - 2 years old.
Good luck!
posted by mulcahy at 7:46 AM on June 22, 2018
You might make contact with the SPCA/ shelter in the nearest big city - fill out their application and turn it in, bookmark their cite and when you see a dog that interests you take a drive and check him or her out. I've had puppies and older dogs. I think a good compromise is a dog that's 1 - 2 years old.
Good luck!
posted by mulcahy at 7:46 AM on June 22, 2018
I just adopted a dog last month! (Gatsby) I highly recommend signing up for BarkBox once you get your dog. They send two full bags of treats, a chew, and a couple of toys every month for $22-30 a month (depending on how long you sign up for). They’re themed every month (this month is New York) and they’re super cute. And it’s a good way to get a bunch of toys for relatively cheaply.
The PetSmart trainer also told me to rotate his toys, instead of giving him all of them at once, so he doesn’t get bored and he always thinks he has “new toys.”
posted by Weeping_angel at 8:04 AM on June 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
The PetSmart trainer also told me to rotate his toys, instead of giving him all of them at once, so he doesn’t get bored and he always thinks he has “new toys.”
posted by Weeping_angel at 8:04 AM on June 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
Puppies are a lot of work. We rescued a puppy again a couple of years ago and had forgotten how intense it can be. Now we're looking to rescue again to get a companion dog for our former puppy and we're looking at young dogs (1-3) - still arguably a puppy, but not quite as much work. Rescues that use fosters to care for dogs as well as most shelters will have an idea of the personality and needs of a specific dog. I'd ask them and then go from there. For example, are you looking for a very active dog that will go running/hiking with you all the time? Are you looking for a dog that you want to do advanced training with? Are you looking for a chill companion that's good with kids? I've found its less about breed and more about the specific dog. Good luck!! I've always found the very best dogs through rescue. Absolute treasure dogs. Thanks for rescuing!
posted by quince at 8:09 AM on June 22, 2018
posted by quince at 8:09 AM on June 22, 2018
Whatever dog you get, if you can afford it, I recommend working with a positive reinforcement based trainer for a bit. It will help you understand how dogs work and get some basic manners. The local SPCA likely has basic obedience classes too.
Yay, dogs are great!
posted by latkes at 11:51 AM on June 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
Yay, dogs are great!
posted by latkes at 11:51 AM on June 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
I, as a first time dog-person, and a single person, adopted an adult dog a few years ago. My sister, who is married with two children adopted a puppy a few months later. Hearing of her experience, there's pretty much no way I'd ever get a puppy. :) Plus, plenty of folks want puppies, and there are plenty of older dogs available.
Petfinder and adoptapet are how I found both of my pups. One thing I will caution you of is that a lot of rescues seem to represent things as fact that are just guesses. For example, the breed of my first dog (They said chihuahua mix. She's half pomeranian and no chi) and the age of my second (they said 10, he was 12 according to the vet paperwork they gave me.) So meeting the dog and really evaluating their personality for yourself will be important, but as mentioned above, dogs being fostered may have been more evaluated than ones in shelters. Also, they totally go on good behavior when they first come home. You won't be able to fully understand their personality for a couple of months IME.
I would really think critically about how the dog fits in your life before you make a final decision. Maybe even live by that schedule before you get one. Where will they sleep? Will they be crated? Will you really have time to walk them as much as they need? (super important without a fenced yard.)
My major criteria was that I wanted a dog that was small enough I could pick them up and get them out of a situation if I needed to, because I didn't feel at all confident about handling a larger/stronger dog. So I ended up with two 18-pounders that are totally big dogs in small bodies.
Dog Tax.
posted by pixiecrinkle at 10:04 AM on June 25, 2018
Petfinder and adoptapet are how I found both of my pups. One thing I will caution you of is that a lot of rescues seem to represent things as fact that are just guesses. For example, the breed of my first dog (They said chihuahua mix. She's half pomeranian and no chi) and the age of my second (they said 10, he was 12 according to the vet paperwork they gave me.) So meeting the dog and really evaluating their personality for yourself will be important, but as mentioned above, dogs being fostered may have been more evaluated than ones in shelters. Also, they totally go on good behavior when they first come home. You won't be able to fully understand their personality for a couple of months IME.
I would really think critically about how the dog fits in your life before you make a final decision. Maybe even live by that schedule before you get one. Where will they sleep? Will they be crated? Will you really have time to walk them as much as they need? (super important without a fenced yard.)
My major criteria was that I wanted a dog that was small enough I could pick them up and get them out of a situation if I needed to, because I didn't feel at all confident about handling a larger/stronger dog. So I ended up with two 18-pounders that are totally big dogs in small bodies.
Dog Tax.
posted by pixiecrinkle at 10:04 AM on June 25, 2018
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posted by lungtaworld at 5:19 AM on June 22, 2018