What to Consider Before Adopting a Shelter or Rescue Dog

I can recall when I began to think about adopting my first dog with my husband (then boyfriend). We considered a lot of different aspects such as our work schedules, the financial cost, and more. It can feel overwhelming just thinking about where to begin. Here are a few questions we found helpful when we first considered adopting a dog.

Am I prepared to care for a dog financially?

Having a dog isn’t necessarily a cheap endeavor. Like humans they should be taken in for regular annual check-ups to help keep them healthy. Most annual veterinarian visits with vaccinations cost between $50-250 depending on where you live and then you add the cost of monthly flea, tick, and heartworm preventative medications which cost about $30-38 per month, the costs of maintaining a healthy dog quickly add up. And, the larger your dog the more expensive these preventative medications tend to be. 

Additionally, you’ll more than likely run into unexpected veterinary costs as accidents do happen from time to time and/or dogs can get sick with their version of the flu. Plus, as your dog ages there’s a good chance they might need more regular ongoing care to handle chronic health issues like arthritis.

Other costs to consider:

• Food and treats- usually the larger the dog the more food you’ll have to buy.
• Dental hygiene- brushing your dog’s teeth regularly is an integral part of their overall health.
• Dog license- most counties in the United States require you to license your dog with your local animal care agency.

Am I prepared to commit to a dog for its entire life?

With the advancement of modern pet care comes longer lifespans for dogs than in previous decades. You can reasonably expect a small dog to live an average of 15-16 years, a medium dog to live about 10-13 years, and larger dogs to live about 7-8 years. While this aren’t hard and fast lifespans they are good guidelines to consider.

Now when I say “commit to a dog for its entire life” what I really mean is are you prepared to do what is best for the entire life of your dog. This could mean anything from staying with you until they are ready to cross the rainbow bridge or even rehoming your dog because life circumstances out of your control make it impossible for you to keep your dog even if you want to so badly. Just because you have to rehome your dog doesn’t mean you are any less committed to them. It means you’re doing what is in your dog’s best interest even if it is heartbreaking for you to do so.

Am I able and willing to be patient with my new dog?

Patience is key when welcoming a new furry family member into your life. Remember that they recently experienced lots of change and have no idea what’s going on or who you are which can be a little scary. Make sure that you’re prepared to be patient as your new dog may not understand their new routine right away. It isn’t uncommon for a dog to have potty accidents inside the house until they learn where to go for the bathroom and/ or how to communicate with you that they need to go outside. Also be prepared that your new dog may not want to come snuggle with you right away. Building that kind of trust with a very vulnerable activity can take months or even years to happen, but if you allow your dog to determine how and when they interact with you in the beginning can go a long way in creating that special bond you might see all over social media.

What type of lifestyle do we have?

This is a crucial question to ask yourself when you first consider adopting a dog as this will largely determine what kind and size of dog you should think about adopting. Some important questions to as yourself are:

• Are you a highly active household that likes to go on hikes, to the beach, walking, etc? Or are you more into Netflix and sofa time? 
• Do you live in a small city apartment or do you have a house with a big backyard? 
• What is my work schedule like? 
• Do you like to socialize outside of your home a lot? Or do you enjoy having people over for a drink or even dinner? 
• Do you have kids or want kids sometime in the near future? 
• Do you already have other pets in your household? 

All of these questions (and more!) will help you narrow down what kind of dog suits your lifestyle best. For instance, if you are a physically active person that goes on hikes nearly every weekend and you have a nice large backyard perhaps a larger more active breed such as a labrador or shepherd mix might be right for you. On the other hand if you’re more of a homebody that likes to rest and relax in their tiny one bedroom apartment, then perhaps a calmer, smaller dog like a chihuahua mix might be more your speed.

No matter what dog you decide to adopt make sure to do your research on their breed/ breed mix to ensure that you’re able to cater to their needs. And when in doubt, contact your local animal shelter. They have adoption experts that will help you find the right dog for your family.