Since you are making a commitment to the dog for the rest of its life, the decision to adopt a dog should be one in which the entire family agrees. This is not to say that everyone needs the same commitment to routine care since, in most cases, it will be one family member who serves as primary caretaker.
Consider the Costs:
If you adopted a dog from a shelter or rescue there will be an adoption fee. The actual cost will likely depend on the age of the dog (puppies have a higher fee) as well as whether the dog is a pure breed. Adoption fees can range from $65.00 (at municipal shelters) to $500 or more from purebred rescue groups. The adoption fee helps the shelter or rescue center to defray some of the costs of veterinary care. Even if you find a dog forfree through an owner surrender, you will still face costs.Some expenses are necessary such as routine veterinary care, dog license, food, grooming supplies, toys, dog collar, leash, and identification tags. Reputable dog shelters and rescues require that you spay or neuter your dog, although this may have been taken care of before adoption.
In your considerations, you should anticipate the unexpected. Accidents and illnesses can result in costly veterinary care.
You may also find that the help of a trainer is necessary to alter some behavior which has proven resistant to change by your own efforts. If you travel a good amount of time, you may also need to board your dog.
Typical Yearly Costs Associated With Dog Adoption:
Nutritious Food: $200-$700
Food/Water Bowls: $10-$50
Treats: $100-$300
Toys: $50-$300
Routine Vet Exam: $150-$400
Emergency Vet Care: $0-$5000
Heartworm Preventative: $50-$300
Flea & Tick Preventative: $50-$300
Dog Collars: $15-$75
Dog Training: $50-$1000
Grooming Equipment: $50-$300
Dog Shampoo: $50-$300
Fencing: $0-$5000
Dog Beds: $50-$200
Crate: $50-$300
Boarding: $300-$1000
Do you have the time for a dog?
Dogs are very social pets and thrive on attention. At the very least, they should be provided with food two or more times per day (more for puppies and dogs with health issues), be provided with fresh water, and taken out for a walk several times a day. If you adopt a very energetic dog, you will need to spend at least an hour or more on a daily basis exercising your dog.
If you adopt a long-haired dog you will need to spend at least fifteen minutes every day on grooming. If you dog needs some basic training, you and your family will need to spend between thirty minutes to an hour on obedience training.
If left alone for extending periods dogs tend to display some destructive behaviors, such as chewing on furniture, or barking to an excessive degree. Many of these so-called "problem behaviors" are simply your dog's way of expressing that their energy is not being channeled into the right areas.
If you adopt a dog with a medical condition, you will need to ensure that you arrange for needed care on a consistent basis while you are at work. If you adopt a puppy or young dog, plan to spend at least an hour every day on socializing, playing and exercising with the pup.
If you travel much of the time, and can't take your dog with you, consider the arrangements that will need to be made for the dog in your absence. Consider the recurring expense of boarding or dog sitting.
If you are absent for ten or more hours per day, your dog will lead a very lonely and boring existence. Consider enrolling the pup in a daycare or having a pet sitter come in once or twice per day for potty breaks and socialization. Also try to make the most of your time together during days off.
Is Your Current Residence Suitable For a Dog?
What size dog would do best in your home? Potty breaks are very different for a family living in a city apartment than one living in a suburban home with a fenced in back yard. Some toy breeds (Maltese, Yorkshire Terriers, etc.) can be trained to use a litter box (and there is now litter on the market tailored toward dogs) but it isn't really feasible to do this with larger breed dogs.
The size of your home or apartment will also dictate how much exercise your pup can get indoors. Some larger breed dogs, such as Mastiffs, along with sight hounds, such as Greyhounds, are often quite sedate as adults and do fine in smaller apartments. More active dogs will do well with multiple long leash walks or time off-leash in a fenced in yard.
Describe Your Ideal Dog to Adopt
The chances for a successful adoption are much greater when you are able to be honest with the dog shelter or rescue about the type of dog best suited to your family and lifestyle. The most important questions to ask yourself include:
- What is your primary reason for adopting a dog?
- Do you want a jogging partner or couch-potato buddy?
- Do you want a highly friendly pup or one who can serve as guard dog?
- Do you want a dog who follows your every move or would you prefer a more independent spirit?
- Do you want a dog who is good with children?
- How much grooming are you willing to do?
- Are you dog savvy and able to train a dominant dog? Or would you prefer a more submissive, pup who won't challenge your authority?
- Can I handle a larger size dog? Remember you will have to groom, trim toenails, bath and, if injured, lift her up into a car.
- Do I want a dog who is small enough that I can bring along when traveling?
- Do I have other pets in the home that will affect the size of dog I adopt? While large and small dogs can certainly live together, vigilance will be necessary since it can happen that the larger dog accidentally hurts the smaller in play.
Purebred or Mixed Breeds
Do you prefer a purebred or mixed breed? Either a purebred or mixed breed can be wonderful companions. If you want to participate with your dog in a specific activity, such as hunting you many want to select a dog from the hunting groups, such as Labrador Retrievers.
Many people think that mixed breed dogs are healthier than purebred. However, all dogs inherit the genetic makeup of both parents so that if one of those parents carries the gene for a hereditary disease, one or more of the puppies stand a good chance of contracting that disease as well. With regard to temperament, even dogs within one breed group will display different personality traits - all dogs are individuals. Be sure to speak with shelter workers about the observed behavioral traits of any dog you are interested in adopting. We will also discuss some basic temperament testing in a later part of this article.
Make Sure You're In For The Long Haul
Do you remember the first sentence of this post? “Since you are making a commitment to the dog for the rest of its life, the decision to adopt a dog should be one in which the entire family agrees.” Many shelter animals landed there because their owners simply became bored with them, couldn't afford to feed and care for them, were allergic to them and hundreds of other reasons. These animals are used to being abandoned. If you adopt, make sure you're willing to make it a lifetime commitment to cut down on the pet's heartache and your own. Ask yourself whether or not you are prepared to commit to taking care of this new life, that will depend on you for everything. If you can't be 110% sure that the answer is yes, then I would suggest not adopting a dog at this point.
After adopting your new pet, odds are they will be standoffish. Make sure you expect this. The dog will not be used to you or your home and will not know what to expect. Give him/her time and space and show nothing but affection when they peek out to see what you're doing. Eventually, they will come around.
At your local shelter are healthy, loving pets waiting for a family. For the lucky ones, going home with a new family can be the best day of their lives. Give a pet a chance today and make it the best day of his or her life. Not only will you save a life but you'll free up much needed space for another pet to have a chance at a new life.
