shelter dogs continued?

Question

Shelter dogs????
I am thinking about getting a dog. I want a dog from a shelter. Has any one ever had any expirences with shelter dogs. I dont care if there good or bad, i just want to know if its a good idea to get a shelter dog. I have a small baby and mostly want to know if shelter dogs are more hostile towards children. Any addvice is appriciated.
OK a few more things i want a very specific kind of dog i want a medium size dog who i good with kids and who doesnt need alot of groming and who is medium energy has enough energy to play but not to much to be running all of the time and accidently hurt my baby what breed of dog do you suggest and if i go to a good shelter would they be able to make a match do yoo think there is a such dog and do they provide info about previous history on the dog

Answer 1

I think it's great you're considering adoption.

My current dog, Abby, is a shelter rescue. At less than three years old she was dumped at the local kill shelter by her previous owners who no longer wanted her. At one point, these very same people paid a local breeder who imports dogs from Germany for his breeding program big money to purchase her. The reason they dumped her was that they didn't want to bother with a dog anymore.

Prior to Abby we fostered for a shelter in southern VA and have had dogs with all sorts of different temperaments through the foster program.

With any dog, no matter where you get them from, you don't get a guarantee that the dog will work out in your household, that they will not have issues (medical problems, for example), or that they will get along with your children. A dog that may have been great in one family may not work out for another family.

What it really comes down to is how you work with the dog and how you establish the rules for the dog in your household. So a lot of it has to do with training and maintenance of such training, supervision, and how you interact with your dog.

That said, you can tell some things about a dog's temperament when you first meet the dog - is he fearful? Aggressive? Dominant? Does he mind being touched? Does he shy away from people?

If you're serious about adopting from a shelter, I would ask a friend, relative, or coworker who has experience working with dogs to come to the shelter with you to assess the dog(s) you're interested in. That will give you a head start and help you with what to look for.

There really isn't any one kind of dog that would be perfect for your family - keep in mind that a lot of dogs at shelters and in rescues are not necessarily purebreds, so it's hard to say what the dog may have in him or what genetic traits he carries.

You said you don't want a dog that requires a lot of grooming. Most breeds, including short-haired breeds, require brushing - not everyday, but there's a certain amount of maintenance that has to be done to get loose hair off the dog. Some short-haired breeds, such as Jack Russel Terriers, are heavy shedders. Some longer haired breeds may not shed as much.

Also, with any size and type of dog, there's a chance that your baby may accidentally get hurt. Dogs like to play, and don't always look where they're running, or how they turn, and your baby might get knocked over, bumped into, head bonked, or scratched. My dog has a tendency to bonk me with her head when I'm petting her, because she'll lean her head back to try and lick me. Because there's always a risk of injury, you should always supervise when your dog and your child are in the same room together, and separate them if play gets too rough.

That all said - there's one suggestion I have that may work out better for you than adopting a shelter dog, and that is working with a breed or all-breed rescue. Rescues generally keep their dogs in foster homes rather than kennels, so they have a better ability to match you with a dog that will fit your lifestyle. They know their dogs' temperaments and know how they are with other dogs, cats, children, etc. It might be more helpful to you to have the guidance of a rescue matching you with a dog than trying to pick out a dog at the shelter yourself.

As for shelters, they often don't provide any history on the dogs at all. This is also something I've run into problems with in our rescue work. One shelter told us a dog we were evaluating was perfectly healthy, negative for heartworm, and up-to-date on shots. They neglected to tell us that they had her full vet records and that she'd been having chronic diarrhea and possibly also had cancer! So I would be very careful with shelters and the information they provide on dogs.

Answer 2

I have never purchased a dog in my life and have raised 2 kids along with dogs from a shelter. Dogs are just like people for the most part, they all have different personalities. Take your time and talk to the people that work at the animal shelter, let them know you have kids. I've had very positive experiences with the animals my wife and I have adopted. Our local animal shelter has been very helpful in providing information on the animals they have. All dogs are observed for a while before they become eligible to be adopted.

Another place to consider is Pet's Mart. They do not sell dogs, but there are non-profit rescue organization that adopt out dogs to good homes for around the same fee you would pay your local animal shelter.

I've always had the best luck with dogs that are 1 year plus old. They are still young enough to have energy but have typically had some form of training and are used to minding your commands.
Make sure you also ask if the dogs were kept indoors or outdoors.

Once you select your dog, make sure you never leave your child unattended with any animals. While they may have good temperament, they are still animals and do not know the rules yet. Your baby also does not know what may set the dog off.

Good luck on your search.

Answer 3

i have adopted dogs from the shelter befor and i have never had a problem with them. i would suggest getting as much info as possible from the shelter about the dog you want.also go to petfinder.com there you can find all breed of dogs that need good homes for one reasson or another. and they usally have detailed info on the dog. also if you want a dog that is medium size with little grooming required and is good with children, i recomend the english bulldog i have one now and had one befor and i have a 2 year old son. other then for the health problems they are great!!! they like to play but not for long periods of time. but just like with any dog socliaizeing is the key. also shelters only have what the owners have told them about the dog which you cant allways belive people when they turn a dog in. also check your local classifides. also do some research on several breed of dogs you are interested in. also shi tzus are good too they dont shed and you can get by with a good brushing once a week. well good luck!

Answer 4

First you wont find a specific breed of dog at a shelter. They are usually all mutts. But I have 3 shelter dogs and they are better than any other dogs i have ever had. They are great with my baby. One got really excited when I brought my baby home but she was excited to just see. She didnt hurt my baby or anything she just barked at him with her tail going a mile a minute. My aunt breeds german shepards and I wouldnt trade any of my shelter dogs for one pure bred anything. Ive had dogs throughout my life and wouldnt change a thing about a shelter dog.

Breeds to stay away from would be a jack russel (HIGH energy) any pit bulls or dobermans etc (aggressive breeds) Go out and get yourself a mutt and they will have their shots already done and most if not all shelters will give you a certificate so you can go get the dog fixed so it wont cost you anything. Remember if these dogs dont find a home they get put to sleep. Good Luck.

Answer 5

I HIGHLY HIGHLY suggest doing TONS of research before you commit to a dog. The book i have suggested in the link below is GREAT for training techniquies and what not. ALL breeds have thier good points and bad. You have a lot to consider, 1 you have a baby, so an aggressive dog is out of the picture. Animalplanet.com is great for searching dog breeds. I have enclosed a dog breed quiz. There is a lot of criteria you are looking for you need a dog that is good with children, medium sized, not a lot of grooming, and medium energy. I personally wouldn't get a dog from a shelter or a pet shop. I would get one from a breeder. After working at a vets office and seeing how many puppies do get worms from being in the pet shops, its not a good idea. Defiantly good luck tho. Searching for the perfect pet can be fun and frustrating. An example of a dog you would not want is a Border collie. They need a lot of grooming and are very entergetic, but they are supposivly good with kids. I dont know about babies, but I had a border mix growing up, she was snippy at first though. Dogs take a lot of time and patience, but are one of the best invetments! Good luck and Happy searching

Answer 6

Wiping the tears from my eyes i know what u are saying is true, I only wish that i could rescue every animal that is taken to the shelter but unfortunately i cannot. I have adopted several pets in the years that were ready to be put to sleep and for some reason i picked the older ones so they could live out the rest of their life. I have a couple dogs i rescued that were so old they only lived about 6 months longer, but that was six months longer that they could be happy and taken care of. The older ones never have a chance as nobody ever wants to adopt an old dog that may die on them in a day or two, but that is my preferance as i give them a longer time to live instead of being put down in the way u explain. Alot of people believe that these animals do not know what is about to happen to them and they supposeably do not know what is going on, i know that is the wrong belief as they do know and it is so sad it has to happen. People do not want to believe these animals get rendered into their pets food and their loving pet is eating another fido, but unfortunately that is true also. I do wish that there was a differant approach to the unwanted pets, but there is not. I Thank u for trying to get out a message, but unfortunately u will have those that will argue the point and say u do not know what u are talking about.

Answer 7

I got my dog from a humane society ... she was about 5 months old when I adopted her. They had information on her about where she came from and what not. I would recommend labradors they are great family dogs, have short hair so they do not have a lot of up keep. They do need to be walked or played with daily if they are young ... they have energy. Once they mature depending on how they have been trained you can use them for hunting, playing ball or some of them like to just lay down and relax. The only way to REALLY know where your dog has been and how its been treated is to go through a rescue organization. My girl is a labrador mix with border collie and she is the best dog I have ever owned. So loving and my two year old nephew loves to ride her haha