pros and cons to a shelter dog?

Question

my dog died a few days ago, and the rest of my family wants a new dog not like right away but in like a month or two. the dog is only goin to be a family companion. we'ed like to rescue a dog from a shelter but arent sure if thats the best idea based on the fact that we have very little kids in the house.
tips and suggestions are very much appreciated =)

Answer 1

Good for you for considering adopting rather than buying! Its the good people like you and your family who will one day make this world a much better place for dogs and animals everywhere.

However, just like everything in life, nothing is perfect. Adopting from a shelter is no different. I will be as honest as possible in giving you the pros and cons, and then let you make the final decision. You need whats best for your family.

Pros For Shelter Adoption:

-Dogs adopted from shelters are usually cheap and much less expensive than the price demanded by breeders and pet stores.
-By adopting, you are saving that dog's life. Everything deserves a second chance, and all the good dogs facing death row are no different. All creatures want to be loved.
-Every dog in rescues or shelters were put through a temperament evaluation; so the chances of you getting an aggressive, crazy dog are slim.
-A lot of the dogs adopted know that they were saved and given a second chance, and because of this, end up being the best pets you can ever have. Dogs are smart creatures and can understand things; and there have been countless stories of rescued animals being very compassionate, loving, thankful pets. Trust me; they know.
-A lot of the times the shelters let you know which dogs are good with children, cats, and other pets so you don't run into surprises.

Cons For Shelter Adoption:

-You need to understand that some of the dogs in shelters do not trust humans at first. They may be shy and hurt. In the beginning, if you do something they don't like they may growl or snap, but its usually not because they are aggressive. Just frightened.
-The dogs may develop slight infections/diseases such as Kennel Cough. This is a non-fatal respitory infection that is just like the human cold. While it won't kill them, taking them to the vet for medicine is a wise choice.
-There is often not very much history on the dog, if any at all. Because of this, you do not know if the dog is housetrained, can swim, knows basic commands, ect. This is up for you to decide.

I think that another wise choice in adopting would be choosing a local rescue. There is a rescue in almost every state for every breed, and some of these rescues have mutts or several different breeds. Look around at some near you and question them a lot about the dogs they have.

Rescues are often a good choice because EVERY dog is socialized daily. They are not stuck in cages like shelter dogs, because rescued animals are actually fostered by volunteers. The dogs get played with daily, exersised daily, given vet examinations, basic training, and a much more thorough check on what they do good with. Rescues often know exactly what a dog does and does not like through weeks of work and can usually tell you the absolute behavior of their dogs.

They will know if their animal is good with children, pets, strangers, ect. and will let you know of any problems (barking, digging, illness...) that a shelter might miss. Adopting from a rescue is also just as friendly as a shelter, since all rescued animals were taken FROM a shelter's death row.


I wish you luck in choosing your pooch and hope you can contact me on how things went.

Good luck with your family, and God bless!

Answer 2

Pros: Giving an animal a second chance of life with a loving family, some of the animals have already been fixed, vaccinated and there temperment may have already been assessed so you know which animal is good with children and which one isn't, some are already house broken Cons: Some places you don't know they history of the animal because some shelters don't do a temperment test, so you don't know how they will react to a certain home situation. Another con is you might not know the history of an animal. For example, maybe the dog was beaten with a silver fork or something like that, and then you take out a silver fork and the dog goes crazy and acts weird.

Answer 3

I have learned, shelter dogs are just as good as pure breeds if not better. For one pure breeds tend to have alot more health issues to worry about, like the parents hips, eyes and so on. Where as in a shelter dog if it is mixed you may not have as many problems. Adopting a dog also does not promote backyard breeders, and every tom, dick, and harry that decides cause they have a pure breed, that they need to have puppies and charge high prices. I have had no problems with any of my dogs that i have adopted, they appreciate having a good home with a nice family, and toys and a full belly, and a place to lay there head at night. I would definitely opt for adopting anyday, (at the moment i have 5 dogs) of which all i rescued in some shape or form. Ask you animal shelter if they at all no the history of where they animal came from, any kind of background may help. But with love and attention any dog can become a family pet for life.. And the fact you have little kids in the home, even if you get a dog from a reputable breeder, you still run the chance of the dog not turning out how you want them to be, so i would open your home to a pet that has been without, show them there are caring people out there. Good luck and best wishes...

Answer 4

Try a local rescue group, you can even find ones for certain breeds. You are still saving a life of a dog out of a shelter, but will know more about their behavior. I volunteer for our local Boxer rescue and I am fostering a dog right now. If you work with a rescue, they can tell you if they have been around kids, cats, other dogs, etc. They will also be a little less traumatized because they are not straight out of a kennel. For every dog that comes out of a foster home, is another that comes out of the kennel, so you are still doing a great thing! The girl i am fostering is sweet as pie. She came out of the pound just a few days ago, and she was only in the pound for a few days, so she is still missing her family I assume. Its amazing to watch what they know, and don't know. Thats the great thing about taking from a foster, i will be able to tell my fosters forever family that she knows how to sit, stay, come, lay down and shake. She also is very alert when it comes to the doorbell. The wind freaks her out a bit, and so on. Its the little things like this that a foster family will be able to tell you, so you aren't opening yourself up to too many surprises.

Either way, definitely go with a shelter or rescue dog, its just the right thing to do, and its really rewarding to watch them come out of their shell and be happy again.

Answer 5

Shelter's are a excellent place to get a dog. They are always looking for homes there and a second chance at a new home to live in. Besides your saving a furry animal friend. You'll just have to look around and find a dog that suits your house you can find a dog that gets along great with little kids. You just let the people at the shelter know and they can try and help you match up with dog that would be best suited for you home. I've adopted 2 dogs from a shelter in my life and the feeling of helping out a dog and finding him a good home is a great feeling . You can find very good and sometimes even purebreed dogs there to. Just go and take a look and see what they have to offer.

Hope you find what your looking for.

Answer 6

Pros: you are giving a dog a new home
they come spayed or neutered..if its a young puppy, they usually give you a certificate for a free spay or neuter

cons: there usually is a reason the dog is there ( behavioral)
but this isn't always the case EX: orphaned puppies

The shelter will give you all the background on any dogs you are interested in ( good with kids, cats etc)and they should let you interact with the dog. Not all dogs in a shelter have behavioral problems but some do. ( the shelter will give you all the details) Usually all dogs that are up for adoption have a clean bill of health and are up to date with their shots.
Adopting a dog from a shelter is an exellent idea..in sure your perfect dog will find you :) good luck

Answer 7

Its a great idea to rescue a dog! There are plenty of great dogs in need of a home. Check petfinder.com for local shelters to your zip code or for a specific breed. If youre scared to adopt a dog right out of a shelter, ( because you dont know much about them ) you can look for a rescue group that has their dogs in foster homes. This way theyre living in a home environment (possibly already with small children ) and their foster family knows all of their personality traits. They also probably have a jump start on training! Do plenty of research and youll find the perfect dog for your family.

Answer 8

You could get a great dog from a shelter or you could get a dog with baggage. Are you good at training? Do you have a good understanding of dog behavior? You may need these skills to help a shelter dog.

I don't agree with the wait after a family dog dies to get another dog. I look at it this way. My dogs are my pampered pets. Not to say they get away with anything, they are all well trained, very reliable, and have the best life ever. Fenced back yard with a doggy door that is never locked, their own couch to nap on, and more ear scratches and pats on the head than they know what to do with. They would want me to lavish that type of life on another dog as soon as possible.

Answer 9

This is just my personal opinion but shelter dogs make then best pets. The Humane Society checks over there animals very well and they have counselors who will tell you "this animal isn't good for a house with children" or "this animals scares easily so noisy environments might stress it out"... I have a pure breed dog and have had some in the past and I am a vet tech and can tell you pure breeds tend to have "health problems" do to overbreeding... Also good shelters like "The Humane Society" do charge for adoptions but you get a dog who has already been checked over by a Vet, and who they have observed to see what there temperament is like, because they obviously want to do what is right for the animal, they want it to go to the "right" home... Also you can get a animal that is already house trained, has grown out of it's "puppy stage" (hopefully won't chew shoes...etc) and is usually already fixed. Plus in my experience animals that have been "rescued" just seem to be better because they aren't pampered.

Answer 10

I am sorry about your loss, and wish you the best in finding another dog. A shelter is one of the best places to look. You are indeed rescuing the animals you adopt from shelters, and some have been trained and loved by people who are no longer able to care for them. If you explain your situation to someone who works at the shelter, you might be introduced to a perfect dog.