Questions To Ask Yourself Before Adopting

What are you looking for in a dog? Do you want a;

 

• Couch Potato (with daily walks)?

• Hiking Buddy?

• Running Partner?

• Agility Candidate?

• Therapy Dog?

• Surf Buddy?

• Beach Buddy?

• Are you wanting to give a senior dog their final golden years outside of the shelter?

• A buddy for your current k9 companion?

• To give a dog one on one attention who may need a little extra patience but otherwise won't see the outside of the shelter?

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Questions to ask yourself to figure out if its truly the right time for you.

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• Are you ready for a commitment that could last 10-20 years? (if not, a senior animal or fostering may be a good fit!)

• Are you in a stable living environment?

• If you move, will you make the commitment to find another accommodation that allows your pet, surrendering wont even cross your mind?

• If you get divorced, will you keep the animal with one of you?

• Are you financially fit, for day to day and emergency care?

• If something happens to you, do you have a backup person to care for your animal?

• If you go away, do you have someone you trust to care for your animal?

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Questions we will ask you about;

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• Are you ready to allow your new family member to decompress for whatever time is necessary?​

• Do you have a fenced yard or acreage?

• Are you living in an apartment? (This will not deter you from getting an animal, however their may just be better fits than others for this living situation)

• What diet do you plan to feed your animal?

• What Veterinarian do you plan on setting your new pet up with ? (Check out our resources page for a list we trust!)

• Have you thought about Pet Insurance? (Check out our resources page for suggestions!)

• How do you plan on training ? Would you invest in a proper trainer for you new dog if needed?

• What behaviors are you truly willing to deal with and work through?

• ​How long would you be away from your animal on a day to day basis ? (This gives us an idea of who to match you with, a animal with separation anxiety may not be the best fit for a shift worker)

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Myths about adoption vs getting an animal from a breeder;

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• I have to go to a breeder to get a purebred animal. FALSE. Purebred animals flood the shelters and rescues on a day to day basis. You just have to know where to look and be patient.

• I have to get an animal from a breeder to know its history. FALSE. There are many animals in the shelters where history is known, owner surrenders. etc. Remember, history isnt everything.

• I cant get insurance on a rescued animal. FALSE. Insurance companies will still insure rescue animals, however, like any animal, companies will not cover any pre-diagnosed conditions.

• If I get an animal from a backyard breeder I am saving that animal. TRUE. However, if you support them and don't report them to the SPCA you are just becoming part of the problem.

• There are no good breeders out there. FALSE. There are proper breeders out there, who still breed for the purpose of show, vet the animals properly, have non-breeding contracts to sign, only do a select amount of litters per sire or dam and care about their bloodlines. However, the list is very few and far between and there is no proper registry (yet) that breeders have to join and get a license to be able to breed legally, so no one is checking in or tracking the people who are breeding dogs legally vs backyard breeders/puppy mills.

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Reasons why you will not be approved for an animal.

 

• ​You are wanting a guard dog/protection dog when you have no reason or references that you are capable of properly training an animal for this purpose.

• If you plan on having the animal live outside 24/7 (it is required they will be a part of the family).

• Dog fighting

• If you have any abuse history (References will be checked)

• If you are wanting a dog or cat you can breed (Need we say more?)

• If you do not have a stable job and living situation.​

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Why should you adopt vs going to a breeder?

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We always hear "Why should we adopt vs going to a breeder?". Our answer is simple, because you are saving a life.

 

The shelter crisis is undeniable, the amount of unhoused domestic animals around our world is undeniable, in many cities around the world animals are being neglected and tortured daily. Humans created this problem, and we as humans have the ability to fix it, we just need the proper people to sign the dotted line and make those changes. ​

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You can be a integral part of making a change in the world we live in today. By adopting an animal, you are not only saving a life, but opening up a intake space in a rescue or a kennel space in a high-kill shelter. When you buy from a breeder (no matter if the breeder is ethical or not) you are adding to the amount of animals on this planet, because the more animals sold = more animals bred. 

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What Dog Breed Suits You? DO YOUR RESEARCH

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Herding Group

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1. Australian Cattle Dog

2. Australian Shepherd

3. Bearded Collie

4. Beauceron

5. Belgian Laekenois

6. Belgian Malinois

7. Belgian Sheepdog

8. Belgian Tervuren

9. Bergamasco

10. Berger Picard

11. Border Collie

12. Bouvier des Flandres

13. Briard

14. Canaan Dog

15. Cardigan Welsh Corgi

16. Collie

17. Entlebucher Mountain Dog

18. Finnish Lapphund

19. German Shepherd Dog

20. Icelandic Sheepdog

21. Lancashire Heeler

22. Miniature American Shepherd

23. Mudi

24. Norwegian Buhund

25. Old English Sheepdog

26. Pembroke Welsh Corgi

27. Polish Lowland Sheepdog

28. Puli

29. Pumi

30. Pyrenean Shepherd

31. Shetland Sheepdog

32. Spanish Water Dog

33. Swedish Vallhund

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Hound Group

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1. Afghan Hound

2. American English Coonhound

3. American Foxhound

4. Azawakh

5. Basenji

6. Basset Hound

7. Beagle

8. Black and Tan Coonhound

9. Bloodhound

10. Bluetick Coonhound

11. Borzoi

12. Cirneco Dell'Etna

13. Dachshund

14. English Foxhound

15. Grand Bassett Griffin Vendeen

16. Greyhound

17. Harrier

18. Ibizan Hound

19. Irish Wolfhound

20. Norwegian Elkhound

21. Otterhound

22. Petit Bassett Griffin Vendeen

23. Pharaoh Hound

24. Plott Hound

25. Portuguese Podengo Pequeno

26. Redbone Coonhound

27. Rhodesian Ridgeback

28. Saluki

29. Scottish Deerhound

30. Sloughi

31. Treeing Walker Coonhound

32. Whippet

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Miscellaneous Group

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1. Alaskan Klee Kai

2. Basset Fauve de Bretagne

3. Bologenese

4. Czechoslovakian Vlciak

5. Dutch Shepherd

6. German Spitz

7. Japanese Akitainu

8. Kai Ken

9. Norrbottenspets

10. Peruvian Inca Orchid

11. Portuguese Podengo

12. Pyrenean Mastiff

13. Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka

14. Small Musterlander Pointer

15. Teddy Roosevelt Terrier

16. Yakutian Laika

17. American Bulldog

18. American Leopard Hound

19. Appenzeller Sennenhund

20. Australian Kelpie

21. Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

22. Barbado da Terceira

23. Bavarian Mountain Scent Hound

24. Blue Picardy Spaniel

25. Bohemian Shepherd

26. Braque de Bourbonnais

27. Braque Francais Pyrenean

28. Braque Saint-Germain

29. Brazilian Terrier

30. Broholmer

31. Bouvier des Ardennes

32. Calupoh

33. Canadian Eskimo Dog

34. Carolina Dog

35. Catahoula Leopard Dog

36. Caucasian Shepherd Dog

37. Central Asian Shepherd Dog

38. Croatian Sheepdog

39. Deutscher Wachtelhund 

40. Drentsche Patrijshond

41. Drever

42. Estrela Mountain Dog

43. Eurasier

44. French Spaniel

45. German Longhaired Pointer

46. Hamiltonstovare

47. Hanoverian Scenthound

48. Hokkaido

49. Hovawart

50. Jagdterrier

51. Japanese Spitz

52. Japanese Terrier

53. Jindo

54. Karelian Bear Dog

55. Kishu Ken

56. Kromfohrlander

57. Lapponian Herder

58. Large Munsterlander

59. Mountain Cur

60. Presa Canario

61. Pont-Audemer Spaniel

62. Porcelaine

63. Portuguese Pointer

64. Portuguese Sheepdog

65. Pudelpointer

66. Rafeiro de Alentejo

67. Romanian Carpathian Shepherd

68. Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog

69. Schapendoes

70. Segugio Italiano

71. Shikoku

72. Slovakian Wirehaired Pointer

73. Slovensky Cuvac

74. Slovensky Kopov

75. Spanish Mastiff

76. Stabyhoun

77. Swedish Lapphund

78. Taiwan Dog

79. Thai Banghaew

80. Thai Ridgeback

81. Tornjak

82. Tosa

83. Transylvanian Hound

84. Treeing Tennessee Brindle

85. Volpino Italiano

86. Wetterhoun

87. Working Kelpie

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Non-Sporting Group

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1. American Eskimo Dog

2. Bichon Frise

3. Boston Terrier

4. Bulldog

5. Chinese Shar-Pei

6. Chow Chow

7. Cotton de Tulear

8. Dalmatian

9. Finnish Spitz

10. French Bulldog

11. Keeshond

12. Lhasa Apso

13. Lowchen

14. Norwegian Lundhund

15. Poodle

16. Schipperke

17. Shiba Inu

18. Tibetan Spaniel

19. Tibetan Terrier

20. Xoloitzcuintli

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Sporting Group

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1. American Water Spaniel 

2. Barbet

3. Boykin Spaniel

4. Bracco Italiano

5. Brittany Spaniel

6. Chesapeake Bay Retriever

7. Clumber Spaniel

8. Cocker Spaniel

9. Curly-Coated Retriever

10. English Cocker Spaniel

11. English Setter

12. English Springer Spaniel

13. Field Spaniel

14. Flat-Coated Retriever

15. German Shorthaired Pointer

16. German Wirehaired Pointer

17. Golden Retriever

18. Gordon Setter

19. Irish Red and White Setter

20. Irish Setter

21. Irish Water Spaniel

22. Labrador Retriever

23. Lagotto Romagnolo

24. Nederlandse Kooikerhondje

25. Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

26. Pointer

27. Spinone Italiano

28. Sussex Spaniel

29. Vizsla

30. Weimaraner

31. Welsh Springer Spaniel

32. Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

33. Wirehaired Vizsla

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Terrier Group

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1. Airedale Terrier

2. American Hairless Terrier

3. American Staffordshire Terrier

4. American Pitbull Terrier (Recognized by UKC only)

5. Australian Terrier

6. Bedlington Terrier

7. Border Terrier

8. Bull Terrier

9. Cairn Terrier

10. Cesky Terrier

11. Dandie Dinmont Terrier

12. Glen of Imaal Terrier

13. Irish Terrier

14. Kerry Blue Terrier

15. Lakeland Terrier

16. Manchester Terrier

17. Miniature Bull Terrier

18. Miniature Schnauzer

19. Norfolk Terrier

20. Norwich Terrier

21. Parson Russell Terrier

22. Rat Terrier

23. Russell Terrier

24. Scottish Terrier

25. Sealyham Terrier

26. Skye Terrier

27. Smooth Fox Terrier

28. Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

29. Staffordshire Bull Terrier

30. Welsh Terrier

31. West Highland White Terrier

32. Wire Fox Terrier

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Toy Group

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1. Affenpinscher

2. Biewer Terrier

3. Brussels Griffon

4. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

5. Chihuahua

6. Chinese Crested

7. English Toy Spaniel

8. Havanese

9. Italian Greyhound

10. Japanese Chin

11. Maltese

12. Manchester Terrier

13. Miniature Pinscher

14. Papillon

15. Pekingese

16. Pomeranian

17. Poodle (Toy)

18. Pug

19. Russian Toy

20. Shih Tzu

21. Silky Terrier

22. Toy Fox Terrier

23. Yorkshire Terrier

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Working Group

 

1. Akita

2. Alaskan Malamute

3. Anatolian Shepherd Dog

4. Bernese Mountain Dog

5. Black Russian Terrier

6. Boerboel

7. Boxer

8. Bullmastiff

9. Cane Corso

10. Chinook

11. Danish-Swedish Farmdog

12. Doberman Pinscher

13. Dogo Argentino

14. Dogue de Bordeaux

15. German Pinscher

16. Giant Schnauzer

17. Great Dane

18. Great Pyranees

19. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog

20. Komondor

21. Kuvasz

22. Leonberger

23. Mastiff

24. Neopolitan Mastiff

25. Newfoundland

26. Portuguese Water Dog

27. Rottweiler

28. Saint Bernard

29. Samoyed

30. Siberian Husky

31. Standard Schnauzer

32. Tibetan Mastiff

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Or the best breed out there RESCUE - MUTT - HEINZ 57

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Find out more info on each breed above on the following Kennel Club Sites;

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American Kennel Club

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Canadian Kennel Club

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United Kingdom Kennel Club

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