What You Need to Think About When Adopting a Dog from a Shelter

Choosing to adopt a dog from a shelter is a great choice as there are so many dogs in shelters currently looking for a good home. However, choosing to adopt a mutt means there are more unknowns that you need to keep in mind in order to give them the best home possible. Here are some of the things you need to think about. 

Behavior Issues

You need to find out from the shelter how the dog ended up there. Sometimes, it could be just because their previous family could not handle them and surrendered them at no fault of their own. They could even have been part of an abandoned litter.

However, there is a chance that the dog ended up in the shelter because of behavioral issues (either perceived or real). A good shelter will work hard to socialize the dog and get them ready for life with a new family. You are going to need to build on this training to ensure that your dog remains well-mannered and well-trained instead of allowing it to slip back in their training. This is no reason to not adopt from a shelter, as any dog, purebred or mutt can have behavior problems if they’re not trained properly.

DNA Tests

Mutts come from a variety of backgrounds and breeds. Though a shelter can try to guess what a dog’s ancestry might be, it is also a good move to DNA test your dog where you can. What can DNA testing a dog reveal? Well, most breeds have some sort of health condition that affects a high percentage of the breed.

By DNA testing your pooch, you will get to find out what mix of breeds they are. This allows you to read up on some of the health concerns that affect their breeds. Check out this Wisdom Panel review by the dog-loving experts at bestdnatestingkits.com to find out more about one of the best DNA kits you could choose.

Time and Responsibility

Some shelter dogs can have separation and anxiety issues even if they have no other behavioral issues. This is not something that can be fixed overnight, and you are going to have to work together to overcome these issues.

All dogs take a lot of time and energy even if you do not get them from the shelter. You need to spend time stimulating and playing with your pup, and you should not leave them alone for too long a period of time. This is a new member of your family, and you have to give them the same levels of care and attention as anyone else in your household.

Choose Well

When you first go to the shelter, it can be difficult to not get completely overwhelmed by the cute dogs all around you who all need homes. As important as it is to find the right dog, you also need to make sure that you are caring for the dog as much as possible.

Are you ready for a dog? If so, go see what your local shelter has to offer. Adopt, don’t shop!

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