Tips on adopting the right rescue dog

Rescuing a dog is a wonderful thing. There are many dogs that are in shelters because the owner moved, had a baby, didn’t have time or money to train the dog, the dog made one mistake or had one scary moment with a human or animal. Most of these dogs are very trainable and it is wonderful to give them a good home. When people ask what my favorite breed of dog is, I always say “a good dog,” but my real favorite dog is a good old fashioned mutt. With bad breeding abounding, my experience is that mutts are generally healthier and it’s fun to see the unique looks that come from accidental breedings.

Rescue organizations are not all as wonderful as they seem. Before I got Harley, I tried to adopt several dogs from different rescues and I was turned down over and over again. I was between jobs so I had the time, I was living with a dog trainer and studying dog training and I had carefully researched every breed so I knew exactly what I wanted and what kind of dog would be the best fit for me and my lifestyle. I got turned down because I had never owned a dog before, because I wasn’t working so I couldn’t afford one, because I was renting a room in a house and there was no assurance I wouldn’t move and return my dog if my new accommodation wasn’t dog friendly. Eventually I got on Craigslist and bought the most wonderful Miniature Dapple Dachshund from a backyard breeder in a trailer park outside of Phoenix, AZ.

My tips for beginning the adoption process:

• Don’t take the first dog you look at and like. I have experienced love at first sight, as I’m sure you have, and how often did that last? Finding the right dog is a process where you have to be smart and use discernment. When emotions lead, we may bite off more than we can chew, then both the owner and dog suffer. Tell the rescue you will be back later and sleep on it or loop back at the end of your search day. 

• I have had clients and friends find incredible dogs through Facebook, Craigslist, Next-door and other community websites or message boards or their personal social network. Tell your friends what you want and ask them to keep and eye out for you. This article focuses on shelters, but many of the same tips apply wherever your dog may come from.

• Drive out of the city you live in. As far as you can. On my hunt for the right rescue I looked up all the shelters in the surrounding 50 miles, created a route to hit all of them in order, and spent a day looking at dogs. There are amazing dogs at shelters in the country!  Urban rescues can be picked over and more expensive. Dogs are often misrepresented in their description, claiming to be friendly with kids, cats, other dogs, when they are not. These overfull rescues can care more about moving dogs out than about finding the right fit. Country shelters likely won’t have the resources to create these descriptions, forcing you to do these evaluations for yourself. My experience is that these shelters have amazing dogs who were dumped or just wandered out of an unfenced farm and no one came for them. This is the dog you want! A dog whose only fault was escaping a yard or slipping out of a property.

• When you arrive, remember that shelters are a really intense and stressful environment. A dog who is comfortable in that environment isn't the dog you want. It's easy to be seduced by the one dog who is happy and playful, wagging their tail and willing to fetch. Try to find balance between a dog that is calm and curious, but also not totally at ease in that environment.

• Think about what you want in terms of care throughout the dog’s life:

  • Long hair needs brushing and requires you to pay a groomer at regular intervals. 

  • Young puppies require starting from scratch with housebreaking, crate training, and will need more exercise for the first few years of their life. 

  • Working dogs and very intelligent breeds should only be adopted by experienced owners and need more activity and training. 

Did you know cattle dogs, Border Collies and Australian Shepherds, among others, really should get out 4-6 hours a day! That’s why they are perfect for ranch or farm work. Do you have time for that? Even I don’t! Not to mention they were trained to herd! That is their job. Do you have small children or other pets who will not appreciate this behavior? 

Be realistic about your lifestyle and what you can do day in and day out.

• If you already have a pup, it can be a good idea to come back for another visit with your dog to see if they get along. Dog’s don’t have to be best friends right away, but their temperaments should be moderately compatible. 

• A puppy and an older dog can be a mismatch, just as having your aging grandmother watch your toddler every day wouldn’t be very pleasant.

• Two dogs that are status seeking or anxious won’t make life easier. A good rule of thumb for getting a second dog is to pick a dog with equal or lesser energy than the first dog. 

  • Set yourself up for success in the first greeting by walking them together in the same direction on leash for a few minutes before letting them greet or sniff each other. This will help them acclimate a bit and create a calmer greeting than setting them loose in a pen.

It's okay to like a certain look in a dog! I knew I wanted a Hound dog with short hair and floppy ears. I happened to find the right one at the right age and size. Remember, I went to about 10 shelters and fostered two dogs before I found her. Take your time, look around, don't go home with the first dog you see.

Get a dog that is just smart enough. Everyone wants a very, very smart dog, but I can assure you it isn't fun having a partner that questions your every decision or works to intentionally manipulate or circumvent you. My favorite dog is juuuust smart enough to learn the rules, but doesn't have a strong desire to break them. Find a dog that is eager to please versus one that is more aloof and independent.

It can be smart to do a foster to adopt so you get a sense of how the dog will be in your home. When I did that, I was able to determine that  a very shy dog who was scared of men that I loved the look of wouldn't have a happy life with me, because I knew I wanted a dog I could take anywhere. There is a perfect home for every dog, and for that one, my home wasn't it. 

Know that it takes a few weeks or months for a dog to settle in and get comfortable enough to show their true colors, so what you see the first day isn't always what you get.

I recommend most people adopt a slightly older dog. 2-3 is a great age! It's a wonderful thing to adopt an adult dog (5+). These dogs sit longer in the shelter and can still share many good years with you. Don't worry about an older dog having baggage, many dogs are in the shelter through no fault of their own and adjust very quickly in a new situation with the right guidance.

Speaking of guidance, hire a dog trainer! I LOVE clients who call me in the week they get a dog so they can get out on the right foot. It's easier to prevent mistakes than to fix them. 

For instance, when you first bring your dog home, don't shower them with attention and stay home with them 24/7. Get a crate the day your dog comes home and leave for at least a few minutes, if not longer, the very first day. That is what life will be like, with you coming and going, so best to start out showing your dog what is normal and letting them acclimate to that. 

I like to let a dog do their own thing the first few days in my home and not put too much attention on them while they explore and get comfortable. A good rule is that I want my dog to look to me more than I look to them, even though I am keeping tabs on them pretty much all the time with my peripheral vision. I don’t force a dog to interact or immediately be my best friend. In fact, too much attention or letting my dog on the furniture right away can set the wrong tone. 

This is explained more thoroughly  in my training sessions!

Much of dog training is counter-intuitive. Dog culture is different from our human culture and what is polite or impolite in each of these cultures can be the reverse, leading to miscommunications and sometimes, larger and more serious issues.

Be sure to take your time once your dog comes home. Many new owners are in a rush to get their dog out of the crate, take their dog to a patio, a dog park, or teach them to go off leash. All of this should wait a few weeks, months, or even years! You will have many, many great years together. I have never gone wrong going too slow with a dog, but I have definitely made mistakes going too fast.

If the dog you brought home ends up not being a good fit and is making your life unmanageable or causing you stress, you should not feel guilty about bringing them back or working to rehome them. Calling a trainer can help, but sometimes it truly isn’t the right fit. Let this dog find their right owner versus having both your and their quality of life diminished. People feel very very bad about this and end up living in what I see as a truly awful situation for both dog and owner. This stigma makes me sad. There are a lot of ridiculous reasons to give away a pet, but there are some really good ones. Some of the dogs in our pack had been rehomed and their personality, as well as their lives, changed for the better.

Good luck in your adoption journey! With so many dogs needing homes, it is a really wonderful thing.