Adopting A Dog

 There are lots of ways that people choose a new family dog. Some may search the newspaper for advertisements from breeders who are selling new puppies; others find breeders via listings on the internet, while still more may simply purchase a puppy from a local pet store. Perhaps the best method, however, in terms of being helpful to society in general is to adopt a dog from a local animal shelter.

Adopting a dog brings a new friend into your life. It also helps to reduce the number of unwanted and homeless dogs in your area. Unless the shelter is a “no kill” facility (and these are sadly few and far between), it will also save a dog’s life. Animal lovers everywhere champion the adoption of dogs from shelters as opposed to any other method of bringing home a new pet for this reason alone, but there are other reasons to choose the adoption option.

Adopted pets have had their shots
Shelters often have information about a dog’s temperament
Adopting a pet frees space in the shelter for more dogs

When you adopt a dog you can be sure that the staff at the shelter has had the dog examined by a vet for diseases and parasites and that the dog has had its shots. This is not always true of dogs acquired by other means such as kids giving away “free puppies” from a box in front of the local grocery store or PetsMart.

The dogs at a shelter are not just strays and often are turned in to the shelter by former owners for various reasons. When this happens, the shelter collects as much information about the dog as possible, including whether its good with children, how much it barks, how playful or obedient it is, whether its housebroken, and other important details. While it’s true that this information is only as good as the honesty of the former owner, most of the time it is fairly accurate.

Animal shelters provide a valuable service to the community that they serve by keeping the streets as free of stray animals as possible. Because many of them do this with little or no public funding or governmental support, they are very limited in the number of dogs they can have in the shelter at any given time. The only way that they can bring in more stray animals is if they remove the ones they currently have. This is done through adoption or euthanasia. Obviously they would prefer to have the dogs adopted rather than killed. Adopting a dog could very well save its life and allows the shelter to bring in another dog in its place.

About the Author

This article courtesy of http://www.better-dog-training.com

 Simon Harris

More Articles 

Dog Breeders - Finding the Right One - Ginny Woody
While mixed breed puppies make extremely good pets, many people prefer the predictability and specific characteristics of a particular dog breed. So the next question is, where do you find a purebred dog? The best answer is to locate a quality dog...

The Pros and Cons of Vaccinating Your Dog - Rose Smith
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? That's become the burning question of many dog owners in this day and age. I'm not a veterinarian, just a regular pet owner like yourself, but would like to impart the information I've found regarding regular...

How to Start a Dog Bakery Business - Chrissie Cole
How to Start a Dog Bakery Business A dog bakery business is a lucrative choice for a pet business to start if you want to enter the pet industry! Opening a dog bakery also allows you a few different choices as to how you want to set up your...

Keep Your Dogs Teeth Healthy - Marilyn Pokorney
REQUIREMENTS FOR REPRINT: You have permission to publish this article free of charge in your e-zine, newsletter, ebook, print publication or on your website ONLY if it remains unchanged and you include the copyright and author information...

Christmas Gifts For Dog Lovers - Roy Thomsitt
Let's admit it, the US and UK are both countries of dog lovers, and dog owners love to indulge their dogs like children. You only have to listen to a dog owner call out to their dog, playing in the park or field, to realise how devoted they can be....

What You Should Know About Your Dog's Sleeping Habits - Amy Howells
It's important to understand your dog's sleeping habits and how they influence its behavior, particularly when your dog gets disturbed. You see, Dogs will usually sleep for around 13 hours every day. Although this can vary between different breeds,...

Can Dogs See Dead People? - Bill Knell
Can Dogs See Dead People? By Bill Knell “I see dead people.” Uttered by actor Haley Joel Osment in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense, it has become one of the most famous lines in movie history. Although the film was based on a fictional story,...

Boring Ordinary Dog Tags - Are There Better-looking Personalized Dog Tags Out There...? - Moses Chia
I was wondering if you share the same problem as myself 5 months back? You see. I failed to find any unique or good-looking personalized dog tags anywhere - online or offline! The search mission for a better-looking tag started when...

Providing Good Dental Care Can Extend Your Dog’s Life - Lee Dobbins
Caring for your dogs teeth is a vital part of his overall health and maintenance. Sure, you may feel funny brushing Fido’s pearly whites every night before bed, but good dental care for dogs is much more than just having white teeth and good breath....

The Five Most Important Considerations When Buying a Protection Dog - Sean Muratet
Man's Best Friend has been a trusted protector of our homes for thousands of years. Their keen senses and awareness, along with a pack mentality, have made dogs a valuable asset to man in his effort to keep his home secure. In today's...

Training your dog not to chase cars - Free Dog Trainer
Training your dog not to chase cars One of the most serious, and unfortunately most common, problem behaviors among dogs is that of chasing cars. Dogs must be trained as early as possible that chasing cars is not acceptable. That is...

Dog Health Insurance - Joel Walsh
Should you seriously consider buying a dog health insurance policy? Yes, you should. Here's why health insurance for dogs is a good idea: Dog health insurance saves you money. As with just about all other costs, veterinary expenses have...