You might have been contemplating it for a while, your family members might have been asking for a dog and finally, you decided that it’s time to take one home. But where to look for one?

Taking a dog from a shelter/rescue centre

I often tag #dontshopadopt in my posts when I talk about the rescues I work with. I will always recommend checking a local rescue or a shelter and asking what dogs do they have. There are many different dogs who need love and when people decide to take them I want to celebrate that! It's beautiful to see that a dog who was living in a shelter (sometimes even for years), finally gets a loving home. It's a misconception that rescue dogs are somewhat broken or that all have behavioural problems. In my opinion, every dog can develop behavioural problems. It doesn't matter if he comes from a shelter or from a breeder. They are not destined for a life full of problems just as they are not destined for the life free of problems. You might have heard that a specific breed "is well behaved". I hate to bring this to you but that's a lie too. There are as many variations in the behaviour of one breed as there are between breeds. You might get a specific breed and be surprised that he is not acting according to what everyone is saying about them. The same thing goes with a shelter dog. It's not unheard of that dogs taken from a shelter behave differently at home. Often they become more confident but they can also develop some problems. Advice from a behaviourist can resolve them. 

Taking an adult dog from a shelter can increase the chance that he might have been already potty trained and that he won’t be chewing on things as much as a puppy might (it still can happen if you don’t give him anything appropriate to chew on). You still need to give him some time to adjust to your home and routines, don’t just rely on a hope that he was already trained but puppies often need much more attention. 

Many people who adopted a dog from a shelter will tell you what an amazing companion they got! They are grateful for the dog and for the friendship they developed with him. It’s admirable but I’m aware that it might not be for everyone. 

Fostering a dog

Another thing to consider would be fostering. Take a dog to give him a temporary home and see how does he fit in your family life. There are things you might not have considered before the dog arrives at your home. Just know that failed foster is a thing! You might end up adopting him anyway if your family falls in love with him! However, at least you tried and saw that he is a fit in your household.

Buying a pup from a breeder

That being said, sometimes we want a puppy of specific breed. You might look in rescue centres, some are dedicated to one breed, however, you might still want a puppy and I see nothing wrong in that as long as you do your research. I mentioned before that you might be surprised that a dog of specific breed behaves differently from what his breed suggests but please don't count on that! If you have a sedentary life, spend 8-12 hours at work and don't want to do much when you go back home from work, don't take a border collie (or equally energetic breed of dogs who should have a job). If a border collie has low energy, there is a huge chance that he is unwell and he needs to see a vet. It might sound like contradicting advise but I would argue that it isn't. The descriptions of the breed include their history and what they were bred to do. This can affect their genes and it increases the likelihood of those traits to develop in your dog. Many times you don't even have to teach your border collie how to herd, he does that naturally the first time he sees sheep. There absolutely are tendencies but fully relying on them can be too much. There are aggressive Labradors, very active Cavalier King Charles spaniels (who were supposed to be a lap dog) or quiet Yorkies. Taking a breed with a sense that you know how your dog will be is unfair for the individual dog you will get. Love the individual you have not your image of how he "should be". Again, it doesn't go against the research and reading how the breed tends to behave. It's important to align your lifestyle to the dog you have. Ask yourself are you willing to spend a lot of time with your active dog, playing with him and training and/or are you willing to hire a dog walker who will help you when you're not there? Be ready for sacrifices and then you can get pleasantly surprised when your dog turns up more suited to your lifestyle than you expected from your research.

How to find a breeder?

I'm sure you've heard about puppy mills. It's horrible that people treat dogs like they are their asset and not a living creature. Dogs from puppy mills very often have medical problems (they've been living in horrible conditions) as well as a multitude of behavioural problems, which could come from the fact that they never experienced living in a house and had very limited contact with humans and noises of the city. For them, everything is scary as it's the first time they experience it. It's not easy to work with a dog like that. It takes time and dedication, not everyone will be up for that. So how to avoid getting one from a puppy mill? Research the breeder and ask to come and see the puppies with their mom. You are entitled to see the environment they grew up in. It really sets your puppy up for success when they grew up in an enriched environment. Don't neglect that just because it's easier for you to ask the breeder to bring you the puppy. It's a red flag when he offers that! He might want to hide something from you and even from those horrible conditions, puppies still look adorable. He would take him to a groomer before he brings you the puppy. You won't be able to tell from the first glance where the puppy came from. Seeing the pup in the environment he grew up in is far more reliable. When you see that the breeder cares about the puppies, that's a great sign too. Great breeders are out there you just have to find them.

Be a superhero for your dog, he will love you for it!

Ps. See the previous posts (part 1 and part 2) to set your new puppy up for success.

PS2. I’m using the form “he” out of habit. I have no preference for male vs female dog - I love them equally!