Having a pet is a dream for some of us and we all can agree that owning one is one of the greatest feelings. If you have ever owned a pet, you will know that it’s one of the best feelings to have a pet in the house. But what’s better than having a pet is rescuing or adopting a pet! With so much campaigning, people have realized that it is better to adopt a pet than to buy it from a store. While there are some challenges when it comes to adopting a pet, you can certainly handle that.
Today we are talking about adopting a dog. We all know that dogs are the most popular pet and most people do want one. Unfortunately, there are so many dogs that end up in a shelter home or a rescuing center. There are various reasons why a dog has been brought to these centers, for example, some are just stray dogs while others have been abandoned by their previous owners.
The good thing is these dogs are available for adoption for the people who want to have a dog as their new pet. Adopting a dog isn’t very hard as you can simply adopt one within a day. But the challenge is whether you are making the right decision or not? The thing is people don’t realize how big of a responsibility it is to pet an animal. You will have to take care of them in every aspect. There will be many expenses too and each breed needs different kinds of care as well.
So how would you decide whether you are ready to adopt a dog or not? It is quite simple, you can ask yourself and others some of the important questions and find out if you are doing the right thing and if you will be able to take care of the dog afterward.
Here, we have enlisted some of the most asked questions to ask when adopting a dog, go ahead and have a look at these questions and see if you are ready.
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Also check – questions to ask a dog breeder / how to start a dog walking business
Questions To Ask Before Adopting A Dog
1. Am I ready to adopt a dog?
One of the first things that you should ask yourself when you think of adopting a dog is whether or not you are ready to adopt one. It is pretty natural to get carried away while looking at a cute dog and wanting to take them home. But the dog has needs too just like us. So you would probably need to know whether you are ready to. adopt a dog or not. This means you can meet the needs of the dog you are adopting both financially and medically. So this is the reason you should make sure to ask yourself these questions before you adopt a dog.
2. Difference between shelter and rescue dog?
People often think that shelter and rescue dogs are the same, but that is not the case. Before you adopt the dog, you might want to know the basic difference between a shelter and a rescue dog and figure out which you would like to adopt.
Well, the basic difference between these two is that shelter homes house the animals that are abandoned by people or on the street or stray animals, this includes any animal from any breed and wherever they have found it.
On the other hand, the rescue homes only take specific kinds of breeds that include some friendly pups that need medical attention and have high euthanasia rates.
So it is advised that you should mostly adopt a dog from rescue homes as they have more information about the pet and these are generally friendlier and suitable for adoption.
3. What is the breed of the dog?
It is another important question to ask when adopting a dog. Each dog breed has different needs and expenses, so you will have to figure this out before adopting the dog.
You don’t want to just adopt the next dog you see and end up adopting a dog that you know nothing about. This won’t be fair to the dog either.
So ask the rescue homes about the breed of the dog and what its needs are and how you would be able to take care of that. You can also research the breed and see if you would be able to take care of the dog and if it is the right breed for you to adopt or take home too.
4. What will be the expenses?
We have already covered this point in the first question, yet it is important that you specifically ask about the expenses while adopting a dog.
It is not just about the money but about the different needs of the dog. From taking the dog to the vet for regular examinations to finding out the right diet for the dog. Calculate the expenses before adopting the dog and see if you will be able to afford them.
5. How much time does the dog need?
Not just the money, but you should also have the time to take care of the dog that you are adopting. There are plenty of instances where dog owners find it hard to take care of the dog because they don’t have enough time.
One thing is certain the dog will need your time and attention, so this isn’t something you can avoid. You will need to take the dog outside for dog walking, socialization, and playtime. You will also need to make time for vet visits for regular examinations and training classes as well. Only adopt a dog when you are sure that you have the time to raise a dog and look after them.
6. Is my home suitable for a dog?
Not many people do think about this but your home should be suitable for a dog, just like you make your home suitable for kids.
The dog is going to take up some space in your home and you will need to make sure if it is safe or not for the dog. You might need to add fences to your garden, and there should be space for dog walking as well. It would be ideal if your neighborhood has a park so that you can take your dog for long walks. Apart from this, make sure that pets are allowed in gourmet buildings or apartments.
7. Where does the dog come from?
This is another great question that you need to ask before adopting a dog. It is important to know the history of the dog before adopting it because there are plenty of things that can make a difference. For example, you need to know whether the dog is a stray dog or an abandoned dog. If the dog had a previous owner it might be trained and gone through the veterinary examinations so there is less risk involved in this. On the other hand, if the dog is a stray or picked up from the streets you might have difficulty finding it in medical or training history and this can also cause a few problems.
So ask the rescue home the history of the dog before adopting it and then see if it would be a good fit for you.
8. Ask about the health status of the dog.
This is another thing that you would like to ask before adopting a dog. We have already mentioned that it is important to know everything about the dog before you take it home. This also is true in the case of the health status of the dog.
Find out if it has got all the vaccinations before you have found it and if there are any issues with the dog’s health. You don’t want to bring a sick dog home or the one that has huge medical expenses. It is also necessary to know what medical care the dog needs and if you would be able to provide that.
9. Is the dog trained?
Whether the dog has been owned by someone previously or the rescue shelter has looked after the dog for a long time, you need to know if the dog is trained or not.
There are plenty of such things that a dog needs training for such as potty training, behavioral training, and many more. You will need to know if the dog will be an ideal pet or not.
You should know if the dog will get along with other people or even the other pets that you have. If not, then it can be a huge challenge to tackle.
10. Will the shelter or rescue take the dog back if the rescue doesn’t work out?
This is one of the most important questions that you will need to ask and you can’t neglect it. It is a good thing that you want to adopt a dog rather than buy from a store, but sometimes the dog might not get along with the new owners or just simply because the habitat doesn’t agree with them.
No matter what the case is, if you fail to keep your dog happy and healthy, you might have to give up the dog. In that case, you will need to know if the shelter or rescue home will take the dog back or not. Not all the shelters or rescue homes take the animals back, so it would be ideal to know before you adopt the dog.
Conclusion
So these are some of the questions that you must ask when adopting a dog. These questions will not only help you make up your mind about adopting a dog but they can help you figure out the needs and expenses of the dog that you are adopting.
That would be all for now and we hope that you get the dog that you have always wanted. And by adopting a dog you are also doing a great thing as it gets home and the shelter gets space to rescue new dogs as well. We hope you found our article helpful and got everything that you were looking for. Thank you.
