Finding the Right Puppy: Part 2 1/2- Finding a Shelter or Breeder (part 2 was breeders)

Now that you've picked out a breed (or two), you should try and find the same breeds out in the real world. Many times I've found I have an idea of the breed from reading and looking online or in books, but you never really know the breed until you see a few in real life. Also before investing too much time make sure you are financially able to care for a dog, they are not cheap in anyway. All too often I hear of a 'free dog' but you don't think of food, vet care, items such as toys, beds and leashes that all add up. While I was in 4-H we had to make a cost list up and I was surprised for two small dogs every year for every cost it was $1,000. Know your limits for yearly care as well as the cost of the puppy or an adult dog and what to get in the beginning (think lots of training and items you also have to have).  Know too how much time they do take, you cannot just leave them for 10 hours a day and expect them to thrive. Spending time to train, exercise and love them will be fulfilling but also consuming especially when they are young. If you travel or work a lot then a puppy might be too much, make sure you think the commitment through before buying; or they end up at a shelter again.

One way to see some of the breeds is to spend some time at a local shelter. While it can be fun to just look around and 'window-shop' it's even better if you can volunteer your time and walk or clean the dogs at the shelter. This will give you a good idea of the typical types in the shelter (some focus on breed types like pits, or get a lot of mill dogs) and if you are able to handle their behaviors and sometimes issues. Many times people just want to save every dog and while that would be nice you have to know your limits in training, care giving and energy. If you can't devote the time to an issue it can get worse and even the small breeds can have serious issues just as much as the big breeds. By volunteering you can also spend some time with not only that one dog that might come home with you but all the dogs that are waiting to find a home. Take your time before committing to a shelter too, some are better than others and you might find policies you don't agree with. Then it would be better to move on to the next and find one you would like to help.

Keep in mind what breed(s) or type of dog you would like while you are in the shelter. It's easy to fall in love with every breed but keep a goal in your mind of what you want and can handle. Knowing the history of the dog is great but not always possible, but having a shot record and getting it fixed will often happen at the shelter. Once you find one that you like spend some extra time with them and see if this is really the one, they are not play things to be brought home and then discarded when they are no longer fun. All too often that is why they end up at the shelter to begin with. Also make sure you know the rules of adopting at that shelter, each will have their own, such as having a fence or taking a training class at the shelter.

Another route you can also go is to rescues which are like shelters but often are more breed related. There are some that do only certain breeds (such as Bichon rescue), small dogs, or there are some that only rescue from certain situations (such as owners that are seniors and no longer able to care for the dog). Finding the right rescue depends on your wants and how they fit with you. Often they have very strict adoption applications so ask before getting attached to a dog and make sure you are set up for the process. Again knowing the dog's history would be great but not always possible, but if they have been fostered by a family you can always ask more about the dog's behavior and see if the vet has seen anything that might become an issue. 

Also if you have the time and energy you can also foster dogs, this requires more because you are getting the dog often right from a bad situation. It can be very fulfilling but also hard on certain people as the dogs then get forever homes and leave you. Again knowing your wants will play a big part of this, but you can always ask and see.

With any shelter or rescue puppy or dog there is the harder part of the not knowing everything. You often can't ask if the dog had a good socialization with the little or if the parents were healthy (although you can sometimes test the dog it might not be until after you have it) or if it is a mix what it might truly be. Many times a puppy looks like one breed and the sibling another, you might know the mother is a lab mix but don't know anything about the sire. Again this is a big choice to take the questions that you might never know and bring the dog into your life and hope for the best as we do with any of our pets, if you are ok with that, then start the search for your pup.