The Pros and Cons of Adopting a Shelter Dog

No matter where you live in the United States there are usually dogs to be found in animal shelters in your area. But should you adopt a shelter dog? Is it a good idea? What are the pros and cons?

Pros

1. Adopting a dog from an animal shelter gives a dog a chance at a new home. A dog's owner may not have been able to keep him for a very good reason -- perhaps the owner was moving or someone in the family was allergic to the dog. By adopting the dog you are giving that dog another chance.

2. There are many mixed breed dogs in animal shelters and mixed breed dogs have been shown to live as long or longer than giant and medium-sized purebred dogs. You may find a very good mixed breed dog that will happily live with you in your home for years to come.

3. Many animal shelters try to screen the dogs they adopt out to match them with the best families. This helps reduce the number of dogs that are returned to them. It also increases the chance that you will get a good dog the first time you try to adopt one.

4. Dogs from animal shelters may already have had their shots and been spayed or neutered, which is good for most people wishing to adopt.

However, there are some reasons why adopting a dog from an animal shelter is not the best choice for everyone.

Cons

1. You won't know much, if anything, about the dog's history. You may not know the real reason why he was taken to the animal shelter. If he has a behavior problem of some kind you may not find out until after he is living in your home.

German Shepherd/Golden Retriever

2. Contrary to what some sources say, it is difficult to find purebred dogs in animal shelters. Shelter workers tend to label many dogs as "purebreds" if they bear any resemblance to some breed of dog in order to try to get them adopted, but that doesn't mean they're really purebred dogs. The overwhelming number of dogs in shelters are mixed breed dogs. If you are looking for a purebred dog you should try a purebred rescue organization or go to a breeder.

3. Many dogs coming from animal shelters may have behavior problems and they are not a good choice for the first-time dog owner. The behavior problems may be something minor, such as jumping up on people, and the problem can be easily solved, but the dog would take some work.

If you are interested in a dog from an animal shelter you should try to spend as much time as possible with the dog before adopting. Get to know him. Try to find out all you can about the reasons why he was brought to the shelter. If you like the dog and think you can work with any problems he may have, give him a go. But you shouldn't give up on him if he shows problems when you first take him home. It will take time to overcome any behavior problems that he may have.

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