At petco on Saturdays at 2:00 through 7:00 they have dog adoptions!

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Shelter Adoption - Why You Should Choose An Animal Shelter With Strict Adoption Policies

Be aware that some of the dogs that are up for adoption at your local animal shelter are there for reasons that have to do with specific behavior issues. For example, many of these dogs may have had difficulty with housetraining, messy grooming needs, noisiness, not getting along with other pets or children, hyperactivity, biting, or destructiveness.

These are all typical reasons why most dogs are given up for adoption. Should any of these characteristics prove to come to light with your dog that you have selected when he is home, the best advice is to consult with a professional dog trainer who specializes in adopted dogs. He or she will be able to help solve the problem for you.

However, as what happens just as frequently, a dog is routinely placed for adoption simply due to a lack of space when the owner moves from a large home into a smaller apartment or condominium. And there are reasons of children. Oftentimes puppies are purchased is nothing more than a gift for the kids. But what happens when the children get bored and do not want to take care of the dog anymore? You guess it, off to the animal shelter it goes!

Do Not Be One Of These Owners

When you are ready to take your newly adopted dog home, you should have already asked yourself a ton of questions about how you will take care of the animal.

Will he be an indoor dog or an outdoor dog? Do you have the necessary sleeping equipment for the outside? Do you intend on tying him down or putting up a fence in the yard? Is he fixed already? If not, then do you plan on having him taken care of? Will he be living with other children? How about other animals?

Look For An Animal Shelter With Strict Adoption Policies

Quite often, animal shelters can be extremely selective about the homes in which the dogs will be going to. And it only makes sense to keep a dog at the shelter, or even have it euthanized, instead of it being brought into a destructive home that abuses the animal.

Many animal shelters make occasional visits to the homes in which dogs were brought to after being adopted. Some organizations require certificates from a veterinarian that validate vaccinations administered and proof that neutering surgery was performed.

Any dog or other pet that is adopted under these agreements are generally sent to good homes. It is quite obvious that anyone who does not agree to these guidelines would probably not make a good pet owner. As you can probably guess, these types of strict adoption rules send more dogs to better homes over the long haul. In fact, I wish every animal shelter operated in this fashion.

Animal rescue organizations or groups offer you a great place to get your next family pet. These groups are all different, but they do have common goals. These groups work hard to locate a permanent loving home for unwanted or misplaced cats and dogs. Many of these rescue groups rely on volunteers and donations to care for these pets while they are between homes.

When you begin looking for a rescue group to work with, you will find that most of these groups do rely on their hard working volunteers and support from the local community to operate. You will also find a wide variety of animals available through these rescue groups. Many of these groups handle all types of animals and you will find kittens, puppies, and even older pets available for adoption. You might be surprised to learn that some groups even offer exotic pets such as reptiles, pot bellied pigs and even guinea pigs.

As you begin looking at pets available through rescue groups, keep in mind some of these animals have had very hard lives. You may find a dog that was abused by its owner. You may find a female cat that has just given birth. Their owners have relinquished many of the animals offered by rescue groups because they are moving or can no longer care for them. In addition, some of these groups take animals that live in kill shelters or as strays living on the streets. Some programs also offer spay and neuter release program for feral cats.

Rescue groups do a good job of screening animals before adopting them out to new homes. They also screen potential pet owners. IF you find a pet offered through a pet rescue group, you will be asked to sign a contract saying that you agree to care for the pet long term. You will also be asked several questions about your home, your children and other pets you may have. This is not to be noseyit is simply to help match an owner with the right pet. If the animal suffers from a medical condition, such as diabetes, the new owners know this up front before adopting. Having the animal's health history at the time of adoption helps the animal find a permanent home.

You can gain a lot of personal satisfaction by adopting your next pet through an animal rescue organization. You know you have done something to help and your new pet will show its appreciation. If you are interested in adopting through one of the many rescue organization, it is easy to find one in your area. Your vet can give you the contact information for organizations near you. Most of the time, these pets are kept in private homes (foster homes) until they are adopted. This gives the animal time to be socialized with other pets, children and time to get used to living in a home. Sometimes, animal rescue groups will bring their animals that need homes to pet stores or other locations for interested people to see and meet the animals on certain weekends.

When you choose a pet in a rescue program, be prepared to go through an interview and application process. The organization wants to know these pets will be well cared for the long term. You will probably be asked about other pets you may have, the age of your children, the size of your yard and your thoughts on a cat with claws if you are looking at a cat. This is to help match the pet with the right owner. Adoption fees vary by each organization, but you can expect to pay $100-$200 for a rescued animal. These groups do not make a profit. These fees cover the cost of the animal while it was in the care of the organization. This adoption fee usually covers vaccinations, medical exams, spaying, and neutering.

Getting your next pet through an animal rescue organization is a responsible way to get your next family member. You can also find many volunteer opportunities through these organizations.

Buying A Service Dog - What Types Of Service Dogs Can You Adopt?

If you're lucky enough to be purchasing a dog that was trained to provide a service for people, or a least adopting a dog that was accepted for such training but did not make it for some reason, you are in for a special treat. Most people aren't even aware that such dogs exist.

What type of pets are we talking about? Any dog that was trained for or actually worked a "career" by leading the blind and helping other disabled people is a prime example.

You HaveŃ Choices Of Service Dogs To Choose From

When looking to adopt a professionally trained career dog, your choices come in three different forms: dogs that are retired from being guides, "career changing" dogs, and finally, there are the canines that for some reason did not make it through the training program, or simply put - flunkies.

Guide Dogs No More: Just like people, service dogs cannot work their jobs forever. As these animals get older, they become slower and are no longer effective in helping their owners. The average amount of time that a service dog can work is approximately 8 years. At this point they become prime candidates for adoption by people like you and me.

Dogs That Had Multiple Careers: Many dogs can be taken out of one service job and then trained for another. The reasons for this can vary. It may be because of temperament issues, medical concerns, or perhaps a dog was just not a suitable match for its owner. For example, a dog may be retired from guide service and then prepared and transferred to work at a rehabilitation hospital or a nursery home. Sometimes these types of animals are even assigned to children's homeless centers in order to play with the kids.

Just Didn't Make The Cut: Finally, we have our flunkies. Now before you consider a flunky to be a negative thing, reconsider that notion because quite the opposite is true. Thousands of dogs are trained every year by organizations which lead them into service jobs.

Not all of these dogs make the cut and move on to work with people. They are considered flunkies for whatever reason, whether it is from temperament problems, health problems, or perhaps were a little too excitable for service work. However, the important aspect to remember here is that these dogs are still a cut above any other pet you may find elsewhere.

Just to get accepted into these types of programs for training preparation means they already had natural first-class qualities and characteristics which made them ideal candidates. These dogs are typically between the ages of one and two years old. Most are very gentle and loving and have had some type of extensive obedience training during the beginning of the program.

Adopting A Labrador Retriever From The Animal Shelter (5): How To Handle The Ultra-Exuberant Lab

For those ultra-exuberant Labs who have trouble controlling themselves from jumping on people, even after being taught the "sit" and "off" commands, a harness and leash in the house can help immensely.

Put the harness and leash on, then sit in a chair and put your foot on the leash so there's only enough slack for the dog to stand up or sit, but not to jump up. This way you aren't jerking the dog around or punishing it, and if the dog starts to jump up, it can't. Just make sure the leash is firmly under your feet with a wide enough base so you don't get pulled off the chair!

Although the harness is a way to manage jumping behavior it must be coupled with teaching the sit command with lots of positive reinforcement. This will keep your Lab from performing the behavior you don't want, while teaching it the behavior you do want. You want to physically prevent them from jumping up, then immediately train them to sit with a big reward.

A headcollar, which fits over the muzzle (similar to a horse halter), is another option for over-exuberant Labs, especially those that pull on a leash. Many dog trainers are great fans of the headcollar for over-excited dogs. It's a fabulous management tool.

Use it in the house or on walks while your dog is learning how to walk on leash, so you aren't getting your arm yanked out of its socket. Also, headcollars can help potential adopters to recognize that they can handle that 75-pound, full-grown Labrador Retriever.

Don't Give Up!

Most importantly, all new owners of adopted Labs are urged not to give up on their rambunctious buddies. There is a light at the end of the tunnel for these dogs. Work with them every day that you can. Provide as much time needed to get them domesticated to your needs and the needs of the family.

Seek out a qualified, positive trainer, and get the help you need. Particularly good would be a trainer that has experience with training adolescent and adult dogs.

Be patient, consistent and understanding, and one day the Labrador fairy will raise her magic wand and sprinkle her magic dust over your Lab. Suddenly, you'll realize that your hyperactive shelter Lab has become a really great, respectable, and well-trained family pet, one that your neighbors will be envious of.

Adopting A Shelter Dog: More Questions You Must Ask Your Local Animal Shelter

There are too many puppies being born and sold by amateur breeders and not enough homeless dogs being adopted and raised in a good homes with loving families. If you are a true dog lover and have a passion for these animals, consider visiting your local animal shelter instead of purchasing a new puppy from the newspaper or pet store.

I realize that most families prefer to have a puppy raised from birth, but there are thousands upon thousands of well mannered, healthy dogs that need a home like yours. Most of these dogs and puppies that are living in animal shelters are there for various reasons that do not include acts of violence or sickness.

In fact, it seems to be a common thought that dogs from animal shelters are tainted. Yes, there are many of them that have had problems in the past with abuse or have developed survival instincts from living on the streets, but these animals can all be trained to perfection in most cases.

How To Interview The Animal Shelter

Like any service or product, animal shelters are there to provide a specific function that you, as a consumer, should investigate before making your decision. There should be specific questions asked which are directed straight to the animal shelter that you are considering adopting a dog from.

Very important questions that should always be asked are about how they take care of the dogs. Do they get more than just food and water? Does the animal shelter place emphasis on socialization? Do they allow the animals to move around and interact with the other dogs?

Dogs To Avoid

The last thing you want to do is adopt a puppy who has been crammed up in a small cage during its entire stay at the shelter. This kind of treatment can certainly induce traumatic anxiety disorders, stress, and fear of the outside world.

If the shelter does indeed allow their animals to socialize and spend time outside of their cage, ask the staff how long they are allowed to enjoy this free time and how much human contact is received.

Another addition to your bag of questions when considering dog adoption from an animal shelter is to find out about any types of services that are offered after you bring home a new dog.

Do they provide pamphlets or brochures that explain the best way to handle an adopted dog or puppy? Are there tips in the form of a newsletter or website information that can help your adopted dog adjust easier? What about training, can they refer you to a qualified dog trainer that specializes in shelter animals?

I want to adopt a puppy for my 4 year old son. But with all the animals that end up in animal shelters, I would like to adopt one there as opposed to buying one from a pet shop.

I worry that at an animal shelter, there will be no puppies for adoption. And I want a puppy so my son and the puppy have a better chance of bonding.

Here are my questions:
1) Do animal shelters have puppies for adoption or just older dogs?
2) Does the age of the dog even make a difference in whether or not the dog and my son will bond?

Thanks!