Adopting a dog from a shelter is a huge decision. Many shelter dogs have lots of love to give, but many come with emotional trauma from being left at the shelter or spending time in abusive or neglectful homes. Adopting a dog from a shelter is hard work and can feel like a major challenge, but if you’re passionate about giving a dog a new leash on life in your home, then a shelter dog might be perfect for you. There are lots of things you’ll need to do to prepare for your shelter dog and a variety of items you’ll need to purchase prior to bringing them home. We’ve put together this essential guide to adopting a dog from a shelter so you can make the transition from shelter to home easy, safe and exciting for you and your new dog! From custom pet tags to outfitting your home safely, we’ll cover everything you need to know. ADOPTING VS. BREEDING While we can’t make you choose how you bring a furry friend into your life, we can share some helpful information with you about adopting versus breeding that you might want to know. Considering over three million dogs enter shelters every year, even dogs that are carefully bred with expert breeders can end up in a shelter. Adopting gives you the chance to shower an older dog with lots of love and affection that they may have never had before. It’s typically much more cost-efficient to adopt a dog from a shelter, and they usually come with all their shots and medical records. Many also come spayed or neutered, which is perfect for pet owners who want to make sure their pets don’t breed with any others. Breeding is typically very expensive, but for potential dog owners who want to explore showing their dogs at competitions, then buying from a breeder can be a good choice. However, it’s important to note that many breeders don’t follow safe breeding practices, and many animals are rescued from puppy farms and mills where the animals are kept in poor conditions just to make top dollar for the breeders. They typically are inbred, so the animals from breeders might have more health issues than others. BEFORE YOU VISIT THE SHELTER Before visiting the shelter, there are some things you’ll want to do to ensure your home is in tip-top shape and you’re prepared to bring an animal into your home. EVALUATE YOUR FINANCES. Owning a dog is expensive, we’re just going to be honest with you. From vet fees to monthly food costs to simply affording toys, there are lots of additional costs associated with owning a dog. If you struggle to make ends meet now, then maybe owning a dog isn’t right for you at this moment. Even if you’re adopting from a shelter, there are still some fees involved. It’s important you know whether or not you can afford those before you even visit a shelter. The worst thing in the world would be making a connection with a dog just to find out you can’t afford to take care of them. If you find yourself in this position, you can always consider volunteering at the shelter or fostering until your finances are in a better position! FENCE IN YOUR YARD. This is a major standard for most shelters and rescue organizations. While not perfect or foolproof, a fenced-in yard is much safer for dogs than an open one. This will allow them to run around and play for their necessary exercise time and then some without you always having to keep a full eye on them. However, it’s still important you invest in items like our Tile for pets, known as the TraQ dog tag. Featuring unique Bluetooth technology, this dog tag allows you to track your dog’s location within 200 feet using Tile’s start of the art app. You can even share your dog’s location with friends and family so they can help you search or keep an eye on your dog if you happen to be away. This technology goes a long way in helping you keep your dog safe and healthy, which will be a huge bonus to share with the shelter team as you complete your application. Shop All Of Our Silicone Pet Products CLEAR UP SPACE. Clear out the clutter in your home before visiting the shelter. Many shelters and rescue organizations do home visits before allowing you to adopt. This is so they can determine if your home will be conducive to a dog’s health and safety. Cleaning up clutter can allow the shelter staff to see the space where your dog will stay and play if they do decide to do a home visit of some kind. It’ll also help you get rid of things you no longer need or which might be unsafe for your dog. Take note of spaces you’ll gate off or areas that will be strictly for your dog. Find points of entry and exit your dog might take advantage of, and think about where breakable items are in relation to how big of a dog you’d be willing to adopt. THINK ABOUT YOUR CAPACITY FOR CARE. Take a few moments to evaluate why you want a dog. What current obligations do you have? Do you have children? What kind of schedule do you typically have? What are your work hours? Do you travel on the weekends, or do you stay home? Do you have a reliable dog sitter or kennel for when you travel or vacation and can’t bring along your friend? Answering these questions before you visit a shelter will go a long way in helping you determine whether or not a dog is right for you, or what type of dog will fit your lifestyle best. Are you someone who leads a very active lifestyle? A dog might be a great companion to bring on your morning runs or annual hiking trips. These things will really help you evaluate your lifestyle and whether or not you have the capacity to care for an animal. Dogs need lots of love and attention, plus you have to schedule time to take them out for relief and exercise. If those aren’t things you can accommodate right now, then getting a dog might not be in your best interest. WHEN YOU’RE AT THE SHELTER After you’ve evaluated whether or not getting a dog is right for you, you’ll want to visit the shelter. Many shelters offer walk-ins, but some allow appointments too. In fact, calling the shelter ahead of time to speak with some of the volunteers or staff there can help you in your search. They can talk with you about your home setup, your job and your needs as a pet owner to help match you with some animals they think will fit your needs best. Of course, when you get there you may end up falling in love with a dog no one expected (it happens all the time!), but speaking with the shelter before just arriving is always a good idea. Here are some other things to consider when you’re at the shelter: NOT EVERY DOG WILL LOVE YOU IMMEDIATELY. Whether they’ve experienced trauma or neglect or are just desensitized to life in the shelter, there are lots of reasons a dog might not immediately run up to you. Remember that shelter dogs have a past, even if they can’t articulate it the same way that humans can. THE DOG YOU MIGHT REALLY WANT MIGHT NOT WANT YOU. Dogs are intuitive. And they have emotions too. It’s important you respect them if they aren’t interested in you. You’ll be able to tell if a dog gets excited to see you or is interested in your presence because they’ll come up to you, watch your movements or make eye contact with you. Of course, some dogs are more skittish than others, but as a general rule you shouldn’t try to force a dog to like you. ASK THE SHELTER STAFF QUESTIONS. Don’t forget to ask the shelter staff and volunteers questions about the dogs! How long they’ve been at the shelter, what information they know about the dog’s previous home and even if the dog’s had any litters are all important questions to ask. There are lots more questions you can ask, but the main idea is that you ask enough questions to show the shelter staff you’re really serious and that you care about which dog you bring into your home. BEFORE BRINGING YOUR DOG HOME After you visit the shelter and decide which dog you want to bring home, you’ll typically have a small waiting period. A lot of people assume they can just bring the dog home right after deciding, but many shelters conduct credit checks, background checks and home visits before allowing you to bring the dog home. They take the health and safety of the dogs in their shelters very seriously, and they definitely don’t want to send their dogs home with people who may end up harming the dogs, even unintentionally. While you’re in the waiting period, here are some things you’ll want to stock up on to ensure your dog’s first time coming home goes well. TOYS. Toys are essential for your new dog! You can also check with the shelter staff if you’re able to bring a toy into them that’s wrapped in something with your scent so your dog can play with it at the shelter and get used to it before coming home. It might help the adjustment period and will also be something familiar to them when they leave the shelter and come to your home. WALKING ACCESSORIES. You’ll need to take your dog for walks once they’re home with you. This is essential to a dog’s health, even if they are running around your backyard for a couple of hours each day. A dog collar and leash set is a must-have for your dog, especially if they’re younger and will need more training. Our collars are made with break-off technology that will snap the collar off if it gets pulled on something. This is perfect in the event your dog is roughhousing or running and gets their collar snagged on something that might otherwise cause them to get strangled by their collar. DOG BED AND BLANKETS. A dog bed and blankets are great to invest in before your dog comes home. This way, you can find the perfect space for them in your home that will help to show the shelter staff how serious you are about bringing the dog home with you. THE FIRST FEW DAYS WITH YOUR NEW DOG If you’ve passed all the checks from the shelter, paid all your adoption fees and picked your dog up from the shelter, congrats! You’re now the proud owner of a new dog. Here are some things to consider for your new furry friend: GET THEM A PET TAG. Many pet owners change their dogs’ names after adopting their new animals. If you do this, get them a pet tag so you can put their new name on it. Of course, you can always choose to keep their original name, especially if they’re an older dog. They’ll probably answer to it better. Our silicone pet tags are great for dogs of all ages and sizes because they’re made from durable silicone and can include various information that many pet owners will need to have handy for others to know. BUY SOME TREATS AND EXTRA FOOD. When you leave the shelter, they’ll probably provide you with some food and recommendations on treats. Be sure to stop by the pet store and pick up some more! MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A LOCAL VET. Do some research and make an appointment with a local vet so you can get set up with regular check ups and flea and tick medicine and talk about diet and exercise. GIVE IT TIME Your new dog will need some time to adjust to their new home. Be patient and remember that they’re in a new, unfamiliar space. Give them some grace — and give it to yourself too. After a few weeks, you and your new dog should be on track to have an amazing life together! Image Credits Sergey Pekar/Shutterstock.com Serhii Krot/Shutterstock.com