{"id":95,"date":"2016-01-18T06:00:40","date_gmt":"2016-01-18T06:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/?p=95"},"modified":"2016-04-20T01:00:14","modified_gmt":"2016-04-20T01:00:14","slug":"choosing-the-right-rescueshelter-dog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/choosing-the-right-rescueshelter-dog\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing the Right Rescue\/Shelter Dog"},"content":{"rendered":"

Choosing the Right Rescue\/Shelter Dog<\/strong><\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There are many people, myself included, who believe that adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue group is the right thing to do.\u00a0 Simply put, there are great dogs in shelters, and those dogs need good homes.\u00a0\u00a0 Of course, there are also canine train wrecks in shelters who are likewise looking for homes, but who might cause problems and trauma for the average dog owner.\u00a0 Here are some tips to help prospective adopters in finding the diamonds in the rough in those shelters and rescue orgs.<\/p>\n

Prep Before You Visit The Shelter<\/strong><\/p>\n

Consider what you\u2019re looking for in a dog.\u00a0 Overall, a great dog is one who will really like people and wants to be with them (has a high level of sociability), is affectionate, congenial, and bonds easily and strongly.\u00a0 These types of dogs are the most rewarding and easy to have in your life. \u00a0In deciding between a puppy or young dog as compared to an older, more settled dog, you must remember the importance of high-maintenance versus low-maintenance responsibility on your part.<\/p>\n

Visit Petfinder.com <\/a>and research shelters and rescue organizations in your area.\u00a0 Researching online will also make more options available for places to look for your new pup.\u00a0 When you have selected a place to visit, call them and ask about their adoption procedures and ask if they will allow you to visit with a prospective new family member outside of the kennel, and if they do not allow it, cross them off of your list.\u00a0 Another important question to ask is if they do any kind of temperament testing or evaluation.<\/p>\n

Visit The Shelter And Look For Friendly Dogs<\/strong><\/p>\n

My advice would be to make a quick first pass through, making note of the dogs that stand out for you.\u00a0 Then make a second pass and stop and visit each of the dogs you liked on the first round.<\/p>\n

A friendly, social dog will wiggle when he sees you coming, and he may press against the kennel to try to get close to you.\u00a0 His tail will be wagging, not high and tight over his back, but loose and low.
\nIf he barks, his bark is excited and happy, not a deep, aggressive bark that comes from the chest.
\nPut your hand up to the kennel wire or bars (not inside).\u00a0 The dog should readily come to you and sniff your hand.\u00a0 Tell him he\u2019s a good dog and move your hand slowly back and forth several times.\u00a0 A social dog will follow your hand.<\/p>\n

When you have identified the dogs who are friendly and social, take them out of their kennels, one at a time, either outside or to a quiet room if possible.<\/p>\n

Once you are alone with the dog, use Cesar Milan\u2019s no-touch, no-talk, no-eye-contact rule:\u00a0 Ignore the dog, but stand or sit close to him so that he can get used to your presence and scent.\u00a0 Do this for about 5 minutes if possible.\u00a0 He should look at you and perhaps lean against you to try to get your attention.\u00a0 You can get a good gauge of his friendliness and his interest in wanting to be with you, as well as his focus and energy level.<\/p>\n

If he seems to want your attention, pet him slowly and gently down his back.\u00a0 If he appears to enjoy this and leans into you, wanting more contact, he\u2019s a keeper.\u00a0 If he shakes you off or lunges away from your touch, he\u2019s telling you that he doesn\u2019t like being petted or being around you.\u00a0 Put him back in the kennel and cross him off your list.
\nAsk if you can take your favorite choices for a short leash walk.\u00a0 You will be able to learn about his energy and personality by a short 5-10 minute walk. \u00a0Watch for any aggressive behavior toward other people or animals while on the leash.\u00a0\u00a0 If you see any, cross this pup off your list.<\/p>\n

It is important to notice during this whole visit how the dogs you\u2019ve put on your favorites list behave when other people walk by, especially children.\u00a0 Avoid a dog that barks too aggressively or lunges at anyone.
\nSome of the factors to consider during your visit are: the dog\u2019s body language, how he responds to being touched, how rough or gentle he is in play, how excitable he is and how quickly he calms down, his reaction to other dogs, how he responds to being startled, and how he responds when approached when he\u2019s in possession of food or a toy.<\/p>\n

After spending time with your few favorite choices and using these tips, you will most certainly have picked the winner.\u00a0 You can now proceed in the adoption process and bring your new family member home!<\/p>\n

\"happy<\/a><\/p>\n

Cheri<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Choosing the Right Rescue\/Shelter Dog There are many people, myself included, who believe that adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue group is the right thing to do.\u00a0 Simply put, there are great dogs in shelters, and those dogs need good homes.\u00a0\u00a0 Of course, there are also canine train wrecks in shelters who are … <\/p>\n

Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[13],"class_list":["post-95","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pet-shelters","tag-choosing-the-right-rescueshelter-dog","item-wrap"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":429,"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95\/revisions\/429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=95"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=95"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}