How do you approach picking out a dog/puppy when you go to a shelter? I have researched every common breed and feel like I have an idea of what I want in a dog but what happens when I go to the shelter? Especially in a high kill shelter where you may or may not get to talk to anyone who has spent any significant amount of time with the dog you are interested in? And how much faith can I put in the labeled breed?
What I want:
small 10-30lbs
preferably a puppy but adults are not ruled out
easy coat-I really don't want to have to take the dog to a groomer
And I don't want a dog that is hard wired to bark
I am not sure what I want in terms of personality. I do want a confident, even keeled dog but that doesn't mean it has to be low energy.
When we got our dog Lucy I just saw her and knew I wanted her. Thankfully she ended up being a dog that we liked, she is nothing like the dog I picked out, ha. She is like a couch cushion that breathes. At the shelter she was more energetic. I spent maybe 10 minutes with her and brought her home.
What is your advice when going to a shelter? I really, really want to adopt from our local shelter to support my community and because of the high kill rate (80% I think). They choose dogs (not sure how the process works) and spay/neuter them, vax them, and they try really hard not to put these few chosen to sleep. They have several 60+day dogs right now.
We are going this weekend or early next week to take a look. Will there be a magic "click" with a dog? I don't want to get a dog just because it is a (insert breed).
TIA and sorry this post is so long.
What I want:
small 10-30lbs
preferably a puppy but adults are not ruled out
easy coat-I really don't want to have to take the dog to a groomer
And I don't want a dog that is hard wired to bark
I am not sure what I want in terms of personality. I do want a confident, even keeled dog but that doesn't mean it has to be low energy.
When we got our dog Lucy I just saw her and knew I wanted her. Thankfully she ended up being a dog that we liked, she is nothing like the dog I picked out, ha. She is like a couch cushion that breathes. At the shelter she was more energetic. I spent maybe 10 minutes with her and brought her home.
What is your advice when going to a shelter? I really, really want to adopt from our local shelter to support my community and because of the high kill rate (80% I think). They choose dogs (not sure how the process works) and spay/neuter them, vax them, and they try really hard not to put these few chosen to sleep. They have several 60+day dogs right now.
We are going this weekend or early next week to take a look. Will there be a magic "click" with a dog? I don't want to get a dog just because it is a (insert breed).
TIA and sorry this post is so long.