Adopt A Shelter Dog Month on October, 2024: If you adopted a shelter dog and 6 months later found?

October, 2024 is Adopt A Shelter Dog Month 2024. The Shelter Pet Project – Approximately 8 million pets enter shelters each year. Adopt.

These hypothetical issues you bring up are the very reasons why it is best to buy a purebreed dog (AKC) from a breeder. Someone once told me that dogs are like a "black box". You get out of them what you put in. If you get an animal from a shelter, you are getting someone elses "black box". This is especially true with mix breed dogs. You never know which breed trait the dog got from which parents. Purebreeds are more predictable and puppies can be raised to fit your lifestyle. Especially if they come from a breeder familiar with that breed and bloodline.

It takes a special person to take in a shelter dog. Also, a dog that bites its owners and or children is a safety hazard and is not worth keeping. The risks are too high.

Shelter Dog...?

We've had our rescue boy for a month now...since I'm being lazy...I'm going to copy and paste an answer I left for someone else:

We just rescued a dog a couple of weeks ago, and the first few days were really hectic. The first day I was convinced it wasn't going to work out and I'd have to find a new home for our rescue boy. After about a week things have settled down, but initially, when you bring a new dog into a home with an existing dog; the dogs are going to try to figure out the pecking order. All dogs need to know their place in their home. Our existing dog was extremely mean and snappy and growly to the rescue dog for about a week, but they've established their roles in the pack now, and they get along quite well. Just a note though...we definitely tried to help that along by always giving our existing dog a pat first, she also gets her food, and treats first. Also, our existing dog is allowed to go through doors first...so example: first I go through the door, then our existing dog, then the new dog. The new dog has no problem with any of this and I think it helped in establishing their new pack roles.

Also a note...treats and toys are things that whether or not your existing dog cared about them before will be very territorial over with the new dog. You should keep them all picked up and try to keep a very controlled environment until the dogs have sorted themselves out.

So...I think you need to give it a little time...it's been a month for us now and our dogs are pretty good buddies. They even cuddle on the couch together occasionally. :) Feel free to email me if you have any specific questions.

Edit: Also wanted to note that both of our dogs got along perfectly at the shelter, so we had no idea that it was going to be war at home. At one point we did break out the bitter apple spray (which both dogs HATE) and that seemed to help with the fighting too. Also...we started walking them together the very first day...I think that also helped establish us all as a pack. And DON'T put your resident dog in a crate and let the knew one explore...you don't want your resident dog to feel like this new dog is taking her place that will only cause more problems. If you are going to crate...crate the new dog until he is healed.

shelter dogs?

I will tell you this, and it is just my experience in adopting 4 mix-breed dogs, from various shelters. Our family has adopted the following mixed dogs:

A Rhodesian Ridgeback Mix

A Jack Russel Mix

A Mastiff Mix

A Husky Mix

All of them where taken into our home between 4 months and 2 years...

With any new dog, you have to make sure you are consistant. Do your research. If you can tell by looking at the pup what the dominant breed is, then look that dog up & really research the temperment. You will never know for sure what mixes you get at the pound, but there is usually one dominant breed, obvious when looking at the pup. Don't be in a hurry. If you found a pup in a cage at the kennel watch him interact with other daogs for a while, then ask to spend some time with it, that will help you assess their personality with other pets, as well as independantly.

We have always made arrangements with our vet to take the new dog in immediately before taking them home, when we adopt them...that way they can be evaluated. 3 of the 4 had kennel cough, which is easily treated. We also put them on worm preventative immediately.

We would not trade our mixed breeds for anything in the world. We did our research, made sure we could afford them, and had the time to cater to their needs in the first few weeks we brought them home...WE HAVE NO REGRETS!!!

I wish you the same luck we have had in adoptions. :-)