How to Know Where to Get a Dog

Have you made the decision to adopt a dog, but aren't sure where to get one? From kennels to pet stores to breeders, there are a plethora of ways to find an animal to take home. Each of them has its own benefits and pitfalls, so before you find that perfect dog to adopt, take a moment to consider the sources and decide which method is best for you and your family.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 
    

   Decide whether you want a purebred or mixed breed dog. Breeders specialize in one or two particular breeds of dog, which they raise to sell. If you have a particular breed in mind, the American Kennel Club can point you in the right direction to finding a breeder near you who deals with the particular dog breed you are interested in.

2. 
    

   Find out about breed rescue groups if you are looking for a purebred dog. Rescue groups tend to each care for one particular breed of dog, who was either abandoned, neglected, or came from a home where the owners simply couldn't care for it. There is still a fee to adopt them, but it is mostly to cover the medical care that the dogs received, such as vaccinations or, considering their prior circumstances, worse.

3. Avoid pet stores for purebred dogs. These dogs tend to come from "puppy mills," where puppies are bred in very crowded, poor conditions and are treated more like factory products than living creatures. These poor animals are still in need of good homes, but it's wrong to encourage the types of practices that produce them.

4. 
    

   Check your local animal shelter or Humane Society. Most of these dogs are mixed breed and were either abandoned or picked up as strays. These organizations are primarily run by volunteers who genuinely care about the dogs and want to ensure that they go to good homes. There is an adoption fee to cover the basic medical care that they received, which usually includes spaying or neutering.

5. 
    

   Check your local classifieds and bulletin boards. These are great resources if you cannot afford the adoption fee at the other places, as there are usually a number of ads for free puppies to good homes. Caution must be taken, however, to make sure that the puppies did indeed come from a good home and are not suffering from any major health problems. This is also a good resource for finding local breeders.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that a dog, especially a puppy, is a big responsibility and will need a lot of love attention, and if it's not trained, patience.
• Trained attack dogs do not make good pets.

Resources

• American Kennel Club

[Gardengates]

on 1/31/2009 Excellent tips on finding a wonderful puppy pal. Your dog will be a life-long partner and a good, healthy dog makes a great companion. Love the adoption advice, too. Thanks.

[Gottaloveit]

on 1/29/2009 Thanks for the rescue slant of the article. You can get a GORGEOUS purebred puppy from the local shelter around May - these are the Xmas puppies who are now 'too big,' 'too small' 'too dumb,' 'too smart,' etc.

[BHolmes]

on 1/28/2009 Good article!