Screening a Potential Dog to Adopt

Kind of obviously, I'm 'pro-rescue', and I'm really glad more and more people are turning towards rescuing a dog instead of buying a dog from a breeder (sketchy or otherwise). However, though it might make me a pessimistic thorn in the side of what people preceive rescue as, it's got to be said.

Some dogs end up in rescue for a pretty darn good reason.

Rescue does great work, but it is not with all highly adoptable dogs. It is important to realize when you want to give your home to a rescue that there will be work -sometimes a lot of work- involved in whichever dog you take on. If you want a dog without any or few 'issues', realize it might take a little bit more time to find who you are looking for. Just as with if you have your mind set on a particular breed or 'look'.

If you are willing to put that work in, ask LOTS of questions of what you want and need in a dog before even scouting out who might be your match.

For example, this might be your Needs Vs Wants List:
This would be an example of a married couple who own a condo, no kids but might have kids sometime in the future.

NEEDS: To be friendly with strangers To be friendly with other dogs To be able to be left at home for 4-6 hours a day No separation anxiety (barking) –condo restriction To co-exist with an indoor cat Under 35 pounds full grown (condo restriction) No aggression on a leash Low-Medium Energy (no more than 1 ½ hours exercise a day) No pit-bull or rottweiler type mix (condo restriction, also don't feel comfortable with those breeds)

WANTS: Shepherd-type looks Able to go off-leash at the dog park quickly (with appropriate training of course) Crate-trained Able to do sports for fun Kid-friendly –with training not to jump up or other similar training of puppy type behaviours

Remember, the more needs and wants you have, the less dogs in rescue will 'fit' you. The more you're willing to work with, the more you might get 'the look' you are after. It is a balancing act. You also have to ask yourself what you would be willing to train into the dog. For example, this couple want a biddable type dog that will -with training- be able to go off leash. They don't need one that goes off-leash already. So they really aren't after a husky type dog with a mind of it's own, they want someone nicely trainable for a beginner dog handler. So, that need cuts a lot of dogs out. They also have a size restriction to the building, which further cuts a lot of dogs out.

In this example they've also decided they do not want to work with a dog who is aggressive/reactive on a leash. If they were willing to work through this issue, they would put it in the 'wants' collumn. You might not get all your wants, but you are definitely after getting all your needs.

A big one to consider is size. For condo or apartment owners, sometimes size is a restriction, or if you have a current dog you might need a dog it's size or smaller, but sometimes who will fit you best is in a package that's a little bit bigger -or maybe even a little bit smaller (my own foster fail being much, much smaller than who I originally thought I needed-. Of course, that's totally your decision. This will be YOUR dog.

So, you have your wants versus needs and have decided what you are in fact looking for over just a pretty face. Good, time to go scouting! Check out local rescues, or the SPCA -though be careful, you can be easily tempted by a pretty face going into to the SPCA and forget about your needs!

Also, a lot of dogs in rescue come with the added benefit of the foster home. They live a normal day-to-day doggie life and it'll be easier to know if you're getting who you need. Regardless, if you are e-mailing an adoption contract in or at the SPCA ask A LOT of questions about the dog you are considering adopting. And please, if you are seriously interested in a dog, do put an application in with your inquiry. Rescues don't have time to deal with people who are not serious -they are all volunteer run. If you aren't picky on the 'look' of the dog, and see many on their site that could be a potential match, you could also put in a general application and then see through the process which dogs they think would match you best.

PS: This is how we got Beckett. There were four different dogs from one rescue that interested us, but after talking to the person who cared for the dogs on a daily basis, together we decided Beckett was the right fit out of the suggestions. This was also a 'sight-unseen' adoption though. For the most part, adoptions are now done face to face, with the opportunity for the adopter to meet the potential adoptee before agreeing to adopt the dog. The more needs you have in a dog, the more I suggest visiting the dog in person first. However, I like what a sight-unseen adoption does. It makes you focus on the temperment of the dog and not as much on the 'look'. You lead with your head.

In searching for your four-legged family remember realize too that dogs at the SPCA might have never lived in a home before, so they don't actually have that much information to answer your questions. It's a bit like playing the lottery and if you aren't used to screening dogs, you can easily bring home a dog that doesn't work. Not to say don't go to the SPCA, just that if you're looking for a dog who will fit the easiest with your home and environment, the best way to accomplish that is to know as much as you can about the dog you are adopting. Locally in Victoria, the SPCA does really well on adopting dogs quickly, so don't feel too bad for those guys either. They get seen by the public at all times. A dog in foster care doesn't have that luxury. However, when you think about it, the dog has a better quality of care, and it won't be as much of a change from foster home to your home than from the SPCA to your home.

Here are some questions you should ask of any dog you rescue:

A foster home should be able to answer the following:
1) How does the dog react to people?
2) How does the dog react to other dogs?
3) How long can the dog stay home by themselves? (Separation anxiety)
4) How is the dog to walk on a leash?
5) Is the dog housetrained?
6) What negative points does this dog have?
7) How much exercise will this dog need on a daily basis?

You can ask about cats and kids, although if the dog is in a foster home without these the foster parent might not be able to answer those questions as well. Ideally a foster home will screen with cats and/or kids to have a general idea if they would fit a home with either or both. In the example above, the family needs to be able to have their dog co-exist with the indoor cat. Being okay with an indoor cat is easier than an outdoor cat who runs and can trigger the prey drive. Still, it's becoming pretty obvious a husky isn't for them hey!

Asking 'How does the dog react' will give you some detail on his greetings, and not give you a generic answer of 'Good'. Good is subjective to the handler, getting the detail you can get a much better sense of the dog without the opinion slipping in. Also, ALL dogs will have a bad point or two and it's important you know about them beforehand. If they seriously have 0 bad points, I'll see it when I believe it. I haven't had a foster without a bad point!

Jumping, pulling on leash, over-excitement when meeting new dogs, shyness, mouthing, barking, aloofness, anxiety, doesn't like being touched, resource guarding of food, resource guarding of toys, counter surfing, stubborn, likes to roam, escape artist, not fully housetrained, high-energy, etc, etc.

Do take into account though if you want to adopt a puppy, you will deal with a lot of those basic bad points anyway! They are just babies.

Flexibility, love, patience and time all play a huge part in transitioning your dog into it's new environment, but the more homework you do and things you learn in the adoption process, the more likely you adopt someone who works great with your lifestyle. Just remember there are lots of good dogs in rescue through no fault of their own, but there are also some who have been given up for good reason. Lead with your head, and follow up with your heart.

All of the planning will pay off.