There are few kind acts in this world that could rank over adopting a dog from a shelter. The great thing is, it isn't just something you do for the dog; it's also a great way to bring an extra touch of joy and happiness to your own home. Assuming of course, that your home is ready. You really need to keep a few things in mind before going ahead with something like this. Here are some tips that should help you pick the best kind of dog for your home.

Now before you go ahead with anything like this - whether it's adopting a dog from a shelter or a baby or anything - you really need to be mentally and emotionally prepared for the experience. When you head to the shelter with all those pitiful looking dogs looking at you for a chance to be adopted, it can be very hard to just turn your back on all but one of them. It can be very hard especially, when you bring your children. Everyone knows what happens to shelter dogs that are not adopted by anyone.

The thing is, it wouldn't be as hard if you just went and picked one dog out of a hundred. The problem is that when you go to a shelter, you usually narrow it down to three or four dogs. The three or four dogs that you look at, you usually fall in love with right away. Knowing you just have to pick one and the others just might never be picked by anyone is a difficult thought. Basically, if you plan to take your children along to the shelter to help pick a dog out, you better be prepared for how to handle the situation. Sometimes, when you go along with some another person -your child or your spouse or anyone - you need to be prepared for all kinds of long arguments about what is best.

You'll need to think about all that when you're actually ready to adopt. Many shelters will actually require that you live in a detached home. They actually require that you have a fenced area in your yard where you can let your dog run about anyone's the outside. It's a much better idea than tying your dog up or allowing him to run about while on a long leash.

Shelters will usually have rules about the minimum size your fenced area has to be. They're looking for something that the dog can run about and play in. If you to have a fenced area just like they require, you need to look into installing a pet door in your back door.

This is a great idea because when everyone's out to work, your dog will be able to go out into the fenced yard and relieve himself. How can you expect anyone - man or animal - to hold it in for more than four hours? Basically, you need to meet a decision about who takes care of the dogs needs during the day when everyone's away work. Some people like to just lay papers down and train the dog to go there. Others hire a dog walker to come in and take the dog out.

And of course, you need to be able to actually spend on the dog's food and health. You should probably be prepared for about $400 worth of expenses every month.