There are many situations nowadays when the dog owners must find somebody else to take care of their dog. Reasons are different Some people need to change location or a new location does not permit dogs or other animals. Some of the owners lost their job and are simply not able to afford to take care of a dog anymore. I have heard many stories throughout adopting community, unfortunately not all of them had a happy ending.

Think of that this way: when you adopt a dog you actually rescue two dogs - the one you take, and the one that shelter or rescue group take in instead.

Before you adopt a dog there are many things to consider. In this article I will try to point out all the things you should think of before you make this step.

1. Money

Adopting process is not free as some of you may think. If you adopt a dog from a shelter you must be prepared to pay about $65 ( municipal shelters) or up to $500 ( purebred rescue groups). Those costs cover veterinary care, food etc. that shelter had to provide during the time the dog was under their roof.

After you pay the shelter and take your new puppy home there are many more expenses that have to be considered. Dog license, food, veterinary care, identification tags, leash, grooming supplies, toys, dog collar, etc. As you can see list is almost endless. You have to be prepared that many costs are unexpected. For example your dog may suffer from a disease that needs to be taken care of immediately - veterinary costs are sometimes very high. Furthermore behaviour of your dog could be something that you need to work on - you would have to hire a professional trainer, etc.

2. Time

Another BIG question before adopting a dog is - will you and your family have time for a puppy. Nowadays most people don't even have the time for themselves so this has to be decision thought through well. You would have to take your dog for a walk several times a day, must provide it with food and water two or more times per day.

If you get long-haired dog you would need to spend at least 15 minutes a day grooming. Grooming itself also needs some training so you need to be prepared for that. When adopting very young puppy or energetic dog you must be aware that you would have to play, socialise and exercise with a dog about an hour per day.

3. Your lifestyle

Is my place big enough for a dog?

Size of the place you live in must be suitable for a dog. Some breeds need to have more space to play and exercise on a daily basis, while some will do just fine in a small apartments
Travels

If your occupation or a lifestyle requires a lot of travelling and absence than you need to ask yourself a question how do I take care of my dog while I am away. Some extra expenses like dog sitting or boarding must be added to you calculations

Dirt

What is your tolerance level for dirt? Especially during first couple of weeks when your new dog feels insecure and nervous "accidents" can and more likely will happen.
BIG questions

Before you adopt a puppy you and your family need to answer all of the questions below. Remember that getting a dog should be decision of all your family and everybody should be participating in choosing and taking care of a dog.

1) What is the main reason you want to adopt a dog?

2) Do you need a dog to spend your free time more active or do you rather see your dog as a house toy for your children or maybe you need a guard dog for your protection?

3) Will you have patience to do a lot of grooming?

4) Will you have time for a larger breed of dog? It will need a lot more attention and time spent on general care

5) Do you have other animals in the house that may be dangerous to keep close to a dog?

Where to adopt a dog?

Dog Shelters are operated under government supervision or are non-profit organisations (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - ASPCA). Those facilities employ paid staff as well as use volunteers services. They take care of abandoned dogs as well as prepare puppies for an adoption process.

Rescue Groups is quite different institution from the above. It does not employ anybody - they rely on a network of volunteers who keep the dogs in their houses until adopted. Very often those groups simply take dogs from shelters with bad conditions and place the dogs with foster families till somebody adopts them for good. You can find rescue groups that only deal with certain breed ( for example: Groups for Labrador or Groups for German Sheppard).

Main difference between Rescue Group and Shelter is that dogs adopted from Rescue Groups live closer to their foster families while dogs from the Shelter live rather in an overcrowded place full of other dogs. That said you can be sure that by adopting a dog from Rescue Group you will get much more info from the foster home than from the Shelter staff. Relationship between a dog and the foster families are much more intimate and you can get a lot of information about a dog's health condition as well as any behavioural issues.

Adopting a dog from a rescue group is more expensive than the one from the shelter. That is because rescue groups rely solely on donations and adopting fees while shelters get some money also from the government.

Where do I start adopting process?

Go to http://www.petfinder.com or http://www.adoptapet.com to find a pet you wish to adopt in your area - you simply search by breed and type in your postcode. When you find a dog you are looking for go to the shelter's website to check what their procedures are as well as get contact information to ask any further questions.

Make sure you ask the questions below to the shelter staff
How old is a dog?
What is the Dog's History. Ask as many questions as possible about dog's temperament, food preferences etc.
How does the dog behave around children - crucial question when you have a child

Adopting a dog is a great adventure. Keep in mind that you give second chance to another animal being. Make sure though that your choice is thought through and followed with the steps described in this article. Good luck!