I'm all about being as informed as possible before adopting a dog. I feel this helps adopters adjust their expectations and avoids incompatibility between you and your dog!

 The goal is to be prepared for the big challenges you might face when integrating your rescue dog into your home. Being informed in the dog adoption journey often means advocating for your own needs by asking questions.

 Now, the answers to these questions may not be a simple yes or no but they should help you decipher whether you are capable of training and caring for this particular dog.

So here are my TOP 5 QUESTIONS TO ASK A RESCUE BEFORE ADOPTING A DOG:

Can you provide any insight as to this dog’s history or previous owners?

Has this dog had any exposure to children, if so, how did that go?

Has this dog shown any resistance to handling (ask about nail trims, cleaning paws, brushing and carrying)?

What do you think is this dog’s biggest training hurdle or hurdles?

Do you have any health concerns with this dog? (Ask about skin, eyes, ears, mouth, parasites, GI symptoms, mobility, appetite) There is a lot that goes down in the dog adoption process, outright asking this question helps to make sure no information slips through the cracks.

If you need more dog adoption advice, I’ve got more extensive resources coming soon in the Pawdoption Guide Membership Experience, launching this month! You can join my membership waitlist to get in the loop today.

We often get caught up in being “interviewed” during the adoption process that we forget to interview the dog too! This is where some really relevant details can go unspoken so make sure to advocate for yourself and ask questions.

REMEMBER: Asking questions shows you want to be prepared and that you take dog ownership seriously - this is never a bad thing!