How to go about getting a rescue dog, and how to introduce it into your home. 

So you are thinking about getting a dog or even another dog. 

Breeders

Many people gravitate to getting a puppy from a specialized dog breeder. A good dog breeder will be able to sell you a puppy from a litter of puppies that have been checked for genetic problems and diseases. You will also be able to see the health records of the parents. 

The benefit of doing this is that you will have the puppy from pretty much the beginning of its life, so you are responsible for its happiness from the very beginning, and have a hand in the training from the start. 

You will also choose exactly what breed you want, and the gender of the little fur baby. 

These benefits come at a price, though, and buying dogs in this manner can be very expensive. 

First things first

You have decided you may want to rehome a dog, but you are unsure how you want to go about it. 

Here are some things consider:

• Lifestyle: What is your lifestyle like, what do you like doing, then research dog breeds that will match that lifestyle. Make a list of these breeds.  
• Home: your home will be the main base for you and your new dog. Consider the size of the house, how dog-friendly it is, do you have an enclosed garden, how close the closest walk is, and how long the dog will be left at home if you have to go to work. Use this to reduce the size of the initial list. 
• Family: then think about what age and condition of dog you would prefer. A puppy maybe, or a house trained 1-2 year old, or a dog in its prime, or perhaps you want to give an older dog a couple of happy years before it passes away. 
• Expectations: hopefully, you have a list of 5-10 breeds that you think would suit you, and what age and training level you would ideally like. This allows you to make informed decisions; however, don't be overly specific. If your list is one breed long and you only want a puppy. Then maybe rescue isn't for you, as you need to be open to what the shelters have on offer.

Contact Rehoming shelters

Once you have a list of breeds and conditions you would consider, you can move to the next step:

• Contact shelters: Some will be breed-specific. For example, there are often shelters just for Greyhounds due to the large number of ex-race Greyhounds that need rehoming. However, most shelters will have a broad and random range of breeds. You will be able to speak to someone on the phone or make an appointment. Tell them about your research and the list you have made. 
• Shelter rules: They will have their questions for you, their procedures, and will make their recommendations to you. These recommendations will hopefully be similar to your list. They may also ask to do a home visit to ensure it is suitable for an adopted dog. You may think some of the rules are over the top, but an adequate shelter will only let a dog go to what they perceive to be right home. They will put the interests of the dog over yours, and rightly so. 
• Bio: Most shelters will assess the dogs professionally. So they can best match a dog to a potential new owner. They will give information like the dog's age, whether it is housetrained, and its personality suitable for a house with young children. Things like that. 
• Final stage: You have found the dog you want, you have passed the shelters criteria and checks, then all there is left to do is sign some form or contract and pay an adoption fee. 

Home is where the heart is

Yeah! You have a new dog, and you have taken the kind step of giving a shelter dog a second chance in life. That's amazing, but what should you do now and what should you expect:

Final consideration

Patience is a virtue. 

Every dog is different, every rescue situation is different, and there will be different amounts of physical and mental healing for the dog to do. 

Things could run smoothly for a while, and then the dog may seem to go backward for a bit.

Just keep doing the right things, and give unconditional love and respect, and you will get a fully recovered and loving pet in return. 

Just remain patient. It might take a new rescue dog upwards of 6 months to show its real personality and to feel fully settled into the family even if it didn't have a traumatic past. 

Taking on a rescue dog can be riskier than getting a puppy from a breeder, but getting a rescue can also be more rewarding as you could have saved a life depending on the shelter's policies.

You don't have to worry about the love you will get back in return, no matter that the dog has been through previously, it will recover if you give it the love and attention it deserves.

Dogs are incredible animals, and with an astonishing owner like you, you will have made them very happy.