The Advantages Of Getting A Shelter Dog

Many people hesitate when it comes to getting a dog from their local Humane Society or pound. The truth is, if getting a great pet is what you really want, there's no better place to start your search than at your local shelter. Here are some of the advantages of bringing a shelter dog home to love forever.

You Can Get a Purebred Dog a lot Cheaper

The truth is that there are many purebreds that come into shelters for any number of reasons. Sometimes a breeder just can't find a home for that last puppy, or a family has to move and leave a dog behind. Although the majority of shelter dogs are indeed mutts, checking back again and again is a good way to up the chances of finding just the breed you're looking for at a greatly reduced price. Find out if the shelter keeps breed-specific list of hopefuls: if it does, sign up!

A purebred dog purchased from a breeder can run into the thousands of dollars, while shelters typically charge the same price for every adoption regardless of there's a pedigree involved or not. It's all about finding great homes for every dog that comes through.

Mutts Make Fantastic Pets

Mutts can be the very best pets of all! If you don't have your mind set on a particular breed, then you may want to look for a "combination dog." Depending on the different breeds involved, most mutts are actually much better behaved and have less chances of developing the physical problems that are inherent in many purebreds. Simply put, mutts seem to take the best characteristics of the breeds they come from rather than the worst. This advantage goes for their personalities and dispositions as well as their physical characteristics.

They May Come Pre-Trained

Although little puppies are absolutely adorable, that cuteness only lasts about 6 months when they start to become close to their adult weights. If dog training is just not your thing, you may wish to adopt an older adult dog instead of a puppy. A little puppy means: sleepless nights, housebreaking, obedience school, and possible chewed-up furniture.

An adult dog may already know basic commands and principles of proper obedience, and if you're lucky he'll be already housebroken! Even if an adult dog has had little to no training, he will be much easier to teach than a tiny puppy: an adult dog is decidedly lower maintenance.

You Will Be Saving a Life

The sad fact is that thousands of dogs are euthanized across America every day because there are simply not enough homes for all of them. By adopting from a shelter, you are preventing one more tragedy from occurring. Many shelter dogs, especially adults who have had a history of neglect, have a sense that they have finally found a good home and will remain especially loyal companions to the people who care enough to save them.