How to choose the right dog/breed while adoption

Love for dogs or any other living creature is not enough to jump to a decision that yes, I should get one in my home. The decision of adopting a dog should be made very carefully. Dog adoption is not only going to impact your life but also the life of that dog. The decision of adopting a dog should be given the same importance as we give while deciding about our life partner or adopting a child. 

Below are the few things which will help you in deciding while a dog adoption

Evaluate and match your energy level with the dog 

Most probably, people adopt a dog based on its look rather than based on their nature/behavior. Even we committed the same mistake. We wanted a family dog and so we narrowed down our search to German Shepherd breed. But, my sister picked the puppy who was full of energy and very active and when we bought that puppy home it was a nightmare to train that puppy. It was just impossible for any of us to match his energy levels. We felt many times that we did the mistake of bringing that puppy home. So, it’s extremely important to assess your own energy level first. If you are the kind of person who loves to wake up early morning and go for jogging then you should select a high energy dog. As energy conflicts can develop behavior issues. 

  Selecting the right breed

After knowing your energy levels start researching the right dog breed or contact Whoof-Whoof. Each breed is known for a particular range of energy levels, some breeds are known to be very friendly with little babies and few are known for their athletic nature. But keep in mind every dog got its own personality. Don’t assume that all dogs in a particular breed will behave the same. We decided on the German Shepherd Breed. This breed is known to be friendly with kids plus they are also known to be an intelligent breed.  

Questions to ask the breeder/rescue staff

  1. Always try to meet the puppy parents if possible. That gives a clear image of what to expect from our dog in the future. Genetics is decided by the parents. So you should know how your dog will look like. We did not meet the parents of our GSD puppy. Later on, we came to know that our dog is not a pure but mixed breed.
  2. Check the vaccination details for the parents as this will ensure that our puppy will not have any genetic diseases common to that breed. 
  3.  Ask about the vaccination details of the puppy. 

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So, now as you have finalized the dog of your selected breed after evaluating your own energy level, try to spend some time alone with that dog. Just take that dog for a walk or talk to that dog to see how you two get along. My suggestion is to always select a dog with equal or low energy than yours.