Things To Consider When You Visit A Shelter

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The Dog Adoption Bible Before, During, And After Rescuing A Dog -Written By: Carlotta Cooper www.DogFoodInsider.com

Things To Consider When You Visit A Shelter

To be honest, many animal shelters are less than appealing, you will probably see a functional kennel area with concrete floors and kennel runs. The area may smell of disinfectant. Some dogs may poop in their kennels. You can also expect many of the dogs to look sad, though some dogs may be happy to see you.

Even the best run and cleanest shelters are a little like doggy jails. It's hard not to feel a tremendous rush of sympathy as soon as you arrive and see the dogs. You will probably want to take all the dogs home. That's normal.

It can be a good idea to start visiting the shelter before you are ready to adopt a dog. That way you will become more accustomed to the surroundings. Choosing a dog won't be such an emotional experience when you are ready for one. It's hard to choose a dog when you are overwhelmed with your feelings about the place.

You might also consider volunteering at the shelter for a short time before you are ready to adopt a dog. This will give you some experience with the dogs. You could have a better insight into how the dogs behave once they are at the shelter. It's also a good way to see the dogs as soon as they arrive. You might see a dog that you would miss if you waited. Many shelters are happy simply to have volunteers come and walk or socialize with the dogs.

You can learn a lot by visiting the shelter more than once and spending time with the dogs, even if you're not ready to get a dog yet.

If you put in the hours to help with volunteering, it can pay off. Plus you will be helping the group and the dogs, as well as doing something you can feel good about. Shelters and rescues always need help so think about helping them out. It's a good way to learn more about the entire adoption process.

Dog behavior in the shelter environment

Many dogs in the shelter environment feel stressed. While some dogs may be friendly and outgoing, you're also likely to see many dogs exhibiting some of their worst traits. Stress and anxiety often brings out the worst in any of us and the same is true with dogs. In many cases a dog doesn't start to relax in a shelter until he's been there at least three days. 
Some shelters have taken steps to try to overcome this problem. 

Some shelters also have volunteers who come in specifically to pet and play with the dogs. This also helps to relax the dogs and relieve some of their stress. They can take the dogs for walks outside so the dogs aren't cooped up in the kennel runs all the time. 

 

It's important to remember when you're at the shelter or rescue that some of the dogs you're meeting might have already been through a lot. For example, dogs have often lost their home and family, for whatever reason. They are enduring the current stress of living in a kennel situation which is new for many of the dogs. Some of the dogs may have been neglected or worse. Plus, many dogs in shelters have never received any kind of training. They could have been turned in to the shelter because they were considered to be “problem” dogs. All of these things can bring out the worst in a dog. 

 

Dogs are born with a predisposition to certain behaviors and actions which makes up part of their temperament. However, their temperament is also affected by their environment throughout their life, especially during their early life. And these are ex strays, their lives wasn't a picnic...