15 surprising benefits of adopting a shelter dog

Okay, okay, all kinds of dogs love their people. This is not exclusive to shelter dogs. But it’s easy to project an extra-special feeling of gratitude and joy onto a grateful, happy dog who really needed you. “I think if you adopt a dog who’s had a less than perfect life, they are the ones who appreciate it the most when you give them a wonderful life with the attention, food, love, and training they crave,” says Trish McMillan, a professional dog trainer who spent nearly eight years working at a dog shelter and currently co-chairs the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants’ Shelter Division.

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When you adopt from a shelter, you’re giving a great home to a dog who needs one, but you’re also freeing up the facility and its people to care for more animals that need help. Plus, every dog that isn’t purchased from a puppy mill means there’s less incentive for irresponsible breeding. “Puppy mill dogs have higher rates of inherited and infectious diseases, and the mothers of these puppies often suffer from inhumane breeding practices and inadequate care,” says veterarian Elizabeth Berliner.

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Lots of dogs in shelters are adults that have already spent time living with other families – often successfully. About half the animals surrendered to shelters come from families that can’t find pet-friendly housing, and others are brought in because of owners’ medical conditions or life changes. These issues are beyond the dog’s control. Because they’ve matured past the puppy stage, adult dogs are less likely to chew shoes and dig up your garden.

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Lots of adult dogs have been through the potty-training process, so they already know not to do their business in the house. That said, any dog dealing with a new living situation might be prone to accidents while they get their bearings, but at least adult dogs are physically capable of going a few hours between potty breaks; the Humane Society says that puppies can typically only be expected to wait an hour for every month of their age, so a six-month-old pup will definitely require night time outings.

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If you really want to bring home a youngster so you can play a strong role in socialising and training it early on and get all those warm cuddles, you can still adopt. Chavarria says her shelter gets “oops” puppies from unspayed female dogs: “We see a lot of pregnant mother dogs or nursing mums that enter our adoption centre.” Most shelters have foster teams that take care of the puppies and mama dogs until they’re healthy and old enough to go out to adoptive families. Berliner confirms that puppies are often available for adoption. “It sometimes takes a little time and patience to find the one for your family, but shelters are a great place to get a new puppy,” she says.

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On the other end of the spectrum, if you’re looking for a companion who doesn’t need intensive exercise sessions, you might want to consider adopting a senior citizen. Berliner says that she’s taken home several older dogs herself. “Many shelters work hard to screen senior pets more thoroughly for conditions of ageing, provide more extensive care to prepare them for adoption, and take pride in finding them homes,” she says, adding that these dogs often “provide fantastic companionship for quieter households, single people and families.” (While you might be worried about high vet bills for seniors, it’s important for all dog owners to know that animals can surprise you at any age with expensive medical conditions – youth is no guarantee of good health.)

If you have your heart set on bringing a specific breed of dog into your life, you can still start by checking local shelters. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, check out breed-specific rescue operations.

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Although responsible breeders have had success in recent decades with reducing and eliminating some breed-specific genetic problems from their dogs (including one disorder that led to blindness in border collies and another that caused anaemic disease in beagles), purebreds are still slightly more likely to have genetic disorders than mixed breeds, according to a 2018 study published in PLOS Genetics.

Many shelters need volunteers to host dogs temporarily, which can both make space in the facility and also give those dogs a chance to show how they’ll behave in a home environment. “It can also provide an ‘out-of-the-shelter’ option for a dog that is not doing well in a shelter facility, or that has special behavioural or medical needs,” Berliner says, adding that many volunteers come to love fostering dogs. In the process, you might just find the dog you want to adopt permanently.

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Don’t rely solely on your own instincts when you’re meeting dogs – staffers and volunteers at shelters and rescue organisations will have lots of information to share with you about their personalities, health and behaviour quirks. “Many shelters work hard to ask questions about adopter expectations and lifestyles and endeavour to match adopters with dogs that would seem to do well in their homes,” Berliner says. They’ll also have information about the dogs’ past situations and if they have lived in homes before (with previous owners or in foster care). Staffers might also have some idea about how they get along with kids and cats, and about whether they get anxious when left alone or bark when they’re stressed. Don’t hesitate to ask lots of questions.