When getting a new pet many people are wary or shy away from looking in the dog shelter. They feel that dogs that have ended up in the dog shelter must have behavioral problems or that there is something not right about them. This is generally untrue. In fact, this is probably a tiny minority of the dogs you will find in the dog shelter.

Most often dogs find themselves in a shelter because the circumstances of their owners have changed. The majority of dogs in the shelter are there because their previous owner has had second thoughts. These could be completely legitimate thoughts.

They may be moving overseas with a new job and can't take their pet. The marriage may have broken down and neither party can look after the animal. There are also many dogs that are sent to the shelter purely because the owner has lost interest in the dog. Sad as it is, many pets are bought for the wrong reasons and once the initial honeymoon period is over the owner doesn't want the responsibility of looking after an animal. So in reality most dog shelter animals are perfectly normal dogs. This article will cover some of the advantages of adopting a dog from a shelter.

In many cases, a dog in the dog shelter will already be trained to some extent. This could apply to toilet training and even general obedience training. This can make your life a lot easier than a new puppy that requires this training from scratch. It's doesn't mean that a shelter dog is an easy option, you still have to give it plenty of attention and welcome it into the family home but this is a more enjoyable part of the relationship you will have with your pet. If you are lucky your new pet may have a good degree of obedience training so it will fit into the wider community as well as your family. As the dog is likely to be an adult, you will be able to judge it's temperament.

It always makes sense for the whole family to meet potential pets at the shelter so that you can see how the dog interacts with your family. As the dog is fully grown it's temperament is unlikely to change so you will get a good idea of whether the dog will fit into your family. You should also talk to the shelter workers (if they don't volunteer their help anyway) about the temperament of the dog that you are thinking of getting. They have spent a few days with the dog and have seen how it interacts with the other animals and it's reactions to humans. They will be in a good position to tell you if the dog is right for your family. Although a shelter dog may not have the instant appeal of a cute puppy, it can make up for this because you know what you are getting.

It can be an instant family member and be loved and cherished.

Learn more about dog training and health tips, including a review of popular dog training course sit stay fetch and dog health problems.