How to adopt a dog ?

If you already know the benefits of adopting a dog, you're probably wondering how to make a safe and responsible adoption to share your home with a new best friend.

many responsibilities. The first of these is to know the steps, requirements and basic conditions to provide a healthy and dignified life for a sensitive and intelligent being.

It is with this in mind that in this article we explain how to adopt a dog and give you some basic advice to help your dog adapt to his new home and provide him with the best possible care, so that you can create a bond of friendship and mutual trust. Are you ready? 

Before you know where and how to adopt a dog, you need to think and be very honest with yourself about whether you are ready to take responsibility for providing a healthy, dignified and happy life for your dog. Beyond the legitimate desire to share your home with a puppy, you must have the time, patience, dedication and financial solvency to provide him with a complete and balanced diet, physical activity and mental stimulation, an enriched environment and adequate preventive medicine.

If you feel that you are ready to take care of a dog, you will need to decide where you will adopt your new best friend. Ideally, you should contact or visit a SPA (society for the protection of animals), shelter, reception center or pet care center, which will ensure that the dogs to be adopted are in good health and will have professionals and volunteers who can guide you through the process of adopting and adapting your dog to its new home. In addition, shelters allow for pre-visits to get to know the dogs that are being adopted and to learn a little more about the history, temperament and specific needs of each one.

However, you will also find individuals who put dogs rescued from the street up for adoption, or puppies from their own furry friends. In general, this procedure is informal, so you will not have the support of an association or specialized professionals. You will also find alternatives for adopting pets on the Internet, the marketplace or social networks, but these procedures are not safe or recommended, as the origin of the animals is unknown and could end up encouraging the irregular breeding of pets.

Adopting a dog: what you need to know

The procedure and conditions for adopting a dog may vary slightly depending on your country or on the internal procedure of each center, shelter or SPA. But, in general, you will have to fulfill the following conditions and procedures to adopt a dog:

- You must be of legal age: depending on the country, you must be over 18 or 21 years old to adopt a dog. Remember that the adoption procedure is personal and is only done directly with the adopter, not through an intermediary. Therefore, you will need to present an identity document.

- Adoption predisposition questionnaire: when you communicate your interest in adopting a dog, the shelter will ask you to fill out a pre-adoption questionnaire, to register you and to learn more about your lifestyle, routine and characteristics. Among other things, this will help you determine which dog best suits your personality, the space you have available in your home, the amount of time you could spend with your dog, in other words, establish your guardian profile to guide your choice.

- Home pre-visit: although most centers do not do this, it is the first personal contact the team will have with you. The purpose of the initial interview and home pre-visit is to see if you have a positive environment to welcome your adopted dog. In any case, if you decide to adopt at the SPA you will need to present an original proof of residence less than 3 months old as well as proof of income.

- Contact and follow-up information: if the adoption is approved, additional information will be requested in order to maintain a fluid contact and ensure the follow-up of the adopted dog. In addition to your identity card and contact information (e-mail and telephone), you will generally be asked for information about a trusted veterinarian (name, registration number, telephone number, clinic address, etc.) and details of family members or close contacts through whom you may be contacted.

- Signature of the adoption contract: the adoption having already been approved and all the data verified, the time has come to sign the adoption contract, a document that formalizes the adoption and must contain the data of the new guardian, the shelter and the adopted dog, as well as the basic clauses that guide the handing over of the animal to the new guardian and the responsibilities involved in the act of adoption, preventing cases of abuse, neglect or abandonment.

- Payment: in many countries the adoption process usually has a cost, which is symbolic in value and is intended for the maintenance of the shelter to continue helping other animals that have been abandoned, lost or abused. The value of the adoption may vary depending on the age of the dog and, in general, there are benefits for those who decide to adopt adult or older dogs. In the case of the SPA, a financial participation of 250 € for a dog and 300 € for a puppy corresponding to identification, vaccination and sterilization will be requested. However, there are countries where it is possible to adopt a dog for free, regardless of age.

- Moving the dog to its new home and follow-up: after payment, the delivery of the dog to its new guardian will be coordinated. Most shelters take care of the transfer of the dog to its new home, in order to certify that it is delivered and fits well in this new environment. In some cases, during the first few months after adoption, the shelter will coordinate periodic visits to ensure that the dog is adjusting well to its new home and receiving appropriate care. You can also contact your veterinarian to find out if your dog is receiving appropriate preventive medicine, especially if his vaccination and de-worming schedule is being followed.

In any case, the procedure may vary from one center to another, so don't hesitate to ask for information by phone or e-mail. This will help you resolve any doubts you may have.

Adopt a puppy

Most people are still inclined to adopt a puppy, largely because they think it is easier to raise and care for a puppy than an adult dog. While it is true that puppies tend to have a more flexible nature that facilitates learning and socialization, it is still important to note that all dogs can be trained and socialized with the help of positive reinforcement and the patience of their guardians.

In the event that payment is required for the adoption process, the price may be higher when you want to adopt a puppy, especially if he is less than 6 months old. It is also common for puppy adoption to be subject to certain restrictions, to avoid accidents and to help the dog adapt to his new home. For example, some shelters do not give puppies under 5 months of age for adoption to families with young children (usually under 5 or 6 years of age).

If you decide to adopt a puppy, the shelter will probably offer to have it spayed or neutered when it is old enough and by its own veterinarians, at a much more affordable cost than at private veterinary clinics. A commitment to spay or neuter the adopted puppy can also be included in the adoption contract, as it is a responsibility of the new guardian to avoid unwanted litters and prevent overcrowding on the streets.

To be well prepared to begin the adoption process, we advise you to find out how to adopt a puppy in your city of residence. Also remember that here at The Pretty Pets, you will find the best advice on how to raise a puppy and socialize him properly from the first months of his life.

Adopting an adult or senior dog

Many adult dogs were taken in from the streets, a terribly inhospitable environment with countless risks to their physical and emotional integrity. Others were victims of human indifference or cruelty. All have experienced pain, hunger and fear, and have learned to beware in order to stay safe. So, when you decide to adopt an adult dog, you should be aware that your new best friend will need time, patience, and above all, lots of affection to adjust to his new home.

How long will it take an adult dog to adapt to a new home? Adaptation is always a slow and gradual process, and each individual will need their own time to fully adjust. And while you can't predict exactly how long it will take, you can help him feel safe in your home by providing him with a positive and rewarding environment and encouraging him to want to interact with you.

Once your dog feels comfortable in his new home, it will be time to work on his education and socialization. The shelter or reception center should already have informed you about your new best friend's history, if he has been mistreated, if he has presented behavioral problems and if he needs specific accompaniment with a veterinarian specialized in ethology. In any case, the ideal is to always have the advice of a dog trainer to educate and socialize an adopted adult dog, and help him overcome his fears and bad experiences of the past so that he can enjoy a new life full of affection with you. But you can also consult our tips for training an adopted dog in a safe and positive way.

How to adopt a police dog?

Like all workers, a police dog "retires" when it reaches a certain age and has completed its extraordinary service to our society. The same is true for other service dogs, such as military dogs, guide dogs and rescue dogs, which generally work alongside fire dogs. In general, a service dog retires when it reaches about 8 years of age, when it usually begins to show some signs of old age, such as loss of muscle mass and acuity of its senses. However, this may vary depending on the animal's state of health, breed, or if the animal has suffered any type of injury or accident in the course of its activity.

A retired police dog can be an ideal companion for many families, couples or individuals living alone. In addition to having had extraordinary physical preparation and having received veterinary medicine throughout their lives, these dogs are also trained and socialized from an early age to perform their activity optimally, making them the ideal dog for those who want an obedient and well-mannered best friend.

However, it is essential that you think carefully and are prepared to adapt your lifestyle, routine and home to provide a healthy and happy life for your new best friend. A retired police dog will need to maintain a healthy routine with physical activity and mental stimulation, as well as receive appropriate care according to his age and physical condition, especially if he has been injured or involved in an accident.

It is also important to be aware of the type of training the dog has received and to consult a professional specializing in advanced training for advice on how to continue the education and physical training of a retired police dog, adapting these activities to its age and physical condition.

Where and how to adopt a retired police dog?

The exact location where you will need to go to adopt a police dog may vary depending on your country or region of residence. In some countries, there are already agencies or shelters that specialize in retired assistance dogs. You can contact them to let them know of your interest and proceed with your first registration in order to take the next steps towards adoption. Through a simple search on the Internet, you will be able to verify if such associations exist near your home. If there are no such centers in your city or if you cannot find them, you can contact a local police station or training center specializing in assistance dogs to ask for more information on where to go to adopt a retired police dog.

Often, priority is given to keeping the retired dog with his or her own co-workers or trainers, in case they are interested or available to take him or her in. Therefore, you may need to be on a waiting list to arrange the adoption of a service dog. But if you're really committed to adopting a police dog, it will certainly be worth the wait and, in the meantime, you can prepare your home and get better information about the care your dog will need.

The process of adopting a police or service dog is generally more detailed and complex than a conventional adoption. Far from being an excessive bureaucracy, the criteria established in this special adoption are intended to certify that the "candidate" for the new guardian, that is, you, has the necessary conditions and understands the responsibilities involved in taking charge of a retired service dog. This is usually done through interviews with family members and home visits, among other procedures.

We therefore advise you to make sure that you are well informed about the conditions and procedures for adopting a police dog in your country or region before making this decision, to make sure that you really want to share your home with this very special kind of dog, and to prepare yourself properly to meet the conditions for adopting a police dog.