Any recommendations for where we should adopt a dog?

[Anonymous]

We had to put our sixteen year old dog to sleep a couple of months ago (cancer.) It was very, very sad for the entire family. We adopted him from a shelter when he was 2 months old. We had him way before we had kids -- and even though we knew it was coming, the loss was devastating. That said, we now feel ready for another dog. Where should we go to adopt one? We are new to the area. We have five year old twins and a toddler. We are thinking a three or four year old would be good -- or at least not a puppy. Our last dog was a lab mix. We don't have many preferences re: breed, but we are accustomed to gentle dogs, since by the time we had our kids, our dog was already 11. I don't know how the kids would react to a very rowdy dog, and it would make me nervous. So a gentle breed would be best.
Also, we both work, so we are not home all day. We have a nanny who is home and will let the dog out and take it on a short walk with the toddler once a day. We will cover morning and evening walks, and will get a dog walker if necessary. Do you think there is a chance we will get rejected for an adoption because we both work? Our friends just got rejected for having a doggy door!! We have a large house and large fenced yard, if that helps.

[Anonymous]

check out Lab Rescue at www.lab-rescue.org. They are a great group. We've adopted two labs from them.

[Anonymous]

Check petfinder.com. They will tell you what the criteria are for each separate adoption agency.

I also have a soft spot for Friends of Homeless Animals in Gilbert's Corner. You might want to check with them. www.foha.org

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Check petfinder.com. They will tell you what the criteria are for each separate adoption agency.

I definitely second this recommendation. You also can search for the specific dog you want. I sometimes just window-shop dogs there.

[Anonymous]

Washington Animal Rescue League. Many of the dogs are already housetrained, know some basic commands and have been through a behaviorial assessment.

[Anonymous]

I second FOHA, we have adopted both our dogs from this shelter and it was a great experience. I have also heard good things about the Lost Dog Rescue Foundation (run by the people who own the Lost Dog Cafe in Arlington): http://www.lostdogrescue.org/

We always adopt adult dogs, fwiw.

[Anonymous]

I agree re: petfinder.com.

Homeward Trails in Arlington is a wonderful rescue org.

[Anonymous]

Big Fan of Lost Dog-we got a winner there as did my sister. They have a very good website, addictive for looking at adorable adoptable dogs. They place a lot of dogs, you'll have a lot to choose from. We did get rejected by one group when we were looking because we both worked. Didn't seem to be a problem for Lost Dog. Glad the other group rejected us because we ended up with the best dog ever, but still get angry that we said we were going to get a dog walker and they acted like we were saying we were going to beat the dog.

[Anonymous]

Third vote for FOHA...wonderful place!

[Anonymous]

We got our lab mix through Homeward Trails and it has been a wonderful experience.

http://www.homewardtrails.org/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Washington Animal Rescue League. Many of the dogs are already housetrained, know some basic commands and have been through a behaviorial assessment.

Second this -- we got our dog from WARL about five years ago. A really great organization, and a very thoughtfully-designed shelter. I think the website is warl.org.

[Anonymous]

We are a foster family for two different rescue organizations. A dog door is a clear reason for rejection in both organizations, as it means a dog could get outside unsupervised and unwatched. Dog stealing is not unheard of in the DC area, and particularly when it comes to gentle breeds (goldens, labs) they can be used as bait for dogs who are being trained to fight. Dogs also can end up getting out and lost and potentially hit by a car when they are unsupervised. So a dog door is a big no-no.

Working FT, on the other hand, is not a reason for rejection. DH and I both work FT and we adopted our dog from one of the organizations and now are considered a very good foster for it and for the other, so it's really all in the kind of home and holistic environment you offer the dog. Will you have a dog walker? Will the dog get lots of attention when you're home? Will the dog be included in many of your family's activities when you are home? These are important questions a rescue org will consider - and the fact that you have a nanny home all day will be considered in your favor (be prepared - in both rescues I volunteer for, the nanny will need to be there for the home visit if she is going to be the one caring for the dog all day).

In one rescue we foster for, Lucky Dog Animal Rescue (luckydoganimalrescue.org), there are more dogs than families (it is not a breed specific org) so your family has a good chance to be picked for a particular dog that you're interested in once you're approved to adopt. We adopted our beloved lab mix from them last year and now foster for them. In their case, you can either pick a dog off-transport (usually from WV or SC) based on the dog's picture and description, or you can wait til a dog is in the DC area and then meet him or her at an adoption day.

Whatever rescue you work with, I strongly recommend that you look for a dog who has been fostered in a family environment, given your children. You will want to know as much as possible about the dog and how he or she is around children, so it's best to find a foster who has children. For example, with our last foster through Lucky Dog, our son (5) tripped over the dog at night on his way into my bedroom. The dog was fine with being stepped on and fallen over, so I knew and could say with assurance that the dog was "child-tested" in real life, rather than just being observed once around a child and the reaction (or lack of one) noted.

Good luck, OP!

[Anonymous]

k-9lifesavers is another great rescue. They rescue from high kill shelters in rural areas in the south. Non-breed specific if you don't mind a mutt.

[Anonymous]

Tara's House is another local dog rescue with a website on which you can see the dogs. Tarashouse.net

[Anonymous]

City Dog Rescue. We got our dog from there and she is the sweetest dog ever. They tend to have a good selection of smaller dogs, which was good for us snice we live in a condo.