October is “Adopt a Shelter Dog” month!
Shelter dogs, of course, make wonderful pets, friends, companions, and family members. Unfortunately, there are quite a few misconceptions about shelter dogs.
Let’s dispel some of those myths together and get more dogs into homes this month!

- There are a LOT of dogs needing homes. Almost 7 million dogs and cats wind up in shelters each year. That number is an estimate since there isn’t a single organization tabulating shelter data, but of that approximation, slightly more than half are dogs. Lots do get adopted, but something like 670k+ are euthanized each year.
- There are lots of puppies needing homes! Oftentimes, when I hear people say they want a puppy and shelters don’t have puppies, my first thought is, “Have you ever even BEEN in a shelter?!?!” There are often puppies, lots of accidental litters, dogs who deliver puppies in the shelter, and so on. If you don’t see them, it might just mean they’re in foster. Shelters have puppies, and those puppies all need families!
- History doesn’t mean everything. Why a dog was relinquished or the situation the dog came from might be known. And it might not. Ultimately, the shelter staff can tell you what they’ve observed and learned about each dog while in their care, and those traits and characteristics matter more than any fuzzy, foggy, or unknown historical info.
- Shelter dogs are perfectly trainable, as trainable as any other dog out there! Here’s something crazy to think about: Most dogs these days are bred for appearance. If you’re looking for a smarty pants or a dog who can be trained to work with you, you’re just as likely to find a match at your nearest shelter as you are a breeder. Obviously, if you’re looking for a purposefully-bred dog, like you need a dog to herd your flock of sheep, that’s a whole other conversation. I’m talking family pet dogs here. But a lot of people worry that they won’t be able to train a shelter dog, especially if the dog is older. The great news: That’s simply not true! Any dog, just like any person, can learn! And, bonus: You might even find yourself an dog who is already house trained. Lucas learned house training almost perfectly in the shelter and never had an accident after we adopted him, and Emmett was pretty darn close to perfect with his house training–and he was already three-ish years old!
- Your adopted dog has a unique personality. Instead of thinking of your dog as “a shelter dog” or as “a rescue dog,” think of your dog as your dog. His or her own unique self. Getting to know your dog’s unique personality–and honoring it–is the most important thing you can do. However, it’s super important to remember that, while your dog has his or her own unique self…
- … sometimes it takes a while for that personality to shine! There’s this super-simplistic 3-3-3 model for adopting a dog. It basically goes like this: The first three days a dog comes home, you’ll likely see a lot of stress behavior because the dog has no idea what just happened. Be extra patient during this time. The first three weeks, your new dog should feel a little settled it, at least as far as knowing the routine and the expectations. At this point, you’ll start to notice his true personality start to poke through. By three months, your dog should feel secure in your family and his place in it. At three months, your dog knows he’s home. Once you get to that point, that personality will start to shine! Here’s a great post that goes into detail along with tips.
- Shelter dogs are NOT: dirty, flea-bitten, mangy, aggressive, or sick. Of course, some dogs can arrive at the shelter with some of those. Lucas had terrible mange, for instance. But shelter dogs as a rule aren’t unwell, problematic dogs. It’s a common misconception that prevents a lot of people from even stepping foot inside a shelter.
- Shelter dogs ARE: wonderful pups who just need a chance. Sure, some will need extra TLC in terms of medical care or training, but how is that any different from any of us? They all deserve love and affection, and they all deserve a chance to be part of a family.
- An older dog might just be the most perfect pet there is. Ready for a hot take? I don’t love puppies. There. I said it. Puppies drive me crazy. I don’t mind a puppy foster, but I’m pretty sure we’d never adopt a puppy again. Older dogs, that’s where it’s at! In my heart, someday when the girls are older, we want to take in a hospice foster, but even if you’re not looking for a senior–which I totally understand–I’m talking about three, four, five, six year old dogs who often get overlooked in the search for a puppy. These dogs have a little life under their belt. They’re never going to teethe again. They’re often more patient. They often have a deeper well of calm than any puppy is capable of. Lots of people avoid shelter dogs, assuming they’re all “too old,” but what if an older dog is the perfect dog?
- You and your shelter dog can create a deep, lasting, lifelong bond. Your relationship with your dog can become one of the most meaningful of your life, if you just give your pup the chance.
What other myths about shelter dogs have YOU heard? I’d love to know what else we can tackle together, so please leave your thoughts in the comments!
Read more about pet adoption with these 3 posts:
Choosing a Pet: Is adoption right for my family?
How Not to Adopt a Pet: Removing barriers to pet adoption
What’s the real cost of owning a pet (something to think about before bringing a dog home AND it includes a free budget download)
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
Yep! Shelter dogs are the BEST! I adopted my dog from the MI Humane Society and I ask myself all the time “how I got so lucky to get the best dog in the world”! She was absolutely not what I was looking for. I wanted small, she is big now, I wanted old, she was 6 months, and yes I will always get older dogs now because she was so smart and housebroken even though she was picked up off the street sick, starving, flee and worm ridden. She was easy to train, food motivated, and beautiful! I use to donate to the shelters a small amount of money. Now I give a monthly donation to two shelters, share additionally during the year, collect items on their needs. list (towels are always necessary), and have been approved as a foster for sick dogs when I retire in 19 months! People think I changed her life, but seriously she has changed mine, and for the better!
Oh, my gosh. YES! I love that you called out the need for towels. While I was volunteering at our local shelter here, there was always a shortage of blankets and towels–in bright, festive colors that show off how cute the animals are against them! 🙂
Congrats on taking on the foster challenge (and forthcoming retirement)! I can’t wait to hear about all the lucky dogs who land in your care!
As you know, Ducky was a “shelter” pup who stole my heart when I was working with her as part of my externship for the dog obedience training instructor course I was taking back then. She was a bit of a “demon” back then, but she grew into my earth angel. She changed our lives; and I’ve learned a great deal about working/living with reactive dogs. And Radar was a rescue who became Ducky’s best doggie friend almost overnight. She still misses him as much as we do. Maybe more. (Sunday would have been his first Gotcha Day had he survived the heartworm disease.)
I’ve truly loved watching Ducky’s story unfold. You’ve done such an incredible job, and it’s clear that you two were meant to be!
I’m still so heartbroken over Radar, and I send you wishes of peace during this tough anniversary.
A lifetime of adopting and being adopted by cats (mostly strays) was an education in animal personalities I didn’t even realize I was getting! In fact the one “purebred” cat we took off someone’s hands turned out to be an absolute nightmare. So when I saw (the future) Hershey dog sitting all alone in a crate at an adoption event it didn’t even occur to me that she would be anything but her own self. Is she too bossy with the other dogs? Yes. Is she too mean to the cats? YES. Do I love her anyway. ABSOLUTELY YES.
Because she’s WONDERFUL! And she was clearly your gateway dog because I think you’re pretty full-up now! 🙂
I know this is an older post…but I just found you! And I am so glad I did.
Yes, puppies are wonderful…when you can honor them in small bits and pieces. Like you, I don’t like puppies. I much prefer dogs. Besides, they arent puppies forever, so, if you have a puppy, you better like dogs.
And seniors, truly my passion. Occasionally, a younger dog finds his way into my heart (my last 3 year old foster just never left) but by and large, I am drawn to those 8 and up. My last two adoptions…one was (at one time a while ago) probably 13. He was with us for 11 months, 11 glorious love filled months. Hard? You betcha, but worth every bit of the love he received. And the other…8-ish. Everyone tells me how perfect he is (and he is) but I cannot take credit, he was perfect before he came to me.
I am always looking for seniors in need.
They are so very loving, gentle and seems they just know they belong. So happy to be out of the loud raucous of the shelter.
I volunteer nearly daily at my local shelter because the dogs need a break from looking at walls 24/7. Who wouldnt? Is isit difficult and trying on the heart sometimes? Absolutely. But I would rather hurt a bit here and there and know that I gave them what I could, when I could at the expense of a little hurt (okay, sometimes a BIG hurt) than to turn my back to make myself more comfortable. They cannot make sense of their situation, but I can make sense of mine, so it just seems the right thing to do.
Looking forward to reading many more blog posts.
I admire you so much for making seniors your passion! You must bring so much light and love to their days at the shelter when you volunteer.
Do you know Tracey at https://ohmelvin.com/? I feel like you two have so much in common!!
Thank you for these very useful shares. Shelter dogs are the best