Welcome to the final installment of this dog adoption series. I am always amazed at the assortment of dogs available from a dog shelter. The variety of sizes, breeds, and temperaments can give a family many opportunities to choose the ideal dog for their household. Another advantage of adopting a dog from the animal shelter is that you will most likely be taking home an older, housetrained dog. This is a time saver for busy parents who do not have the time to work with the dog every day until it is sufficiently socialized. And if that is not enough, the dog will probably have had some obedience training too. Taking this all into consideration -the house training, some obedience training, and the dog already being spayed or neutered- then an adopted dog becomes a smart choice for many people.

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Sadly, today there are too many puppies being born and sold by amateur breeders and not enough homeless dogs being adopted and raised in a good homes with loving families. If you are a true dog lover and have a passion for these animals, consider visiting your local animal shelter instead of purchasing a new puppy from the newspaper or pet store.

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Do you consider yourself a true dog lover? If you could do something that would greatly benefit the dogs of this world, would you be open to giving a little extra time and patience to bond with and teach your new dog?

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Once you choose the breed of your new dog, another decision you must make is whether you want a male or a female dog.  This could be an important issue or not, depending on what you are looking for in a dog.  For example, if you are looking for the most healthy, friendly and playful puppy in the litter, then gender might not be a deciding factor for you.  Your choice will be derived from how that particular puppy responds to you and others in comparison to the rest of the litter.

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So you decided that you want to get a dog, and you have that perfect dog already pictured in your mind.  Yes, you two look great together, but how do you know if that breed of dog is right for you?

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