Adoption: Choosing a shelter puppy

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When looking at shelter puppies, you'll likely have little more to go on than age (sometimes estimated), breed or breed mix (often estimated), and maybe some notes on how they're doing at the shelter. And that's it.

So how do you choose a puppy?

Basic considerations

Size matters. It helps to have some idea of a pup's background (knowing there's Lab in there somewhere usually means a larger dog). If a puppy's heritage is a complete mystery, look at her feet: large paws mean a large adult dog, small paws mean a smaller one.

Ask what kind of adult dog you want. Do you want a jogging companion, someone to walk or hike with, a dog who's good with kids, a therapy dog? If you go in with a clear idea of what you want, it's easier to select the right puppy. (Take DogTime's Matchup to find the right dog.)

Be aware you're not always going to get good answers. Shelters that are understaffed or focus more on animal control than on adoption may know very little about the dogs. And an employee's desire to save the dogs in her care may mean you don't always get the full story. Regardless, ask as many questions as you can.

Questions worth asking

• Does the puppy have any known medical issues? Parasites such as worms are completely normal and treatable in puppies, so don't worry about those. Look for anything that could mean big vet bills in your future, such as hip or other joint problems.
• What's been the puppy's behavior while at the shelter --comfortable, confident, sad, aggressive, scared, depressed, accepting? Keep in mind that it's normal for puppies to be nervous their first few days at a shelter.
• How has she interacted with shelter personnel? What's the pup's best quality? What's the pups's worst quality? Questions that get at specifics may get a more useful response than, "Is this a nice puppy?"
• Is her mother here? Spending some time with a pup's mother can give you insights into the type of dog she'll become.

Assess your puppy's behavior

Even if the shelter doesn't have  [Continued]