Advice for adopting from a shelter?

[browneyes]

Spent a few hours at the shelter yesterday. Boy was that difficult. Didn't come home with a pup. Came home a little confused, ok, a lot confused.
Kind of fell in love with a Jindo. A Jindo is the last thing that we need. Too high energy, too much shedding, too big, etc. So sweet and playful and just seemed overall awesome. My better half loves German Shepherds, Huskies, Labs, etc. Essentially the big dogs and big shedders. I think he doesn't love the idea of a curly dog but understands that my mom has allergies.
I visited with all the little curly pups. It's so hard to try to judge personality at all in an overcrowded facility with so many dogs in one pen. I tried to sit outside the pen of all the dogs I was interested in. Some just had a hard time warming up at all. I can only imagine it's so stressful for these pups how could they be themselves. There was a darling little terrier who seemed like she'd just melt. She was really tiny though and that made her a little less favorable to DH.

Some of the poor curly pups were so matted and dirty it was heartbreaking. It seems that as dogs are eligible for adoption them have them groomed so a good handful were all pretty (we'll for being groomed too much for my taste).

There was a really cute medium sized black Poodle looking mix who had cute white markings. Could have even been part Portuguese Water Dog. I think she was afraid of men though. She came over to me alone but not the two of us.

As we were getting ready to leave they brought in a new dog who I guess was found loose at park where he was being kicked around by a bunch of kids at an easter party. I'm hoping that's not really exactly how it went down :( He appeared to be grass stained though so who knows. He was a good size and seemed to have a nice temperament. The staff said after the trauma of the park that it'd be hard to settle down. The dogs in his pen also seemed very aggressive and barked incessantly whenever I was at the pen. This guy seemed like he had just been recently groomed though so possibly/hopefully he's got a loving family that might be looking for him.

I'm sad that there were possibly others who didn't show that well in their pens. I tried to sit down next to every pen with a pup that seemed like it could work for us. We were probably there for three hours.

Sorry this is a book! I think we learned from playing with some golden retriever mix pups that we'd really enjoying bringing home a puppy. We seem to be split ont what breeds we're drawn to - we both like our childhood dogs. I have to admit though that I got a very old soul kind of feeling from the Jindo and Husky and felt very drawn to their intelligence. Shedding really rules them out but I do feel for DH who loves them so much. I'd love to have some time with some of the curly pups. I'm worried though about taking a dog out of pity. I'm also concerned about being able to see a dog's personality before committing and taking it home.

So, any advice either in general or specific to our situation? Did you adoppt? Anybody get a pup from the shelter rather than a rescue?

In other news I heard back from a breeder and might be able to get in on a list very early. Talk about confusing...

[browneyes]

The process can be disheartening.  I suppose on the flip side it's good that these dogs are getting homes.  Just hard when you wish they were coming home with you!

[Pat and Traveler]

It's funny, but I'm still haunted by a little dog I saw in a shelter 40 years ago.  A small black dog, sitting politely, tail wagging.  I should have brought that little dog home with me.  He/she has crossed over the rainbow bridge long ago, but I can't tell you how many times I've thought about it, and regretted not claiming it.  Strange how it has lived with me for so long, and so vividly.

[Kristin and Sophie]

Some things make an impression and stay with you.  It's funny the things that stay with you.  I can still remember bringing our family dog into kindergarten for show and tell.  I was so proud of her.  I actually now look at the sites for dogs waiting to be adopted and will check up on them and am so happy when I see the status change to 'adopted'.  

[browneyes]

Yeah, a couple of the dogs I saw seemed outstanding.  I'm going to possibly write to a couple of rescues about these dogs.  I'd be open to fostering to help spring some of them.

Amazing that stuck with you for so long.  Dogs can be so soulful.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Our local shelter has volunteers that go in and walk the dogs.  Gets them out of their pens and some human interaction.  Good for all.  Maybe you could volunteer at your shelter and get some time with them keep an eye open for your new family member.  then you could continue to volunteer to make you feel a little better about those left behind.

[BG and Gavin]

I was going to suggest the same thing as Sheri.  I know a few people that have found their dogs through their dog walking experience. 

[Becka]

I used to do this in Seattle--it was tough to never bring the dog home with me, but it felt great knowing I was helping them.

[Lindsay n Archie]

My sister volunteers at a local shelter and I think she has a really hard time with it.  She is getting better, but shes a huge dog lover, she wants to adopt them all. Let alone- finding out we got Archie from a breeder, she went nuts!