# The Importance of Behavior Background Check for Adopted Dogs



## Snowflakes (Aug 23, 2014)

When thinking about adopting a dog, the dog’s historical and temperament background are essential. Although a dog’s temper are normally inherited or hereditary, a dog coming from the shelter who must have been rehomed on several occasion might have collected a few attitude, tempers, habits as well as behavioral episodes from past owners that needed to be taken into consideration when doing your background check if you plan to adopt a dog and before collecting and taking the canine home. Most shelter dogs have experienced living with a past owner who must have been treated them unjustly or abused. And therefore, due care training and guidance might be needed further on them. This is the very reason why they need a caring home, to enable them to feel the love and care they were neglected from their previous homes and recover from their sad and unwanted experience.

It is wise to check with the shelter staff its historical past mainly due to the following reasons:

A dog’s historical past serves as a caution for owners and handlers to act accordingly and guide them on how to treat, train and care for the canine. If a dog are high risk tempers, it might not be suitable to live with you especially with children and little ones who has less knowledge and training on how to handle them.
Once a dog’s background was known, administering the treatment and training could be done accordingly.
A dog’s historical past will pave the way on how a pet parent will guide and how much amount of tender, loving care the dog needs.
Giving a home to a dog who need it most is not only a noble act for these dogs are the ones worthy to be cared and treated for with proper training and guidance. This is what dog parenting is really all about. Going through a dog’s struggles and treating him off with these struggles will not only make him well and happy but you are definitely raising one fine dog since it will be your art of dog parenting, your trait and your personality that will reside in the dog once they recover from an unwanted past. And this good trait will not only radiate on you, your dog but to the members of your household who helped in treating and caring for the dog. An unwanted dog are the most loyal animal and are certainly capable of giving their unconditional love to their doting parents and caregivers. To many pet parents of adopted dogs, parenting them is not only something out of passion but out of noble responsibility not only on the canine but on showing to many how it is to give responsible parenting to a dog neglected, abused and unwanted by some irresponsible dog parents.
***​Source


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

At the shelters here, they barely ask any questions and generally answer tempermant/behavior questions with "well, we're not sure but..." or "They seem to be a good dog". Hades, I know older friends who went to adopt one dog, preferably an older lab (or lab mix), found the dog they wanted which was in the kennel with another dog, a young german shorthair. They started feeling guilty about leaving the shorthair "behind" because it started whining and howling after they took out "their" dog. The shelter workers encouraged them to take both dogs, even offered a deal for taking both. So now, they have 2 dog. One of which is driving them up a wall because of her energy, even the lab gets snappish with her. Luckily, these guys would rather deal with the craziness rather than dump her again.


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

Yeah that is a very tough situation. That's why I am more likely to recommend going through a rescue group that does fostering over just going straight to the shelter. There is one group in particular I work pretty closely with that gets their dogs from area shelters but do the fostering through a small group of foster parents. That way I know they can know a bit about their dogs and give some of their behavior and any special needs they have. In fact, that group has a dog that they got from a puppy mill. That dog has some serious behavior issues and some separation anxiety issues. They are very good at taking care of that dog and make sure that he is going to go to someone who can handle those issues so he won't come back.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

I prefer a rescue as well, as long as it's reputable & the dog is in my state (we have many rescues with dogs down south, they don't come up til a home is waiting). We had adopted a hound with severe separation anxiety who bit a human with no warning, that we saw. I need to talk to the foster family in person, meet the dog more than once before saying yes.


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

Yeah. Another reason I like this specific group is because they are in Petsmart every week and people with other pets at home can bring them in to meet the dog in a neutral area to see how they do together.


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## Snowflakes (Aug 23, 2014)

Celt said:


> At the shelters here, they barely ask any questions and generally answer tempermant/behavior questions with "well, we're not sure but..." or "They seem to be a good dog". Hades, I know older friends who went to adopt one dog, preferably an older lab (or lab mix), found the dog they wanted which was in the kennel with another dog, a young german shorthair. They started feeling guilty about leaving the shorthair "behind" because it started whining and howling after they took out "their" dog. The shelter workers encouraged them to take both dogs, even offered a deal for taking both. So now, they have 2 dog. One of which is driving them up a wall because of her energy, even the lab gets snappish with her. Luckily, these guys would rather deal with the craziness rather than dump her again.


Well, worst are some shelter staff basically had no idea about a dog's former tempers and their former owners. But initial assessment on the dogs made them adopt the kennel mainly because by looking and initial instinct. But its a good thing to note that some people who adopted kennels from the shelters, have the patience and understanding to train a dog which they have no idea about its past behavior and tempers. I guess that's one of the challenges of pet parenting.


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## bett (Mar 15, 2012)

honestly, i think it depends on the shelter and on the rescue. some, you need to give your first born to in order to get a dog, others…..


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

I agree that it does depend on the rescue group. There is one that I tend to not work with as well. The lady has lime 50 dogs all in cages outside and just brings up like 10 to try to adopt them out. I have seen her have a ton of issues with customers, even threatening to get them with her "three lawyers" if they don't follow her contract to a T.


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## Snowflakes (Aug 23, 2014)

Whoa! really, there's some threatening involved? Isn't it that us adopting kennels in a shelter will do them a favor in controlling overpopulation of canines in their place? Why still the threat? So sad and annoying.


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## bett (Mar 15, 2012)

Snowflakes said:


> Whoa! really, there's some threatening involved? Isn't it that us adopting kennels in a shelter will do them a favor in controlling overpopulation of canines in their place? Why still the threat? So sad and annoying.


what or who is threatening?

isn't saving a dog's life important, regardless if you get a dog from a shelter (not all created equal, look and read about north shore animal league in long island ny) , or a rescue, or adopt from a private party that could lie thru their teeth about why they need to get "rid " of their dog?

i don't get your response at all.


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