(funky upbeat music)
- [Narrator] To help ensure a lasting relationship,
you'll need to choose the right dog for you family,
so here are the things you'll need to consider
before you adopt.
First, ask yourself if you can afford a dog.
Research suggests an average dog
will cost about $1,000 a year.
Second, consider whether you have the time it takes
to exercise, train, and play with your dog.
Then you need to consider the personality
you are looking for.
Are you seeking a cuddly lap dog,
a playful active one,
or perhaps a friend for your kids?
When considering size, keep in mind that the size of the dog
doesn't determine the amount of energy he'll have.
Now, a common mistake people make when adopting
is choosing a dog based on his looks
rather than his personality.
For instance, if you have other pets or children,
it's important to know
if the dog you're considering adopting
will get along well with them.
The shelter volunteers and staff
interact with the dogs daily,
so ask for their opinions
to help make an informed decision.
Another decision many adopters consider
is whether to get a purebred or a mixed breed.
^Adopting a purebred allows you
^to research some common characteristics
^that typically accompany the breed.
However, adopting a mixed breed dog
will always guarantee that you'll get a one-of-a-kind dog.
And finally, we all know puppies are cute
and can be lots of fun,
but they can require a lot of your time for training
and some heavy-duty supervision.
While most people are immediately drawn to puppies,
we encourage you to consider adopting an adult dog.
Adult dogs are often house-trained,
and some even know some basic training and tricks.
^To begin your search for your new best friend,
^we recommend starting with Petfinder.com.
^It's the largest pet adoption site in the world,
with over 250,000 pets available for adoption
from over 10,000 animal welfare organizations nationwide.