What to Expect When Adopting a Dog

A book offers bits of advice for potential dog parents.

In this short guide, Rose-Solomon (JJ the American Street Dog and How He Came to Live in Our House, 2015, etc.) takes readers on a walk through the ups and downs of canine adoption. Before welcoming any furry companions, writes Rose-Solomon, a certified humane education specialist through Humane Society University, families should consider several factors, including the cost, the energy it takes to properly care for a pet, and the breed that matches a particular lifestyle. They should also contemplate whether they can safely integrate dogs into their homes. Divided into five segments, this primer begins by posing several common-sense questions for the prospective pet owner, including: “Will there be a new baby in the house any time soon?” If an individual feels ready for the responsibility of minding an animal, Rose-Solomon gently recommends adopting a rescue dog instead of using a breeder because there are so many canines in need of forever homes. She briefly discusses some places for dog adoption, including shelters, rescue organizations, and online resources like petfinder.com and adopt-a-pet.com, which contain databases with thousands of animal bios. Safety tidbits include the author’s assertion that a skateboard’s wheels in motion may sound like a threatening growl to a dog. Using the pronoun “he” to refer to all canines and briefly touching on an array of broad subjects—like housebreaking—the book offers more than 100 internet links for further investigation, which may be a negative if the links change over time. Charming black-and-white drawings of dogs and people pepper the text, and shaded boxes give additional, often illuminating snippets to ponder. For example, the author posits “Black Dog Syndrome”—or a superstitious fear of black pooches—as one reason why it’s more difficult to find homes for these canines. Rose-Solomon rounds out her brisk, upbeat handbook with an index and bibliography for further investigation. Though not a comprehensive manual, the easy-to-browse volume delivers time-tested tips that are useful steppingstones for beginning a healthy, happy relationship with a frisky family member.

An insightful, smoothly written, and useful guide for new canine owners.