Adoption Questions
 

Howdy All,
I'm looking to adopt a second fur baby and have an appointment to meet one later tonight. He's a 4 year old male being re-homed because he's a little escape artist and the current owner is elderly and has a hard time capturing him after his adventures.

Last October I tried adopting a 12lb silky who was awesome until 3 weeks later when she became very possessive of me and started attacking my little 5lb guy. It was really heartbreaking, I worked with her for a few months solid and it got a bit better but still it wasn't safe for my little guy. After talking to other pet owners I was told it will get a bit better but never be 100% and so with a heavy heart I found a good mom for her where she is a queen of the castle and gets treated like the princess that she is.

I really want to make sure that the next dog I get is the perfect match and I like the idea of adopting an older dog as opposed to getting a puppy. So I'm wondering what questions I should be asking about him prior to adoption? What sort of things should I be looking for health wise?

Thanks in advance for the advice!
Deirdre + Pip

Questions so far....
 

Here is my list of questions so far. Let me know if there are any others I should add. I know that sometimes people are not the most honest about dogs that they are rehoming dogs so I'll be checking him out pretty well. I know what bad teeth and bad grooming look like but I have no idea how to check for luxating patella, hip displaysia, etc.

Why are you giving the dog up?
Has the dog ever bitten anyone or shown any aggression?
Who is the vet and can you call to have his medical records released?
What’s the dog’s medical history?
Can I have the dog examined by my veterinarian?
Obedience training?
Grooming habits and regiment?
Diet? What does he currently eat, is he open fed or fed at certain times?
Is he potty trained for out doors, peed pad trained, d=need some work?
What is his potty schedule?
Check ears, eyes, nose, coat, teeth.
How does the dog interact with or be around young kids?
Is the dog neutered (male)?
Does the dog seem to know any commands?
Is the dog possessive of food or toys?
Does he walk well on a leash? (ill be taking him on a walk)
Where does he sleep at night? Is he crate trained?
Crate training, does he willingly go in?
Would you say he is submissive, dominant or neutral?
Any noted health concerns that may require additional treatment - bad teeth, age, heart worm, etc.
Up to date on shots?
Any other things I should know about the dog?

I think them are some very good questions. One thing I would consider is brining the dog to the vet BEFORE you make your decision. That will help you know the dog you will be getting should be healthy.
Good luck with this :)

I like the bringing him to my vet idea. The current owner is an hour away BUT they did give me the name their vet... I called the vet and will need to have them call and okay the information to be released. I guess I could make the adoption conditional on speaking to their vet and after my vet checks him out.

Oh, so nervous, excited, hopeful, worried.