Adopting a friend The do's and don'ts of Adoption depend on who you talk to, for the most part. The first thing to do is your homework. Investigate, investigate, investigate, and then investigate some more. You can't have too much information when it comes to adoption. For instance, you wouldn't think of adopting a Great Dane and bringing the dog home to a 30 foot travel trailer with no fenced yard. The same thing goes for an elderly person adopting a Labrador Retriever expecting to make a lap dog out of it. Know your Breeds and their requirements. An educated adopter will always make a good sound choice of the right breed in the right environment. Adoption is a serious step for a family to take, especially if it means introducing a new dog into an environment with an existing dog. Consider what happens to the eldest child when a new baby is brought home. The child doesn't understand anymore than an existing dog what has happened. They feel insecure with this new relationship and don't quite understand where they fit in. Sometimes, as with a child, it depends on how old the existing dog is. If the existing dog relates to the new dog as a playmate and not a threat things will work out fine. The opposite will happen if the existing dog is younger and views the dog as a threat. Dogs who live alone and are not socialized with other dogs have the most problems. Dogs of any age and breed must be socialized with the new dog for as long as weeks or months. Each day the dogs spend together with their family the easier it will get. Don't fall into the trap of showing the new dog more attention than your existing pet. Remember your existing pet was there first and it is his/her right to be the leader of the pack. As they get more comfortable they will adjust to each other and they will choose who will lead the pack amongst themselves. Give this process time to work. You might find that kenneling the new dog for periods of time will help the process along. The existing dog has time to "get to know" the new dog without any outside interference or pressure on it's own time. Communicate with your adoption coordinator with any questions or comments about the transition of adding a dog to the family. Chances are they have been there and done that in their experiences. Don't ever feel like you have no resources to help you. Reputable Shelters all have people that can and will assist you with the adoption process that will benefit both you and your new friend.