2 Questions You Will Want To Ask The Shelter Before Adopting A Dachshund Dog

“How do you socialize your Dachshunds?”

shelters don’t just feed and house abandoned Dachshunds; they socialize and rehabilitate them, too. At the best facilities, Dachshunds are better adjusted when they leave than they were when they arrived; at the worst ones, the opposite is true. You don’t want to adopt a pup who’s been stuck in a cage and ignored ever since arriving at the adoption facility, since whatever behavior or attitude problems she may have had previously won’t have improved - and will probably have gotten much worse - during her time at the shelter. And if she hasn’t been getting enough human contact, she may have become depressed or withdrawn. So ask how many hours of human contact each shelter’s dogs receive daily, how often they get to take walks or bat a ball around, how many different people spend time with them and whether they ever have the chance to play and be goofy with other dogs.

Socialization is especially important if you’re looking for a Dachshund puppy. The early weeks of a dog’s life are a crucial formative time, and a puppy who doesn’t learn to interact with humans from the start may have lifelong adjustment problems ahead of her. Ask whether the shelter has any special socialization procedures for young puppies.

“What post-adoption services do you offer?”

Some shelters - especially large, well-funded ones - have the resources to offer obedience classes, behavior consulting, veterinary services, newsletters and question-and-answer sessions to their adopters. That kind of continued support can be a great help to you as you and your new dog adjust to life together. But most shelters don’t have the money, space or people-power to do as much for their adopters and their former canine residents as they’d like. That doesn’t mean they aren’t interested. A good shelter, even if it can’t afford to provide an array of amenities itself, may still offer referral services or special discounted deals with local vets and obedience schools and should always be willing to talk with adopters about whatever problems or successes they may have with their dogs.

A few shelters seem to have a “once you’ve signed the adoption contract, you’re on your own” attitude, and these are the ones you want to steer clear of. Choose a shelter that will take an interest in you and your Dachshund now and later.