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Hey girls, you all seem like such experienced pet owners, I have a few questions. My boyfriend and I are thinking about adopting or fostering a dog. Just a little background: I grew up with a dog (a beagle) but he has never had one and neither of us has been responsible for deciding where to adopt from. Now, I obviously know that we should not get a dog from a pet shop. We are actually looking to adopt a dog (not a puppy) that's a little older, housebroken, etc. We have a small house and yard but live very close to the beach where we would walk the dog. We would be looking for a small breed of dog.
Now my main question is: is it better to "save" a dog from a shelter where he/she may be euthanized or to support no-kill shelters by adopting there? What about individuals on Craigslist? There's a part of me that wants to save a dog from getting put in a shelter but another wondering if people tell the truth about the health/vaccinations, etc. of the dogs they are giving up. We're also considering fostering a dog since it can be a bit more short-term and many agencies help you out with food and supplies, but I'm afraid I would be so sad to give my dog up if he/she were to get adopted. Have any of you done this before?
Lastly, does anyone know of any good resources in southern California? Shelters/rescues/agencies to support/avoid?
Thank you all SO MUCH!!
petfinder.com
We were able to find the kind of dog we wanted and adopt from a smaller rescue organization in our metro area. You can search by size, breed, age, sex, location, etc.
I don't think it matters where you get the dog from, as long as he/she is a rescue. In my opinion it's about saving any dog's life, regardless of the type of rescue or shelter they are in. Rescue organizations can often be good because they may have people who are/have fostered the animal and can speak to the dog's personality and/or special needs more so than a shelter can do.
Our SPCA here does a great job assesing their animals and matching them up with new owners and they try to crate train the dogs too. If that's a national standard for the organization, i would recommend them as well. The only reason we didn't get a dog from them is because they only had large breed puppies when we were looking for our little guy. They tended to have lots of mature dogs to choose from.
I fully support adopting through shelters as there are so many sweet ones waiting for a loving family there, but if you're new to pet adoption and have reservations, fostering through a rescue is a good start. This is how we adopted our second cat. You will be responsible for the food and supplies but the rescue will help out with vet bills if the animal turns out to have serious medical issues. If you decide to keep the dog, you will be given the option to adopt him before anyone else. If you decide he's not the right dog for you and your SO, you will at least have helped save a life and gain some experience in taking care of an animal together. Unfortunately I don't know about specific dog rescues, but I found our cat on petfinder.com. They have listings for both shelter and rescue animals.
I think that you need to find a balance between doing the "best" thing and the thing that is going to work best for your family. I think that saving a dog from a shelter is probably the nicest thing, but for somewhat inexperienced dog owners I'd recommend getting a dog from rescue. By fostering a dog first, or by getting a dog who has been fostered, you'll get more of a real sense of their personality in a home setting. A lot of dogs in shelters act differently than they otherwise would because they're sick or depressed, so you can end up with a dog that is a total surprise to you. Plus (in theory at least), by adopting from a rescue group, it frees up a spot for them to take another dog out of the shelters.
I found my dog from a rescue group via petfinder.
I think either option is great! We have one dog that we got from an animal shelter and one that we got from Craigslist (he would have gone to the shelter in a few days if we hadn't picked him up). I'd say that for us, adopting from the shelter was a bit cheaper, because even though there is an adoption fee, they paid for our first vet visit and to have him neutered, whereas we had to pay for that ourselves with our second dog.
Also, I have no idea if this has ANYTHING to do with where we got them from, but our Craigslist puppy is extreeeeeeemely shy/skittish and our shelter puppy is very friendly and not afraid of people. It could just be a personality thing, but part of me thinks it's because our Craigslist puppy was not around people at all before we picked him up (he was only 7 weeks old when we got him and was born on a farm, so no human interaction other than the people who owned his mom). Our shelter puppy was a bit older (about 4 months) when we got him and had obviously had a lot of human interaction from the people at the shelter, so I think that possibly could have affected their personalities now.
That being said, we love 'em both equally and we're convinced that our Craiglist puppy will grow out of his shyness eventually! I think that whatever you decide to do, you really can't go wrong and you'll love the dog no matter what!
Wow thanks for the quick info! I have checked Petfinder but it seemed like a lot of the ads were quite old so I wasn't sure how frequently they're updated. I'll check it out a little more in depth.
I think that we will look into fostering first, @meliss: you make a good point about being able to adopt the foster. I hadn't thought about that (silly, I know). The thing that made me nervous is that the places I've looked into do a home check and I'm afraid they won't think our yard is big enough. I guess we could try it out and see what they say!
Thanks for all the info, keep it coming, dog people!
In my opinion, kill or no-kill doesn't really matter. By adopting from a no-kill, you open up a space they can pull in a dog from a kill shelter. The most important thing is getting a dog that fits your lifestyle and you can give a "forever home".
Going with either a shelter or Craigslist, you don't know much history about the dog. If you don't have shot records, the vet will revaccinate the dog anyway. You should always take a new dog to the vet for a general wellness exam within 24-48 hours of getting it; regardless where you get it from.
If you are unsure if you want a dog, I would suggest fostering first so you can decide if a dog is the right pet for you.
Is money tight right now? You mentioned that part of the benefit of fostering is that the rescue group helps out with stuff.
Pets can be expesnive: vet bills, heartworm preventative, flea preventative, training, etc. Food and supplies are some of the lower costs involved in having a dog. Make sure you budget for your pet's needs.
Another thing to think about is what happens if you and your boyfriend break up, who gets the dog?
@abbyful: Thanks for the info about the wellness exam - I knew it would be a good idea to see a vet asap, but it's good to know we should aim for the first 48 hours. I wouldn't say we're "unsure" about getting a dog but we've just started talking about it and are gathering all the information we can. Getting vet bills/supplies paid for is obviously a benefit over having to pay for them ourselves, no, money is not tight, and no, we would not get a pet we could not afford. And my boyfriend and I are not planning on breaking up but.. thanks for your concern? Would you have made this same comment if I had said "my fiance" or "my husband"? Just wondering..
Kirabee, I think she mentioned the break-up question because "boyfriend" can be a red-flag for shelters. Fiancée is better, and husband is best. Not that engaged or married couples never break up, but I guess the reasoning is that the more committed the relationship, the less likely to break-up? Break-ups often end up with pets dumped at the shelter, so that's why it can be a concern. Also, "boyfriend" doesn't automatically exclude you from adoption in most cases, so even if you aren't engaged, don't let that discourage you if you are committed to providing a loving home for the pet you adopt, regardless of relationship status.
I highly recommend fostering, especially if you aren't 100% sure about a lifetime commitment to a dog, or not sure about breed, etc. We have fostered, and it can be sad when they get adopted...I would say it's bittersweet, because you're sad that they're leaving but happy they have found their forever family. Like another poster mentioned, if you fall in love, you generally have the chance to adopt the dog if nobody else has applied to adopt them yet.
Our dog is what is known as a "foster failure" - meaning we adopted our foster dog (an affectionate term, believe me!). Our first foster we liked, but she didn't like our cats, (unless you consider wanting to eat them "liking" ;), so we knew from day one we wouldn't be keeping her, (since it was only temporary, we were able to keep them separated for the length of her stay). Our second foster was obviously abused, skittish around men, afraid to go up stairs, (my then fiancée had to carry a 70-pound dog up the stairs the first couple days!)...and absolutely adorable! He wanted to badly to be loved, even though he was scared, that by his second day with us I knew I couldn't give him up. Two and a half years later, he is happy, healthy, has no problem with stairs, (he races up and down them!), and loves everybody, (my hubby has two very tall friends, and he will even ask for attention from them). We've fostered other dogs since then, and some I would have liked to keep, but keeping a second dog would mean we couldn't foster anymore, (our rules, not the rescue's), and for us, fostering means being a soft place to fall for an animal down on its luck until it can find it's forever family.
One thing to note about adopting a rescue off of Petfinder: quite often they have ridiculous requirements for their adoptions and make it near impossible to even rescue an animal. Their fees can be quite high, and oftentimes you inquire and don't find out for MONTHS. There was a thread about this awhile back, the consensus being that the fees are necessary and their methods are to make sure the dogs aren't later abandoned. All well and good, but not very "adopter friendly."
I'm an advocate for adopting from your local shelter. Those dogs are most in need, as they are living in the most confined conditions and are most at risk of being euthanized. Black dogs are especially at risk, as most people don't want to have to deal with black dog hair being shed about their house. Also the "louder" breeds are typically last to be adopted (beagles/beagle mixes and terriers/terrier mixes).
I would recommend checking out the following shelters:
Good luck!
@Miss Apricot: Thanks for attempting to clarify what the PP may or may not have meant - it's helpful to have information on what shelters look for in adoptive families. Thanks for sharing your experience with fostering. I know first hand what a lifetime committment dogs can be - the dog I grew up with lived to be 16! We will be absolutely sure before we make the decision to adopt, that is why we are researching all of our options! The main reason we would choose fostering over adopting is because we want to get an adult dog and we are worried about "personality conflicts" as you described with your first foster. Also we're not sure what breed we're interested in - we know we want something small as we only have a small house and yard but I'm not very familiar with the personalities and needs of small dogs since the only dog I have had was a medium-large breed.
@MightySapphire: That's exactly what I was worried about when checking out the site. The ads seemed old and not updated, I wondered how you could sort through and determine which dogs were still available for adoption. That's part of the plus-side of Craigslist is that the ads are new, posters are generally reliable, and the fees are based on what people choose to ask. It's interesting to know that black dogs have trouble getting adopted, that is so sad! We would definitely not have a problem getting a black dog. And having grown up with a beagle, I definitely know how loud they can be (Halloween was the WORST!) but unfortunately our neighbors are very close on all sides so we will most likely be avoiding the louder breeds. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and those links, I will definitely check them out!
I would suggest getting a dog from a rescue. I looked into it but ultimately decided I wanted a puppy.
My boyfriend and I both paid for the dog, but I put my name on her papers. The breeder still asked questions about both of us though. She did not seem too concerned about us breaking up and didn't ask any questions about our relationship,she was more interested in his feelings towards dogs. She wanted to make sure that anyone who would have a lot of contact with the dog would be responsible and caring towards it.
@kirabee: We adopted our cutie from our local humane society (I live in the county north of yours). I highly recommend adopting form a shelter (either kill or no kill). You should check out http://animalcare.lacounty.gov/ It took us some time to find our girl. We visited our county shelter and the humane society several times before we found her. We wanted a fairly calm dog, not to old or young (she was just under a year when we got her). When we walked by her she was a little shy, didn't bark at all. She melted our hearts! Good luck!
Our baby
@kirabee -Please don't take offense to the comment "what if you break up?".
It's just a fact of life that boyfriend/girlfriend are more likely to break up than people that are engaged. And people that are engaged are more likely to break up than people that are married. (And at least if you're married and "break up", lawyers can sort it out for you.)
If you go to the shelter and they realize you are dating and not legally married, they very well might ask you that question, "if you break up, who takes the dog?" My fiance and I adopted one of our dogs before we were engaged, and they asked us that question.
It's just something to keep in mind. "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst."
"One thing to note about adopting a rescue off of Petfinder: quite often they have ridiculous requirements for their adoptions and make it near impossible to even rescue an animal."
I'm not sure if all areas are like this, but here in Kansas City, all the shelters and rescues have their dogs/cats on PetFinder. We found Rufus on Petfinder and he only had a $99 adoption fee.
rufus.jpg (120.5 KB, 25 downloads) 1 year old 
@kirabee: Congrats! Being a dog owner is a lot of work, but so much fun. If you are wondering about what kind of breed to get, there are lots of quizzes online that can help point you in the right direction!
Here's a link to a quiz -- http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm -- but if you just google "right dog for me" quiz it'll lead you to several.
Even if your dog is a complete mix, the folks at the shelter and the vet can usually tell you one or two breeds they can pick up in there.
Its how I got matched with my little sweeties!
Let me preface this by saying, I did not read all the above replies. However, I did see somebody mention petfinder.com
Warning....puppy millers and brokers use petfinder.com. They will post their "rescues" while posing as a legitimate rescue organization. Be careful.
I suggest looking at local county shelters or purebred rescues in your area. I do volunteer for several rescues in the Chicagoland area & I can't thank you enough in advance for giving a loving home to a rescued pet! Thanks :)
Hi I volunteer for an organization. So I speak from experience when I say this..
Adopting a dog is a great idea. Especially an older dog since you will have easier time with the potty training(if he/she isn't trained already) and will be able to know the correct size since it's already grown. Many kill or non-kill shelters offer dogs of all sizes. You can also check the internet for a rescue group of whatever specific breed you prefer.
Many pure breeds will be picked up from high kill shelters by rescue groups. I happen to love mutts so I would check the shelter as well. Adopting a dog from a non-kill shelter isn't anything less than adopting one from a high-kill shelter.
I've done both. I know some people who prefer non-kill shelters to not feel pressured. Remember this.. You can't take them all home. You can help one of them, and make sure it's the right size and breed for you. Rescuing a dog you can't have from death row may seem humane but on a long run it will be hard on all of you and it won't be fair for the pooch to come home with you only to be returned back in few months.
Fostering dogs is a noble idea but it has difficulties. Most foster dogs will require extra TLC some will have emotional or physical difficulties that you, as the foster mom, have to deal with.
At the present time I own (or owned by) a 7 year old male yorkshire terrier. He is a rescue dog. I live in NYC and no matter how many times I went to the local ASPCA shelter I could not find a friend small enough to adopt. It was my timing, my luck etc. I used to own a big house with an acre land and I've rescued many dogs, now I have a flat in the city.. I have limited space. I foster in-need pooches but it's not easy. You must have experience and money. Most foster dogs will come with a vet to handle it but you still would have to provide his basic needs. In my house that means beds better than mine and best food money can buy so the bills can go high. Also it's not easy to say goodbye but it helps to know that while he/she is going to a good place this will also open room up for another one in need.
I think with both your experiences, adopting a young dog, who's already been neutered, from a shelter or a rescue group is a great idea. Rescue groups may be able to put you in touch with foster homes who may have your next pooch.
I don't know rescue groups in your area, since I'm on the opposite end but the organization I volunteer for, is country wide. www.bestfriends.org I'm a skeptical person and I don't believe that all the charities or rescue group are real. This one I can vouch for because I did volunteer in their adoption event and we were able to have over 400 cats and dogs adopted. It's an organization where many rescue groups exits within. Check their site maybe there are some in your area well. If you have any questions about it, or the breeds please send me a message. I'll be happy to help out another animal lover :)
ooh I forgot . :) This is my little rescue guy :)
cocom.jpg (13.2 KB, 21 downloads) 1 year old 
Consider researching breeds, and then googling the national organization for that breed. Most have a rescue arm. The national org can be a great assist in knowing more about your breed. When MM and I joined forces he decreed we would need a manly dog- lol- meaning he didnt want to walk a bichon on a leash. Thats how we agreed on Great Pyrenese as a breed. We then went to some pet fairs, and met some owners. They clued us in, and then the local GP group called when they had some rescues. And Countess Pocono came to us. El Toro Blanco came thru petfinders via a NJ rescue group.
I strongly strongly suggest researching the breed!!!!
Oh, and don't automatically dismiss older ads, the dog may still be available!
Rufus was waiting adoption for over a year before we got him. (The rescue we got him from has many of their adoptable dogs in foster homes so they don't have to be in little pens or cages 24/7 like a traditional shelter.)
He didn't really like going to the Petsmart/Petco adoption events with the rescue, so they quit taking him and just waited for someone to inquire about his Petfinder ad. Also, he's a black dog, many people skip over the black dogs, so that was going against him too.
@retreadbride: LOLOLOLOL @ manly dog comment hahhaha
My fiancee has never had a dog and did not want one in his house. He told me that he loved me but he didn't want a dog where he lives and if we are going to live together we must talk about this problem. I said "what problem? I don't like your huge feet taking over most the blanket but I'm not going to ask you to cut them off!?" Since my dog comes as a package deal with me, he had to accept it .. but then he felt that my dog was too girly and that we should now get a manly dog..
Now after 2 years of living together he is in love with the pooch. They are inseparable. He gets mad at people who think our dog looks "cute or pretty" in his winter coat. No he looks handsome! ehehhee He thinks our little yorkie is a tough little guy and he is proud to walk him and show him to everyone.
@ihateweddings: we started with a shiba inu-- and if you know the breed- they are akita heart in a 15lb body. We are negotiating our next breed- he wants tibetan mastiff. I want a leonberger. No decision for at least 3 years.
hehehe here is my macho man with our macho tough dog
mark&coco.jpg (884.3 KB, 21 downloads) 1 year old
@retreadbride: I love the shiba inu! It's the smaller city friendly version of Akita. :) hehe and I love Great Pyrenees. Based on the breeds you mentioned may I suggest one more?? It's called an Akbash. Might be hard to find one but they are known to be very smart and protective dogs and they are good for houses with many other animals as they tend to think of them all as "their flock" :)
Haha, I know a lot of couples where the woman wants a german shepherd, am-staff, mastiff, or other large dog; and the man wants a dachshund, jack russel terrier, or other small dog.
My fiance and I were kind of this way. When we were getting our first dog, I was trying to decide between getting a papillon and a boxer, he didn't want a big dog. Though I think now that we have 3 dogs, he's more open to the idea of having a big dog. (He only had small dogs growing up, and only 1 at a time. I grew up on a farm, we always had multiple dogs and had a variety of sizes and breeds.)
Shiba Inus are great! That's a breed we've been keeping in mind for the future; but we're not getting any more dogs for at least a couple years.
shiba inu- have changed in the last 10 years. Sadly they became designer dogs and a lot of their nature has been re-routed. If anyone is considering one PLEASE talk to a breeder that is part of the AKC, I know the Seattle Pure Bred Dog Rescue is an awesome source. My Mister Jazz had all the bad traits of the breed- and he was still with me for 15 years. But I had to change my world to fit his needs- pretty much a special needs little guy. He was man afraid, dog agressive, hated loud noises, and no cuddle factor at all. Basically your autistic dog. But when I commit I commit.
@ihateweddings: My criteria for the next dog is one that will come when called;) the livestock guardian dogs are just a tad too independent.
@retreadbride: LOL good criteria hehe. My experience with sheepdogs or herding dogs whichever.. has always been great. With the exception of 2 dogs, all the ones I had were well behaved, sweet natured, and very very obedient. Hunting dogs on the other hand.. lol the are so very popular but I always prefer the herding dogs. Although I've always wanted an irish setter.
I'm surprised to hear about your shiba. Now of these days, they over breed certain breeds and we get with unlikely personalities. I'm glad you were the owner and not someone else. My yorkie is a strange one also. I rescued him when he was 1.5 years old for about 3 years he refused to play with any toys. or play in general with people. Only liked other dogs. Attacked toddlers. never barked, played, or let us know when he had to go. .. he was a delight LOL
Now he is well behaved, cautious of kids but never attacks anyone, and he actually plays ! Still the calmest, laziest yorkie I've ever seen. I know friends of mine who's kids made them get different breeds because they thought yorkies were not playful, all thanks to mine.
I just wish mine would wag his tail more then once or twice a day. .
Wow, so much great information, let me make sure I get a chance to thank everyone
@MademoiselleL: Thanks for sharing your experience of adopting a dog with your boyfriend. It's good to be prepared for those types of questions while knowing that finding the best home for the dog is still the main priority.
@MzMarzipan: Your dog looks so sweet!! I will check out that link, thanks a lot.
@abbyful: Thanks for coming back to clarify - us breaking up is really not a concern of ours right now, but it's good to know what sort of questions we might be asked.
@mrssireci: Thanks for the link, I'll check it out. Honestly, we hadn't really concerned breeds yet because we assumed we'd be adopting some type of mix or mutt, but of course they would have some traits of their breeds, so I should really try to find out more. We're probably looking for a small but high-energy dog we can take to the beach, go on runs with, chase balls, etc, but will also be ok in our small house.
@gvsusara: Thanks for the heads-up, this is why the internet scares me. I will be asking around in the area to find legit agencies before adopting.
@ihateweddings: What is it about fostering that makes it more difficult than just adopting in your experience? And you're right about the fact that it's hard to visit shelters, that's why I haven't allowed myself to go yet! Online browsing ONLY for right now! That's great that you're still able to foster while living in NY. I will definitely check out Best Friends - I have heard of them before. Thanks for all the info!
@retreadbride: I knew a Great Pyrenese who was convinced he was a lap dog.. Such a big teddy bear!!
Does anyone have recommendations on what breeds we should check out? We were thinking perhaps Jack Russell terrier (I know they can be very high energy), dachshund, min pin, or some sort of chi-mix or terrier-mix (there are LOTS of those in shelters here). Any experiences/tips for these or other small breeds?
ETA: Also wanted to add: boyfriend has a 9-5 job, I usually work at a school in the mornings til about 1 and I'm home for 1-2 hrs before heading back out. It is very rare that no one would be home for more than 4ish hours.
@kirabee: Fostering can be very very nice, but you should know all aspects before considering it. It all depends on why the dog needs a foster home. Some dogs need the foster home because there isn't enough room for them at the shelters. Also it could be because a dog might have had a recent surgery and needs physical therapy and extra care. In my experience though a foster dog can be slightly timid than other dogs. Maybe he is too shy, maybe he needs socializing. Maybe he needs to be trained etc. For most organizations out there adoption is an easier process then fostering. You may have the idea that maybe you can try out different breeds for temporary time while helping out the ones in need but often there are requirements for fostering. Experience with dogs, especially dog training and helping with possible behavioral problems is usually needed. You had one dog, and your fiancee never had one. Also the money situation. Animal organizations are in serious need of financial help and they depend on charities and funding and volunteers. That's also why they need foster parents. For medical things, the vet would help you out, but for every thing else, like your usual daily things, it's all you. I would also check the vet bills for normal things like heartworm pills etc. So over all it's something to carefully think over. It's not like having a different breed, cute, well behaved dog come over every few weeks with all the food and bills already paid. Imagine how many millions of people would be fostering if it was. hehe
I think fostering a dog is a great idea but I wish you and your fiancee had little more experience. Then again... speak to the rescue groups, you may find someone who could give you a hand and find you a real good friend who needs a home :)
My one strong advice is this.. don't just walk into a place and adopt the first dog that cries out. Do your research. Know what breeds you can and cannot have based on your living situation, relationship, experience and finances. Once you find the right dog then there aren't any difficulties you can't come over :)
i found my pup on petfinder.com
drove three hours to go pick her up. To say the least I picked out a 2yrs old dog, and when I got there this so to speak "rescue agency" was more of a woman who had a dying love to rescuing dogs and was borderline pet hoarder.
Anyways, the adoption was super easy...she came with us, got a makeover, snip snip, bathe bathe and she is as good as new. Everyone just overlooked that. Keep that in mind, dogs have potential under their matted hair.
My pup had poop stuck to her fur (and the rescue lady said to me, oh sorry i meant to bathe her...me thinking to myself YEA RIGHT). This woman had about 20 dogs in her yard and 2 litters of puppies inside.eeeek!
Anyways, please be forwarned that dogs may also come with emotional issues, being beaten etc...so it will take a while to know what the issues are etc. I.E. my dog was hesitant towards men (my thinking is that a guy used to beat her) but loves women. But that easy to retrain and figure out with LOTS OF patience and love.
Another nutty thing my dog does will take her food from the bowl and eat it in the foyer (this may be from the house she lived in with a million +2 dogs and they used to fight for food) these are all re-trainable things until they learn they are safe and people love them! GOod luck ;)
i will only rescue from now on out! i love my fur baby. Pic attached <3
Pictures_931.jpg (345.9 KB, 20 downloads) 1 year old
@kirabee: Two of mine are yorkies like @ihateweddings, and they are high energy when I'm high energy, if that makes any sense. If I'm watching tv, they'll cuddle up, but if I get toys out, they'll play fetch all day. They don't shed and they're adorable.
My other one on the other hand.... HAHAHAHAHAAAAA. She is a half Jack Russell, half poodle. Cutest thing I have EVER seen but she is a handful! Turn your back for a minute, and she's eaten the legs of the coffee table. This dog has chewed through drywall. I took her to a trainer for 6 weeks and the trainer cried. Jack Russells can be VERY difficult, but I think rat terriers are a little calmer.
I have a min pin. I was never a huge fan of little dogs, but living in an apartment meant that it was unrealistic to get a big dog. Honestly, just start googling any breed you might be interested in. I spent nearly a year researching breeds before narrowing it down to a welsh terrier or a min pin - min pins are a lot more popular in my area and Fi (then bf) preferred the min pin out of those 2 choices.
Keep in mind that while the descriptions of breeds can be helpful, those sorts of things can vary a lot from one dog to another. My pup definitely needs regular exercise like all the breed descriptions say (otherwise she barks a lot more, pulls on the leash a lot and destroys toys in a matter of minutes), but she really isnt as high energy as the descriptions led me to expect. She probably sleeps about 20 hours a day...she's currently napping next to me on the couch.
I saw you are considering Min Pins as one of your possible options. My only real complaint is that it seems to be waaay more difficult to teach these dogs to come when called everytime (She does within the house, but it took a lot longer than it did with the dogs I grew up with - honestly, it was much easier to teach my horse to come with called :) Also, they really have to be kept on a leash at all times. I made the mistake once of letting her off the leash in a fenced in field - then I had to chase her through 4 other fields after she jumped the fence to chase a deer. I didn't know I could run that fast/far and thank God she stopped to smell something and I was able to catch up!
I agree with the other posters that recommend fostering first. With rescue pets, you really won't know what kind of issues they may have until you get them home, so it's a good way to ensure that a dog is a good fit for you/your home. My friend's sister volunteers at an animal rescue and both of them foster dogs quite often. They find it very rewarding to help those dogs with a temporary home and have each adopted a few to stay forever. It seems to be fairly simple to adopt if you are already fostering the pet you want to keep. Honestly, I would never have considered picking an older dog, but seeing how happy they are and how well-adjusted their dogs are has changed my mind and made me see adopting an adult dog as a valid option. Fostering lets you try it, before you buy/adopt it - so it seems to be really helpful in finding a rescue that fits your needs/wants/lifestyle.
Oh & even though Min Pins have a short, sleek coat - I'm amazed at how much dog hair covers everything I own...seriously.
I rehomed my purebred lab on craigslist and found the most wonderful family to take him! He is so much happier with his big fenced yard in the country. I took him to the vet first to have his three year shots and wellness check, so I know not all people are untrustworthy on craigslist, but maybe it varies by region. I also asked an adoption fee ($75). The family is very happy, the dog is happy, we are happy they are happy.
@ihateweddings: Thanks again for sharing your experiences with fostering. What you described (dogs with medical needs, social problems, and can't be in shelters) is more of what I thought fostering to be but several of the PPs seemed to suggest that fostering might be a good alternative to adopting (at first). You seem concerned that we are jumping into a decision but I assure you that we are not. I have had a dog, I am (clearly) not claiming to be an expert, and I know that a LOT of people adopt dogs with less experience than we have or less research than we are doing and THAT is exactly why the shelters are in the state they are in today. That is why we are doing our research! 
I do realize that there are a lot of costs associated with owning a dog. As I said earlier, my childhood dog lived to be 16 and had a lot of medical costs associated with his old age. We don't have a "money situation," and money would not be the reason we would choose to foster. I have fostered cats before, I know how it works. On another note, I'm not sure if this is unusual, but there are a lot of "breed-specific" rescues in our area that adopt dogs of a specific breed, find foster homes for them, and try to adopt them out to forever families. Do you have any experience with groups like these? I'd imagine that the foster dogs from these agencies might be different than the "average" foster dogs.
I am sure that your volunteer experience has shown you the "dark side" of all of this so I really appreciate your feedback, and I hope that I am conveying to you (and everyone!) that we are not just running immediately out to get a dog! I knew that there were a lot of great and serious pet owners here on the 'Bee so I figured this might me a good place to start my research. So many posters have provided really great info and resources, keep them coming!!
@notintoplanning: I find it funny that you responded right below ihateweddings, lol. Your pup is so cute and it sounds like you saved her from a potentially bad situation.. good for you!
@mrssireci: Hahaha the trainer cried?? Oh boy.. I knew Jack Russels could be pretty high-energy, yours sounds quite mischievous!!
@Pwitty: I think that min pins are so adorable! The only one I have known in my life though was very nasty.. Not that I'm judging them! I will definitely look into them some more.
@cbee: Thanks for sharing your experience! We have not ruled out Craigslist and luckily, I think we will avoid a lot of the shadiness because we're not really considering puppies.
@mrssireci: When I'm full of high energy and I'm ready to jump and play, my yorkie laughs me from the couch. oddly though, he does jump up and down and talks ALOT I mean really tries to talk and whine when my fiancee asks him what he wants. He comes up to us sometimes and stares at us. (yes he is very subtle so we have to figure out) so my fiancee says "what do you want?" then follows him. My dog will talk and talk and either run to the door (aka take me out now!) or run to the kitchen (aka feed me so later we can do this whole thing again for going out)
@kirabee: In a way I am so jealous of you right now :) Such an exciting time!! You will soon have a new family member!
There are many specific breed rescue groups. They mostly need foster homes because sometimes these can be very tiny organizations without any real facility to keep them. Some (and I'm sorry if some of ladies here belong to one) can be a little annoying to deal with. Especially certain breed's come of a bit haughty daughty hehehe They just want to make sure the dog goes to the right home. If you come across one, don't be discouraged. I think, especially, with little dogs who are healthy and not old, there is such interest that they have to double check.
In the last super adoption event I voluntered at, I promised myself to not adopt. However as I was walking around I saw a sad little yorkie which had special needs. (bad back, couldn't even walk right) so I've approached the lady who is from a private small rescue group and wanted to ask her about him. She looked at me and just said "oh we're not doing any adoptions here, we will review all the applications later, you can just fill one out" I thought she was dismissive and cold and personally I think that would make any one who is interested, walk away. I thought "oh well if they can find a home to a crooked little handicapped yorkie with a funky head, they can find homes for anyone" (he did have a funky head) hehe
But the reality is.. rescue groups or shelters that have pure breed dogs have to be extra careful. There are so many teenagers out there who just wants a puppy and doesnt have the money to buy from the mall.
So when you find your breed, and find the rescue groups, don't be discouraged :) they will help you out. Whether if it's adopting or fostering.. as long as you're not buying one from a store that's all that matters :)
Congrats on your new family member. And on behalf of the THOUSANDS who are surrendered each year because "it didn't work out", thanks for doing your homework before getting the dog :)!
You could check out breed specific characteristics on akc.org. But those are the traits that are desired to be bred into the breed, not necessarily what every dog is like. I think seeing a dog in person and interacting with it tells you the most about their character. Most shelters let you see the dog in an enclosure, take it for a walk, play with toys, etc. I think it's so great that you're interested in an older dog! If you find any dogs that you and your FI are interested in, you should go check them out in person. I know that it's hard to go without adopting or wanting to adopt every dog you see (I'm totally guilty of that!). But you may see a dog that seems great online but doesn't mesh in person. Or a dog that's ok, but then you visit another dog that just clicks. It's a lot like apartment hunting. You should check around and look at several dogs before making your choice. Like a PP said, what's most important is that you and the dog are perfect for each other.
We almost adopted from a rescue on Petfinder, but we were denied because of my career. They had a long list of questions, mostly having to do with our living arrangements, how often we moved, if we would take the dog with us, personal references, vet references, and a they wanted a pay stub to verify my pay. The shelter we adopted from had very few questions. Mostly they wanted to know that I had a job and that we wouldn't ever give the animals back. Once we had adopted from them once, subsequent adoptions were easier. Also the adults had a smaller adoption fee than the kittens and puppies. They had a "sale" after Easter and after Christmas to encourage more adoptions from all the unwanted "presents" that were dropped off. The animals we adopted from the shelter came spayed/neutered, with a full wellness exam prior to leaving, a recommendation for a local vet who offered discounted services to adopted animals, and a microchip. We had to provide our own carrier and collar (for the cats) and leash and collar (for the dogs). Our animals also came with a three year license (required in Cali) which saved us more money. With all the perks, I'm pretty sure our next furbaby will come from the shelter. 
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