Before You Adopt

Bringing a new family member into the household is a very important decision. Making the right match is crucial to the successful integration of a furkid into your home. Remember: they will be living with you for 15+ years (depending on the age at adoption), and your commitment to their needs, whatever they may be, is vital.

Some dogs may come with baggage, and for the most part, we don’t know their history.  Although some dogs are already housebroken, this is not always a guarantee, and so your new pup may require house training, behavioral and/or obedience training, along with regular exercise, good nutrition, grooming, annual vet checks, dental cleaning, praise, love and attention.

In return, you will not only get best friend, but companionship, loyalty, devotion and more unconditional love than you have ever experienced! Dog guardianship is a privilege, not a right. Remember, you are adopting a dog who has become homeless and needs a second chance at a wonderful life – and Dog Bless You for offering him/her that chance!

It is important for you to ask yourself these questions BEFORE you get a dog:

• Is the timing right to bring a new family member into our home?
• Does our dog(s) really want a companion, or is it our desire to get another dog?
• Are we home enough to give a dog (or two) the love and attention he/she deserves and needs?
• Do we have the commitment to work with and train the dog(s) to be the best companion he/she can be?
• Are we financially sound to take on the added expense (grooming, medical, etc) including possible unexpected vet bills that may arise?
• Do we know the breed we want and do we know if it will be a good fit in our home and with our lifestyle?
• Is our home appropriate for the type of dog(s) we want?
• Have we done our homework on dog ownership?

Once you have answered these questions, and you feel positive about your decision, the next step is to search Lhasa Happy Homes (or other rescues) for a dog who you think may be the right fit based on their photos and description. Most dogs listed as available for adoption will give you a general picture of who they are and any challenges they may present, but of course, you must meet any dog in person.

If you are gone 8 hours a day

Consider a mature dog (6+ years) that might be a little more settled in his/her behavior and won’t be bored or destructive when you are gone at work. The last thing you want to come home to after a hard day’s work is shredded toilet paper or your new Gucci shoes in four different corners of your living room! Perhaps you’ll get really lucky, and he/she might even be housetrained. Some dogs just do not like being left alone and will bark endlessly, so you need to be careful about your choice if you are absent from the home all day.

Please DO NOT get a puppy and leave it home alone all day! You are simply asking for problems down the line. You might consider having two dogs who can keep each other company.

If you get a single dog, we recommend getting a dog walker and/or taking him/her to doggie day care a few times a week for socialization and fun.

There are definitely those who want to be the only child and are happy being alone – you just have to find the right one!

Young children in the home (under 5 years old)

Lhasa Happy Homes has a policy that precludes us from adopting to families with children under 8 years old. Sometimes, with a breed other than Lhasa (or where we have full disclosure on a dog), we are able adopt to a family with a child 5 years old (with our Board’s approval). This is not because we don’t like children. It is because we do not have a complete history of the dogs we take, and we would not want to be responsible for a child being scared or hurt by one of our rescue dogs.

For those who may be planning a family or expecting a child, PLEASE DO NOT GET A LHASA. Please think long and hard before you decide to get any dog at this time. Dogs take a lot of time and attention, be it a puppy or a rescue, and you are going to be very busy with your human child! Little dogs and little people are not always a good match, especially these long-haired breeds. We have had so many owners surrender their beloved Lhasa because of new babies, and we sincerely want to save you from this heartache.

Older children in the home

If you have older children, we will do our best to match a dog with your family based on the energy level and activity in your home. If we have a dog who appears to be good with children, we will search to find a family with children for that dog. Owner surrendered dogs, where we have the background, are a great example. We are always looking to make the best match with the dog and the furever family!

Mature homes

Seniors are encouraged to adopt mature dogs. So often do we get owner-surrendered dogs because they were adopted as puppies by a senior home, and the puppies were too much work for the senior parents.

Puppies are a lot of work! They have no manners, they chew up everything, they pee and poop everywhere, they get under foot and can potentially cause injury in a mature home. Make sure you have the time and patience and energy for a puppy before you get one!

Mature dogs are calmer, more settled in their personalities, don’t need quite as much exercise and their favorite place to be is right on your lap, loving you and enjoying “the good life.” Senior dogs are wonderful; all they need is love, good food, attention and they are happy.

Don’t dismiss a dog just because of its age. Little dogs live very long lives, and at 6-8 years old, they still have more than half their lives to live.