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When to start looking for adoptable dogs?

Hey, I'm so excited that my Husband finally agreed to get a dog! We're going on vacation in July, so we'd like to wait until we get back. But I would like to get the dog very soon after we return. 

I would like to adopt a dog via petfinder. (hopefully a french bull dog or something of similar size/temperament) . I've never been a pet owner before. How long does it  take between when you apply and when you get to keep the little guy?

Re: When to start looking for adoptable dogs?

  • Since you're looking for an "in-demand" breed, I'd start applying to rescues now, and get "pre-approved," that way, when a dog comes along that fits your family and your needs, most of the legwork is already done. 

    Have you looked into French Bulldog Rescue Network?  

  • Like PP said, you want a more in demand dog, and it may take longer than normal. We had our dog within a week of contacting the rescue via Petfinder.
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  • Diesel came from the humane society so it took a little less than a week from when I filled out the application to when I took him home. Sprocket came from a rescue where they only did adoption approvals once a week so it took a bit more than a week. However, it took a long time to find Diesel as we applied for a few dogs through a few rescues and did not get selected (either we were too late or we were out of county which meant we went to the bottom of the list). Like others have said, it may take awhile for a dog to become available at a rescue, so I'd go ahead and apply now, noting that you plan to take a dog home in Aug due to a vacation.
  • How long it takes depends on the rescue group.  Some adoptions can be completed in under a week.  But some rescue groups require a phone interview, home visit etc before you can meet the dog(s) you are interested in.  After you meet the dog, many rescue group will ask you to take a night to sleep on it as well.  So the whole process might take a couple weeks.

    Also, if you are looking for a specific breed to adopt - it might be tough. There might not be a lot of choice, unless you can find a rescue group that specializes in French Bulldogs.

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  • It depends on who you are adopting from, and I think some of it is just luck how quickly it goes! I looked on Petfinder for a long time because I was looking for just the right fit for us (not a specific breed, but specific size/age/temperament).

    Some that were listed on Petfinder were at our local Humane Society -- and there, you went there and got the dog the same day (unless it needed to be spayed/neutered still).

    And even with rescues/foster groups varied widely. I contacted a few fosters about dogs and didn't hear back for days or even weeks (and then had to fill out forms and do home visits before even being able to see the dog in person). 

    I filled out an application at a Westie rescue group (just to get "in their records" for the future because H and I thought Westies were cute), got a call back an hour later about a stray Westie mix they'd just picked up, and the dog was in our house and officially ours that night. It doesn't usually happen that quickly with a rescue group, but it can.

    I say, start looking now, but don't fall in love with any until you've seen it in person. I got my heart broken a few times when I loved a dog on Petfinder, only to find out it had already been adopted out or wasn't a good fit for our house (too aggressive, not child-friendly, etc). 

  • imageMarieSD:

    I say, start looking now, but don't fall in love with any until you've seen it in person. I got my heart broken a few times when I loved a dog on Petfinder, only to find out it had already been adopted out or wasn't a good fit for our house (too aggressive, not child-friendly, etc).  

    A rescue group told you that a dog they had listed on Petfinder as adoptable was too aggressive?  

  • We were in and out of the ASPCA in around 2 hours, but we only had personality and size/maintenance requirements. When my parents went through petfinder there was 3 months between them submitting an application to a local rescue organization, a home visit and then being matched to a dog.   
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  • I agree with PP, start applying to rescues now.  When H and I first started looking, we applied to Boxer rescues and some took as long as two weeks to get back to us.  Good luck! I love frenchies, but there are very few rescues available in our area.
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