Hi everyone 
I used to post on CC back in high school ( though I have been reading along for many years and find this community invaluable.) and got a new account because I could not remember my old password.
I just graduated from graduate school and got a job working in a school as a school counselor which has required me to relocate across my state. I live alone and am thinking of getting a dog. Our family dog just died of cancer at 8 and I am thinking of getting my first āadultā dog. ( I am 27) I have some limitations related to TMJ and shoulder issues so am looking at breeds under 15 pounds.In addition, I am looking for an adult or senior dog ( no puppies). I would be adopting from a rescue or shelter. Does anyone have any stories,tips, advice for a first time dog owner? What you wish you had known? Thanks!
Apologies, I meant to post this in the Cafe!
Good for you for adopting from a shelter! Just be sure to think of this as a long-term commitment and be willing to invest yourself. Keep in mind that you will have to be sure you can go home after work to take care of your dog. Do you have a house with a yard or are you in an apartment? Just something to think about as far as making sure the dog can get out when needed. Also be sure to keep in mind that dogs can be quite expensive. We have always been lucky that our dogs have never had major medical issues, but as you know from your family dog, medical bills can really add up. Our DD1 has a 7 year old lab who suddenly started having seizures and is now on medication that costs $200/month. Definitely not what she planned for just after taking a big pay cut so she could spend more time with their new baby!
I donāt mean to sound negative- itās just that a lot of people fail to consider some of the challenges of owning a dog. As long as you are aware of them, then by all means start looking! We have 2 and I canāt imagine life without a dog or two or three!
Thank you for considering shelter dogs!
If you work full time and are away from your home all day, you might consider getting a dog walker or sending your pup to doggie day care. Itās another expense, but it alleviates considerable guilt!
I love that all of the responders feature dog pictures.
Itās wise to think about your physical limitations. I adopted an 8-year-old Australian shepherd two years ago, and despite her being āmiddle-aged,ā she still has the capacity to pull me down, and I have never tired her out. (But the reverse has happened many times.) She is a friendly dog generally but itās clear that she loves me best. So she tolerates being take care of by other people but probably would become unhappy in any long-term boarding situation. Depending on your situation, you should take into account whether the breed of the dog(s) youāre considering is a āloves everyoneā type or a āI want only my mom or dadā type.
I have a 10yr dog. I regret only getting one. Dogs are pack animals and I think it would have been good for her to have had a canine pal all these years.
I think you are on the right track in looking for an adult dog. Housebreaking is tough when you canāt be home during the day. I am a dyed-in-the-wool dog person, and H and I got our first āadultā dogāa puppy-- when he took a job so close to our house that he could come home at lunch to take the puppy out, and could take him to an obedience class after work. (I had a 2 hr commute each way at that time.) We also had our own house, rather than living in an apartment. When he took the job, the first thing I said was not āCongratulations,ā but āGreat! We can get a dog!!!ā 
Things to consider in selecting a dog:
*You said you are looking for a small dog, but very small breeds, like Yorkies, tend to be very hard to housebreak, and an unfortunate number of them are never really trustworthy in that regard.
*If you live in an apartment, beware of acquiring a barker (or yapper ).
*If you adopt a senior dog you have to be prepared for losing them sooner. And senior dogs can be more prone to developing medical issues.
*If there is a specific breed you are interested in, contact the breed rescue in your area. Being willing to take an older dog is likely to make it much easier to find one.
*One potential advantage of rescues over shelters is that rescues often have the dogs in foster homes where the foster parents work with them and are able to observe their character and temperament more closely in a ānormalā environment that in the high stress shelter situation.
*It helps if you can meet them first.
All of that said, a friend of mine who lives in an apartment in the city with no yard has adopted 2 toy-sized older girls --both transported from out of state, and I donāt think she met them firstāand they are both wonderful. And housebroken. Unfortunately, I have to disclose that the older girl, who is now 15, has developed a cancerous tumor. But so far sheās feeling fine with just some oral meds and her vet thinks she will probably die of old age in a couple of years before the cancer causes her pain or serious trouble. She is a little black terrier mix with a wiry coat and big eyebrows and a little beard and the cutest underbite, and I love her to death. :x
BTW, the beautiful girl in my avatar is a rescue.
How exciting! You can see my Australian shepherd in my avatar. Like @rosered55ās dog, Foster is very high energy and 100% devoted to me. Weāve heard the breed referred to as Velcro dogs, and I can see why!
Be sure to budget enough to take care of a new dog. I was shocked at how much we spent on our first dog as adults. Veterinarian visits seem to have gotten a lot more expensive, and meds to prevent heart worms and repel ticks and flees are also pricey.
Youāve gotten a lot of good advice in this thread! Please report back on how everything goes.
@bodangles - is that your dog in your avatar?
Great advice, and I love what @Consolation suggested. If you consider a specific breed, read up on the potential health issues that can affect the breed to potentially avoid heartbreak down the road if you are unable to pay the high medical costs (of course, all dogs can develop health issues, but some are more prone to certain issues like IVDD than the others).
My niece and family went to their local shelter with the intention of adopting a kittenā¦and came home with a pitbull! Lily is just a wonderful girl, on the small side, a brindle with sort of a dark peach and grey combination, and unclipped ears, so she has an adorable gremlin kind of look. She has a wonderful temperament, is extremely affectionate, and loves to play hard with my golden, Maggie, who also loves to play hard. Once they get it out of their systems, they are both very quiet inside the house. Lily has come to stay with me a couple times, the last being over New Yearās, and she has decided to sleep on the bed with me. Maggie decided to join her, so I was sandwiched between dogs on New Yearās morning. A good way to start the year!
In my city, it can be very hard to rent with a dog. Many (most) places do not allow pets. Youāll need to figure out dog-sitting when you travel. A dog that is any way people or dog aggressive can really be a hassle in this regard. Our last dog was a saint, we could leave with anyone (and everyone wanted to dogsit her). Our current dogā¦sigh. We can only leave her with one set of friends. Velcro dog, 1000% love dog with her āpackā, and not trust-worthy outside of āpackā. Both our dogs were shelter dogs. I should have been more cautious adopting a working breed known to have possessiveness/aggression. A real hassle to own this dog. On the good side, I felt safe running in the park at night with my current dogānoone but the truly psychotic would get near me when Iām out this dog. Iād have returned her honestly on day 5, but she follows you around and pumps out love-energyāto her family. My H wouldnāt let me return her. Weāve had her now 10 years and sheās fairly mellow now actually.
BTW, I did spend a lot of time with her before adopting. I just wish Iād crossed off certain breeds from consideration given that we live in the city.
A tired dog is a happy dog = happy owner, I have an extremely high energy dog who took three long off leash walks a day for most of the first year, but even a mature dog needs exercise, you & they will be happier if you make that a priority. Much less mischief happens if you use up their energy in productive activities.
So my one piece of advice (as a lifelong dog owner of all different sizes, breeds, rescue and breeder dogs), is when you go into the shelter to look at a dog, keep an open mind.
For our most recent dog, I went into the rescue place thinking I wanted a female poodle-ish dog, because I was the current owner of a female poodle (purebred) and felt like I would be good with that and the female poodle would be good with it (sheād grown up with a female standard poodle).
I came home with a 6 month old male chihuahua, and he has been the BEST dog I have ever owned, by a huge margin. I kept walking by his cage and heād make eye contact with me, and Iād walk by him and look at other dogs, and Iād go back by the cage and heād just be looking at me so solemnly.
So I said to the rescue guy-can I look at him? And the guy said, uh, thatās not a girl or a poodle. And I said, I know, but I need to hold him.
So he took him out of the cage, the little guy wrapped his paws around my neck and snuggled his little head under my chin, and that was it. Game over.
So, keep an open mind when you go in, and believe in love at first sight when it comes to dogs.
So many Australian Shepherd owners on here!! (They are the best dogs, as we owners know.)
@BunsenBurner I wish ā sheās so pretty! I volunteer at the animal shelter near my college and tend to use pictures of past and present dogs there for avatars
Very pretty dog, bodangles. She looks like the mom of our beloved Charlie.
Love at first sight for dogs? Iāll have to take them all home then.
My first dog was an Aussie mix we adopted as a pup from a kill shelter. He was the sweetest, most loyal dog. Heās been gone 11 years and I still get misty eyed thinking about him.