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Adopting a fully grown shelter collie is often not considered an option when a family decides to get a new pet but there are some things you should consider.

A fully grown shelter collie may already be house trained, trained in basic obedience and be past the teething stage. That means no messes in the house, no damaged furniture and a collie that listens to it’s owner. That sounds like a dream collie to me. You’ll also know what you’re getting in your new collie regarding it’s size, color, temperament and personality. There are fewer surprises and you’ll have the advantage of knowing what you’re getting before you get it.

If you’re looking for a loving family pet a shelter collie just may be the answer. If your looking for a show collie it’s probably not. I say probably because I’ve seen pure bred animals, with papers, in the shelter I worked in. It was rare but it did happen. Sometimes the collie out-grew it’s family and sometimes it was disobedient or chewed up something in the house. Occasionally the owner just wasn’t responsible enough to own a pet and it was just too much work. There were many reasons why they were brought to the shelter by their owners.

When shopping at the local grocery store, most people are picky about what they choose. There are many things they take into consideration before making decisions. They check the dates on perishables, squeeze the grapefruit and look for bruising. They make decisions based on color, quantity, packaging, size, fat content, calories and price. That works well for shoppers who want what’s best for their families but for some strange reason some of the same people don’t make the same kind of careful decisions when it comes to choosing a new family pet. A pet that may be around for ten or fifteen years. This is where the “cute” factor can really work against a pet and the family as well. The cutest collie in the bunch gets adopted and that usually means a puppy.

When you adopt a puppy, especially a mixed breed, you may be in for an unwanted surprise or two. When the collie becomes mature it may be too large or not look the way you thought it would. It’s really a crap shoot. You can guess how big the collie will get but it’s still just a guess unless you know the mix. Now mind you, I’m not speaking out against adopting puppies, it’s a fine idea, what I’m saying is that there are benefits to adopting an older collie too. Besides the reasons mentioned above, you’re also giving an older collie a second chance at a happy life. He probably deserves that chance.

A pet has to become part of your family, a part of your pack. He or she has to fit in well and be of the proper temperament and size for your family. Not taking those factors into account can have disastrous repercussions for both the pet and the family. I’ve seen it happen in failed adoptions and when families turned their pet over to the shelter. A family gets a puppy, the puppy is small, cute and manageable and then it quickly grows to maturity and is larger or more energetic than expected.

It wasn’t long after becoming an Animal Control Officer that I began to believe that it wasn’t a pet problem at all, it was a pet owner problem. After all, you can’t blame it on the collie. The collie just wanted a home, a family to be a part of, in essence, a new pack. Choosing a pet carefully is very important for your family and the pet. Here are a few tips on what to do if you’re interested in adopting a shelter collie.

(1) – Speak with your family and make sure they know the collie will be everyone’s responsibility. Feeding, walking, training and loving your new pet should be shared between family members. If everyone is in agreement it’s time to search for your new family member. Bring the entire family. You’ll want to know how well everyone will get along. It’s important that everyone in your family sees, pets and interacts with the collie if it’s possible.

(2) – If you have other pets, bring them with you to the shelter and have them meet the collie you may adopt if you’re seriously considering a specific collie. It would be a good idea to call the shelter first so that they’re prepared. They’ll usually be happy to work with you and help you find a collie that will be a great match for your family. You don’t need to arrive at home with your new pet and find out there’s a big problem. Do that at the shelter. It’s best done outside the shelter with shelter staff present. In busy shelters this may be a problem which is why you should always speak with them in advance. All of the pets should be on leashes so they can be controlled easily if there’s a problem.

(3) – Speak to anyone that has had contact with the collie. You can learn a lot from the staff members that feed and interact with the collie on a daily basis. After all, they’re the people that probably know the collie best.

A good shelter will appreciate someone that makes a careful decision before adopting. The shelter staff wants the collie to find a new home. They certainly don’t want to see a collie returned. It’s depressing for the shelter staff to see a collie return after being adopted.

(4) – When you first visit your local collie rescue or shelter get as much information as you can on a collie you may be interested in adopting. Don’t rush, take your time. Take a few days if you have to. It’s an important decision and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Use your best judgement when making your decision, not just your emotions.

(5) – Ask about the collie’s history, medical records and temperament. The more you know about the collie the more informed your final decision will be. Find out as much as you can about the collie’s shelter history. Ask if he or she has been neutered or spayed. You’ll also want to know what shots and flea and tick treatments the collie was given. Ask if the collie has been adopted and then returned to the shelter. If the collie has been returned find out why. The staff will almost always know why a collie was returned.

(6) – Ask about the collie’s appetite and either check or ask if the collie’s stool looks normal. This can be valuable information especially if the collie has no medical records. There’s a lot you can do to make a good, informed decision when adopting from a rescue shelter.

(7) – If the collie is a mixed breed ask the shelter staff what mix the collie is. This will give you a reasonably good idea how large the collie will get if it’s not already fully grown. The shelter staff may know from the previous owners or they may at least have an idea just by looking at the collie. Either way you’ll get some facts or at the very least, an educated guess.

(8) – Ask the shelter staff to allow you to meet the collie out of it’s run or cage and get to know the collie a bit. It’s very important and you can learn a lot in a short amount of time. If you feel comfortable with the collie it’s also a very good idea to take it for a walk if the shelter will allow it. Just remember, any collie can be trained. If the collie isn’t perfect, that’s ok. You’ll work together to improve.

Those 8 steps are good to keep in mind when adopting a collie from a shelter. Just remember, even an older collie can be trained with a little patience, love and understanding.

I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying “You can’t teach old dogs new tricks”. I’ve heard that saying many times and I couldn’t disagree more. As an animal control officer I was often in charge of adoptions and taking care of the collies and cats when I wasn’t on patrol or on an abuse investigation. I spent a lot of that time training some of the older collies in the basics to give them a better chance at being adopted. They learned quickly and some collies already knew the basic commands. Collies want to please, it’s in their nature and with some patience you can teach an old collie new tricks!

Shelter collies sometimes don’t get a lot of one-on-one attention from people. They get some from the staff but it’s limited. The staff is usually pretty busy and there are usually quite a few collies to take care of so finding the time for one-on-one attention is difficult. So try to remember that a collie may be very excited when he first meets you. Spend some time with the collie so you can find out what he or she is really like. Spend that time with the collie and you may find that the collie is a lot different than your first impression would have lead you to believe.

If you do adopt a shelter collie be sure to visit a local vet as soon as possible. A healthy pet is a happy pet. If the collie has no known medical history then you have to start developing one. If there is a medical history then it’s still important that the collie is current on all vaccinations and treatments. Let the vet tell you what the collie needs.

Good luck if you’re considering adopting a collie from a shelter. I’m sure you’ll be very glad you did. It’s a great feeling to know you may have saved your new, best friend’s life.

About The Author
Roger Matthews was an animal control officer and abuse investigator in NJ. He is now the webmaster at AnimalRescueGroup.com and a volunteer for Ben’s Place, a dog rescue Group in Bonifay Florida. Publication of this article is permitted as long as the resource information remains intact and the links work.

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1. Getting involved in Collie Rescue
2. Pick Me! Why A Shelter Dog Is Your Best Choice
3. Collie Rescue – How the Collie Dog Owners Started
4. Um… what exactly is collie rescue?
5. Preparing for a New Collie Puppy