Adopt from Shelter

Adopting from a shelter often takes less time.

Municipal – government run; required to assist any animal that comes into their care
Traditional – usually private and not-for-profit. Often contracted by a city to play the role of local animal shelter
Limited-Admission – private and non-for-profit which does not euthanize its current animals to make space for more

All shelters are separate entities who answer to either a board of directors or to the taxpayers.

Try to avoid visiting a shelter during peak hours such as weekends and afternoons. The dogs will be less excitable then and you’ll have a better chance at seeing their real energy
The workers who care for the dogs are your best source of information. They take the dogs outside, feed them, and see them interact with other dogs and humans.
Once you find a few dogs you might be interested in, request to take each outside for a short walk. Then ask if they have a room where you could spend some one-on-one time getting to know it.
Just because a dog sings in the Ruff-Ruff Community Choir while in its cage at the shelter doesn’t mean it is always a barker
Take a professional trainer with you to assist in translating body language and anything else that might help you find a dog with the right energy
As with any dog you don’t know, approach them without touching, talking, or making eye contact. Sit or stand close to them but remain silent and don’t make too much eye contact. Let them get to know you their way.

These tips are courtesy of several experts from the Humane Society, It’s a Dog’s Life and Cesar’s Way
For more, read: The Rules of Adoption

photo credit: SpotUs