Ready to adopt? Great! Stalking all the profiles on AdoptAPet or Petfinder? Yep. Before you get too attached to the puppy eyes staring at you in the profile photo, you need to step away from the computer, put down the smartphone, and take a few deep breaths.

Adopting a dog or a cat is a lifetime commitment that you make to that animal. There is a reason why rescues say they are looking for forever homes. We want the dogs to stay there for as long as the dog lives. For some dogs adopted as puppies, that can mean at 12-15 years. Some people put thought into buying a car, and those don’t often doesn’t stay in the family for more than 10 years.

Before getting attached to THE ONE fluffy-furred, wet-nose puppy, take some time to answer these questions.

1. How active am I now?

Some people like to run marathons, climb mountains, bike miles and miles. Others are happy to veg out on the sofa. The same is true with dogs. Be honest about your current activity level and look for a dog that will likely match it. Too many people seek out a dog with a higher activity level, convinced that needing to a dog needing to run five miles away while motivate them to keep up. What happens too often is that the dog never gets enough exercise, gets bored, gets destructive, gets returned. Be honest with yourself, and you’ll find a better match.

2. Is my home environment compatible with this dog?

Yes, you can get a big dog in your apartment. There are some large breeds that are content in your 600-square-foot one-bedroom apartment because they only care about the size of your sofa. But size of dog isn’t the only thing to consider. If you’re renting, it’s important to think about what will happen if you need to move to a new rental unit. It can be tough to find pet-friendly housing. And while DC PAWS doesn’t support breed-specific discriminatory policies, we have to make sure that the policies are followed. So, if your condo or apartment says no to pitbulls or Rottweilers (which happens often), you need to look at dogs that are not banned. Think about how often you want to be outside supervising the dog. How comfortable are you with messes and pet hair on furniture? Where will the dog sleep and eat?

3.  Am I prepared to invest in training?

Each rescued dog is an individual. We try to give the best picture we know of the dog’s behavior and temperament. But sometimes the true personality doesn’t come out until months after the dog is leaving in its home. Barking, destruction, separation anxiety, and leash reactivity are common problems that often have pet parents feeling frustrated, stressed-out and exhausted. Training can often alleviate most of these problems. The issue though, is that does cost money, and many people avoid training because of that cost. A few individual sessions can cost a few hundred dollars, if not more. But sometimes only a few sessions is all it takes to get rid of bad behaviors or stop them from getting worse.

There are a lot of choices to make when you decide to adopt a dog. The obvious questions often not the most important: what color? long fur? short? how big? how old? When making a good match for a forever home, the most important questions are the ones that you ask about yourself and answer truthfully.