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Winter Fun! Preschool Winter Activity Calendar

November 29, 2021 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Helping preschoolers to learn about winter themes can be so much fun.

Once you manage to get their winter boots and coats off, that is.

There are so many fun winter early learning themes to use with young learners.

And, if you’re looking to get a jump on winter lesson planning, this preschool winter activity calendar can help you get started!

Fun Preschool Winter Activity Calendar for Kids

With this preschool theme printable, you can easily decide which theme to use during which week.

Plus, there are ideas for activities and crafts listed for you!

Read on to see how to get your copy – free!

And, be sure to check out our printable Winter Literacy Playdough Mats too. They’re excellent for early literacy centers!

Use this printable preschool winter activity calendar to plan your winter early learning themes!

Winter Fun! Preschool Winter Activity Calendar

To use this preschool winter activity calendar, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are listed below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Laminator (optional)
A digital device, such as a smartphone, iPad, or computer (optional)

Preschool Winter Activity Calendar for Kids

This printable preschool activity calendar features four versions:

A color version with clickable web links
A blackline version with clickable web links
A color version with text only
And a blackline version with text only

Printable Winter Activity Calendar for Preschool

This is a fantastic basis for lesson planning during winter!

How to Use the Preschool Winter Activity Calendar

The calendar features 12 weeks of early learning themes to use during winter.

For each week, there are five activities listed: one for each weekday.

The activities include hands-on learning resources, crafts, and simple units to share with preschoolers and kindergartners.

Printable Preschool Winter Themed Calendar

If you’re using the web-linked version, save the digital PDF to your device. Then click the blue links to see details about each activity.

Preschool Winter Activity Themed Calendar

If you’re using the text-only version, you might want to print it out and hang it on the wall. (Or laminate it.)

As you gather resources or ideas for each activity, you can cross them off or color in each block as it’s completed.

These would also make great take-home parent connection activities.

Send a copy home with your students to give parents ideas to try with the kids!

Scroll down to get your printable winter preschool activity calendar!

Take a look at these other early learning ideas for winter!

Get into the spirit of the winter season with this list of 15 adorable snowman books for kids!

Learn to recognize uppercase and lowercase letters in two languages with this fun snowflake English and Spanish letter matching activity!

Use these fun snowman shape tracing worksheets to help early learners practice forming plane shapes!

To get your copy of this Winter Fun! Preschool Winter Activity Calendar, click the image or the link below to have it sent to your email inbox!

You’ll get our weekly newsletter this Sunday too!

Click here to get your printable resource

>>> Preschool Winter Activity Calendar <<<

Spanish Parts of a House Vocabulary Flashcards

November 23, 2021 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Learning to talk about rooms in a home is a great way to build vocabulary in early learners.

After all, we all live in some kind of home. And the earlier we can identify the rooms in it, the easier it is for us to appreciate where we live.

If you’re looking to build early vocabulary skills in English and Spanish-speaking students, these English and Spanish house vocabulary flashcards can help!

English and Spanish Parts of the House Vocabulary Cards

This set is a perfect resource for early literacy skills.

And, if you have ELL students in your class, this is a simple way to help them begin building their vocabulary in both languages!

Keep reading to see how to get your set.

And, for more Spanish literacy practice, check out our Spanish Alphabet Early Literacy Center!

Learn how to talk about parts of the home in two languages with these English and Spanish parts of the house vocabulary cards!

Printable Spanish House Vocabulary Flashcards for Kids

To use these printable Spanish house vocabulary flashcards, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are listed below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Cardstock
Scissors
Laminator (optional)
Glue stick (optional)
Hook and loop adhesive coins (optional)
Colored pencils (optional)

House Vocabulary Matching Cards for Kids

This vocabulary building activity includes flashcards, vocabulary labeling cards, and word labels for students.

Eight Spanish parts of a house vocabulary flashcards are inside.

Eight English parts of a house vocabulary flashcards are also included.

English and Spanish Parts of a Home Vocabulary Cards

This set of house vocabulary flashcards is designed to be printed two-sided.

So you can print the Spanish house vocabulary words on one side and the English on the other.

When you cut them out, students can flip back and forth to practice each language.

Printable Spanish and English House Vocabulary Flashcards

A blackline version of both sets of cards is available.

English and Spanish House Vocabulary Matching Cards

And there are labeling cards for students to match up the vocabulary words in both languages with the correct pictures.

There’s a Spanish pronunciation guide inside too!

How to Use Spanish House Vocabulary Flashcards with Students

You can use these Spanish vocabulary cards in several ways.

Spanish House Vocabulary Flashcards for Kids

Go through the English and Spanish flashcards with the class. Try to enunciate each word as you read it.

English House Vocabulary Flashcards for Kids

You can even ask the class: “What part of the house is this?”

Let them respond and then walk them through pronouncing the written English or Spanish vocabulary word on the card.

Printable English and Spanish House Vocabulary Labeling Cards

Use the vocabulary labeling activity as a one-time cut and paste activity.

Or you can laminate it and attach hook and loop adhesive coins to make it reusable!

If you have students who are already writing, you can laminate the labeling cards and let them practice the correct vocabulary word on each card with dry erase markers.

English and Spanish House Vocabulary Flashcards

Hand out the blackline cards and let students color the pictures. Then laminate them for review.

English and Spanish Parts of the House Flashcards

Place the two-sided English and Spanish cards on a ring and pair them with the labeling activity for self-checking at centers!

Get a look at this resource in action in the video below!

Scroll down to get your set of these Spanish house vocabulary flashcards!

Try some of these other Spanish literacy resources!

Help early learners build a daily routine with these English and Spanish daily routine cards!

Learn the Spanish ABCs with this fun Spanish alphabet literacy center for early learners!

Learning Parts of the House Vocabulary in Spanish

To get your set of these English and Spanish vocabulary learning cards, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or check them out below!

3D Polar Bear Cereal Box Craft for Kids

November 18, 2021 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Polar bears are one of the first animals that come to mind when I think of winter.

They’re wild, of course, but they look so cuddly and adorable. They’re a perfect theme for early grades.

And they also make a great topic for winter crafts.

Which is why this 3D cereal box polar bear craft is so much fun to make with kids!

This winter diorama craft looks complicated, but it’s really not.

Even better, you only need a few supplies (which you probably already have) to make it!

Read on to get the full project instructions and to grab the free printable template.

Want more winter crafting fun? Don’t miss our cute Polar Bear Paper Bag Puppet!

This fun 3D cereal box polar bear craft is an awesome winter art project for kids to make!

3D Cereal box Polar Bear Craft Supplies

You’ll only need a few basic supplies to make this craft.

But, if you’re making it along with younger children, you’ll want to do some of the prepping and cutting work in advance.

That way, they can avoid any possible injuries and it won’t take as long to finish the project.

To make this 3D cereal box polar bear craft, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are listed below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

If you’re prepping the printable templates and the cereal box in advance, you can use regular scissors.

But if the kids are doing the cutting part, be sure to use child-safe scissors to keep their little fingers protected.

Start by opening the flaps of the cereal box and laying the entire box flat on a surface.

Cut off the top and bottom flaps so that only the sides of the box are left. Make sure they remain attached as one piece.

How to Make a Cereal Box Polar Bear Craft

You’ll use a pencil and a ruler to outline a rectangle on one of the box panels.

Be sure to mark on the inside of the box so you can see the lines.

You’ll also need to download the printable Polar Bear Craft Templates.

Cut out all of the template pieces and trace them onto craft paper. Then cut them out.

In this project, wintery colors, such as light blue, dark blue, and white are used for the background.

But the choice of colors is totally up to you.

Now we’re ready to get started!

How to Make a 3D Cereal Box Polar Bear Craft

Now that your cereal box is prepped, it’s time to cut out the “window” that you’ll see the winter scene through.

For the most exact lines, use a craft knife to cut out the rectangle. (Be sure to do this away from children.)

But you can also use scissors to poke a hole in the center of the rectangle.

Then just cut towards the lines and follow them around to make the rectangular window.

Glue a piece of light blue paper onto the back of the “window”. It should cover the back panel completely. Trim off any excess.

Fold the sides of the box back together to form a hollow rectangle. Glue the sides closed.

Time to start using our template pieces!

All of the scene templates have folding lines at the bottom. Fold each one on those lines to ensure they stand up.

Glue the mountain pieces (numbered as 1) onto the back panel of the box. You want them to overlap slightly at the bottom.

Now, glue the snow piles (numbered on the template as 2) in front of the mountains.

Leave space behind them to add more elements to the scene.

Add the frost-covered trees (numbered as 3) behind the snow piles but in front of the mountains.

Space them out to be seen between the piles of snow and glue them down.

Then glue the long snowbank (numbered as 4) down in front of the snow piles.

Add the last two snow piles (numbered as 6) on either side of the front of the box window.

Time to add the polar bear!

Cut out the polar bear and scarf from the template sheet. Use markers to outline the bear and to add ears and a face.

Color in the scarf too! Then glue it onto the polar bear’s neck.

Assembling a Cereal Box Polar Bear Craft

Finally, glue the polar bear in front so that it stands on the long snowbank in front of the winter scene.

And our 3D cereal box polar bear craft is done!

3D Winter Cereal Box Craft Kids Can Make

These would make excellent art projects for parent night, winter camps, and take-home crafts!

Check out more winter craft ideas for kids below!

This easy penguin family paper plate craft is such a cute winter craft to make with kids!

Make this cute coffee filter snowman craft with the kids on a winter afternoon!

This easy polar bear paper bag puppet is a fun winter craft to make with kids!

15 Adorable Snowman Books for Kids

November 17, 2021 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Have you ever built a snowman?

I got a chance to…once.

Down here in Georgia, we don’t get snow often. And when we do, it’s usually what we call a “dusting”. Just enough to be pretty as it falls, but not enough to stick to the ground.

One winter, when I was about four, we actually had a legitimate snowfall. And we built a snowman in the front yard.

It was awesome.

I still think about that snowman every winter.

And, so, I’m sharing a list of adorable snowman books for kids to help your early readers get into the winter spirit, whether you have a chance to build a snowman this year or not.

These books are super cute for young children. And they’re filled with lovely illustrations that are perfect for winter weather!

Read on to see the full list.

Check out our Paper Plate Penguin Family Craft for more winter fun!

15 Adorable Snowman Books for Kids to Read

This list contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.

How can you use these snowman books for kids with your students?

Choose one or two from the list that you think your class will love. As you read through them, look for new words you can talk about with your students.

If you notice a literary device, such as rhyming or alliteration, make a note of it. As you read it aloud, ask your students if they notice the technique in the story.

Extend the snowman theme by adding fun snowman activities, such as our Roll A Snowman Art Activity or our simple Coffee Filter Snowman Craft!

See the full list of adorable books about snowmen for kids below!

15 Adorable Snowman Books for Kids

Add these adorable snowman books for kids to your winter or snowman theme for this year! These are great for read-aloud selections or storytime in early grades! Try some simple extension ideas, such as a snowman craft, to add to the theme!

The Biggest Snowman Ever by Steven Kroll

Little Critter: Just a Snowman by Mercer Mayer

How to Catch a Snowman by Adam Wallace & Andy Ellerton

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

Snowman's Story by Will Hillenbrand

My Snowman Paul by Yossi Lapid

Froggy Builds a Snowman by Jonathan London

Snowman vs. You by Michael Wayne

All You Need for a Snowman by Alice Schertle

Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright

Raccoon's Perfect Snowman by Katia Wish

Friendly Little Snowman by Samantha Meredith

The Itsy Bitsy Snowman by Jeffrey Burton

Snowmen at Work by Caralyn Buehner

The Allergic Snowman: A Children's Book by Lora Cipriano

Try some of these other winter learning ideas this year!

Share some of these fun snow books for kids with little ones this winter!

Snowflake Spanish Uppercase and Lowercase Letter Matching Activity

November 16, 2021 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

I’m not winter’s biggest fan. Not by a long shot.

But I do love snowflakes. They are incredibly intricate and, even though they’re fragile, each one is unique.

Each one!

That always blows my mind.

So I thought snowflakes would be a fun theme for a brand new English and Spanish letter matching activity!

Fun Snowflake Spanish Alphabet Matching Activity

This early literacy resource is a perfect addition to winter literacy centers!

And what’s even better is that it offers hands-on uppercase and lowercase alphabet recognition practice in two languages.

Awesome for ELL learners!

Read on to see how to get your copy.

And, for more winter early learning inspiration, take a look at our list of 15 fun books for kids about snow!

Snowflake English & Spanish Letter Matching Activity

To use this snowflake English and Spanish letter matching activity, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are listed below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

This resource includes 29 Spanish snowflake uppercase letter cards and 29 Spanish lowercase letter circles for matching.

Spanish Letter Matching Activity for Kids

The English version features 26 uppercase cards and 26 lowercase circles.

And there’s a full answer key in both languages!

Spanish Alphabet Matching Activity for Early Grades

Plus, there’s a blackline version of both snowflake card and circle sets.

How to Use the English and Spanish Letter Matching Activity with Students

So – how can you use this with your early readers?

Snowflake Spanish Letter Matching for Kids

My personal favorite is to set it up as a reusable center activity.

Add hook and loop adhesive coins to the back of the lowercase letter circles. And then add them to the center of each snowflake card.

Snowflake Spanish Alphabet Matching Activity

Students can match up the lowercase letters to the uppercase letters over and over again.

If you cut out the answer key cards and place them on an O ring, you can keep the answer key at the center for self-checking!

You can also use this as a one-time cut and paste activity.

Students can use child-safe scissors to cut out the lowercase circles and glue them onto the correct snowflake uppercase letter cards.

If you decide to use the blackline set, students can color the cards in for themselves!

Another option is to laminate the uppercase snowflake cards.

Then students can practice writing the matching lowercase letters with dry erase markers.

Spanish Alphabet Uppercase and Lowercase Letter Matching

This is a good option if you have students who have already learned their lowercase letters and you need to differentiate the activity.

English Alphabet Matching Activity for Kids

You can also print the resource at half-size.

The smaller page size makes it an ideal size to place in morning tubs!

Get a look at this resource in action below!

Scroll down to get your copy of this Snowflake English and Spanish Letter Matching Activity!

Try some of these other winter learning ideas for early grades!

This simple snowball themed emotions game for kids is a great social skills activity! Use it during winter for a indoor play activity!

Uppercase and Lowercase Spanish Alphabet Matching

To get your copy of this Snowflake English and Spanish letter matching activity, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or check it out below!

Easy Penguin Family Paper Plate Craft

November 11, 2021 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Are you looking for a simple, cute winter craft for young ones?

This easy penguin family paper plate craft is just perfect!

This adorable winter paper plate craft works well with themes about winter, the Arctic, penguins, and family!

You won’t need any special supplies to make this craft. But there are several steps involved.

So, if you’re working with young learners, doing some of the prep in advance will make this activity much more enjoyable for them.

Read on to get the full instructions and printable penguin family template you’ll need!

And, for more winter hands-on activities, take a look at our list of 50 winter crafts for kids to make!

Penguin Family Paper Plate Craft for Kids

To make this penguin family paper plate craft, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are used below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

To begin, download and print the Penguin Family Craft Template in the supply list.

You can choose either a blackline version or a color version. If you print the blackline version, be sure to let kids color in the penguin and clothing.

After you’ve printed the template, use scissors to cut out the pieces. Then trace the pieces onto cardstock and colored craft paper.

Cut those out and you’re ready to get started!

A note: If you’re making this craft with young children, it’s a good idea to have the template pieces cut out and ready to go.

That way, the kids can simply assemble the penguin family and complete the craft in a few minutes.

How to Make a Penguin Family Paper Plate Craft

Start by making each individual penguin. These pictures are for the baby penguin, but the steps are the same for each member of the penguin family.

Use a glue stick to attach the white penguin face and chest to the gray penguin body.

Then glue the head behind the face and add the arms on either side.

You’ll complete the body by gluing the feet at the bottom.

You may want to use a marker to outline each of the feet.

Now – just attach the nose on the lower part of the face. Be sure to glue the point facing downward.

Add some wiggle eyes!

And then dress the penguin up with the hat and scarf!

If you want, you can add stripes to the hat and scarf with a marker as well.

Complete the family by making the parent penguins as well!

How to Make a Penguin Family Paper Plate Craft

Now it’s time to make a background for our paper plate scene.

Just cut out a circle of blue paper that will fit inside the plate’s center. Glue it onto the plate.

Cut out some trees from green paper and add snow caps to a couple of them. Glue them in place.

Making a Penguin Family Paper Plate Craft

Then cut a white “snow” ground shape for the bottom half of the plate. Glue it in place.

Add the penguin family, glue each one down, and you’re all done!

Try some of these other fun winter activities for kids to try!

This quick roll a snowman winter art activity makes a great winter art game for kids!

This fun and easy snowman slime is so fun for sensory play during winter! Mix up a few jars and hand them out as gifts for little ones!

Snowman Shapes! Snowman Shape Tracing Worksheets

November 9, 2021 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Winter is nearly here! And it’s a great time to review (or teach) plane shapes for early learners.

If you’ve already taught the basics of shapes to your students, these snowman shape tracing worksheets are a fun way to broaden their understanding!

In this activity set, students get to learn 12 different plane shapes, as well as learn to recognize and write the shape names for themselves.

And there’s an adorable snowman theme throughout!

Read on to see how to get your set.

Need more winter learning ideas? Take a look at our Hot Cocoa Counting to 10 Activity Cards too!

Snowman Shape Tracing Worksheets for Kids

To use these snowman shape tracing worksheets, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are listed below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

This set includes:

12 color shape trace and write worksheets
12 blackline shape trace and write worksheets
Shape trace and write activity cards (color and blackline versions)
And a teaching script!

The following shapes are included:

Circle
Square
Rectangle
Triangle
Oval
Rhombus
Heart
Star
Pentagon
Hexagon
Trapezoid
and Octagon!

There’s also a detailed suggestions list showing various ways to make use of this resource with your class.

How to Use the Snowman Shape Tracing Worksheets with Students

How you use these shape tracing worksheets depends on what works best for your students.

If you need to save on ink (or if you want to add an art dimension), use the blackline version.

Students can color in the snowmen at the top as they complete the lesson.

Printable Snowman Shape Tracing Worksheets

If you’re working with these printables at early math centers, you can print them half-sized and place them on a ring for regular review.

You might also choose to laminate the pages and let students complete them using dry erase markers or dry erase crayons.

Just wipe them clean to start again the next day!

Winter Themed Shape Tracing Lesson for Kids

This resource also includes shape tracing activity cards.

Students can use these to review their recognition of both the shapes and the shape words.

You can also laminate these and use them with dry erase crayons in busy bags or morning tubs!

Get a look at this resource in action below!

Scroll down to get your set of these Snowman Shape Tracing Worksheets!

Try some of these other wintry themed activities for early grades!

This Polar Animal I Spy Activity is so much fun for little learners! Great for a preschool or kindergarten winter unit!

These hot cocoa sequencing mats are so fun for helping early learners practice telling how to follow directions!

To get your set of these Snowman Shapes Tracing Worksheets, you can get them from my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Or check them out below!

15 Fun Snow Books for Kids to Read

November 4, 2021 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

We live in the Deep South. Our winters can get cold on occasion, but usually they’re fairly mild.

I can count the number of times I’ve seen actual snowfall on one hand.

During winter, the best way we have to learn about snow is to read about it.

This list of 15 snow books for kids is a great way to build a winter read-aloud library!

There are fiction and non-fiction picture books in this list.

When you’re introducing these types of books, you can use this list of children’s books to help students learn the differences between the two.

Read on to see the full list!

And, for more fun with a snow theme, take a look at our Winter Alphabet and Number Literacy Mats!

15 Fun Snow Books for Kids to Read

These snow books for kids are perfect for adding to a winter or snow theme.

If you decide to use all of the books on the list, you can read one per day for three weeks straight.

Or you could separate the books into fiction and non-fiction selections and then have students look for the differences in the way each book is written.

Some of the books about snow feature winter animals as well.

If you are studying any of the typical winter animals such as owls, bears, or deer during winter, those books would make a good tie-in for those themes.

You could also use some of the books that talk about snow and snowflakes as bases for snowflake crafts or easy snow science experiments.

Check out the list of snow books for kids to read below!

This list contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.

15 Fun Snow Books for Kids to Read

These wintry snow books for kids are a wonderful way to introduce snow and snowflakes to early learners!

They'd also make excellent storytime or read aloud selections in preschool and kindergarten!

Ten Sparkly Snowflakes by Tiger Tales

Curious About Snow (Smithsonian) by Gina Shaw

The Snowflake by Benji Davies

The Lonely Snowflake by Patrick S. Stemp

Snow by Cynthia Rylant

There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow! by Lucille Colandro

The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder by Jon Nelson, Ph.D.

Little Owl's Snow by Divya Srinivasan

Snow by Uri Shulevitz

Snow (I Can Read It All By Myself) by Roy McKie and P.D. Eastman

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

The First Snow by M. Christina Butler

The Little Snowplow by Lora Koehler

Fancy Nancy: There's No Day Like a Snow Day by Jane O'Connor

Skippyjon Jones: Snow What by Judy Schachner

Try some of these other winter learning ideas for early grades!

Add these hot cocoa playdough 1-10 counting cards to winter math centers for easy counting practice! Great for morning tubs too!

Easy Polar Bear Paper Bag Puppet

November 2, 2021 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Looking for a quick and fun winter craft for young kids to make?

This easy polar bear paper bag puppet is a perfect easy winter animal craft you can make with early learners!

It only takes a few basic craft supplies. Even better, it only takes a few minutes to assemble.

This would make a wonderful addition to an Arctic or winter theme in a preschool or kindergarten classroom!

Read on to see how to make this easy polar bear craft and to grab the free printable template.

And, for more snowy crafting fun, take a look at our list of 50 winter crafts for kids!

What Do You Need to Make a Polar Bear Paper Bag Puppet?

You’ll only need a few items to make this paper bag animal puppet.

Simple Polar Bear Paper Bag Puppet for Kids

And I’m pretty sure you already have most of them in your craft closet.

Disclosure: Affiliate links are listed below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.

Once you’ve download the printable puppet template, print it and cut out the pieces.

Polar Bear Paper Bag Puppet Template Pieces

You can either use the template pieces themselves to make the puppet or trace the pieces onto colored paper.

Then you’d just cut those out and get started.

How to Make a Polar Bear Paper Bag Puppet

To make this polar bear out of paper, start by assembling the pieces.

Use glue to attach the inner ears to the outer ears. Then glue the nose onto the center of the head.

Attach the feet at the bottom of the body and the tail on the lower left side of the body.

Now, glue the ears onto the top corners of the head.

Attach the grey belly by gluing it onto the lower third of the body piece.

Time to break out the paper bag!

Turn the bag upside down with the flap facing up. Flip the flap up and glue the body onto the paper bag.

The flap should come down over the top of the body.

Use markers and crayons to add eyes, a nose, and cheeks to the polar bear’s head, if you want.

Finally, glue the head onto the bag flap.

And that’s all!

Isn’t that a simply adorable polar bear puppet?

Try some of these other winter craft ideas for kids to make!

This adorable pinecone snowman craft for kids is a perfect winter art activity for little ones!

Make some of these easy winter crafts for kids with your family this year!

Make this easy and cute coffee filter penguin craft with the kids this winter!

3 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Adopting a Rescue Dog

October 28, 2021 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

My mother was a professional dog groomer. I grew up with a family dog in the house.

When I was a teenager, I worked part-time in a veterinary clinic.

So it was a no-brainer to me to get a family dog for my kids. I had been wanting to do it for years and the time was finally right.

Right?

Eh. Kind of.

3 Things I Wish I Knew Before Adopting a Rescue Dog

I always planned to adopt a rescue and I’m glad I went through with that.

But there are some things I would like to have known in advance before I did.

Here are three things I wish I had known before adopting a rescue dog. If you’re considering getting a rescue, this might save you from some of the same mistakes.

Before you adopt a rescue dog, read the three things I wish I knew before adopting a rescue!

3 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Adopting a Rescue Dog

1. Shelter owners are not required to do any due diligence before offering animals for adoption.

The owner I contacted had listed the dog as a four-month-old dachshund mix. His picture was adorable.

When I drove out to meet him, he was adorable. So sweet and quiet I almost couldn’t believe he was alive.

He came right up to me, let me pick up, and then just laid in my arms like a baby.

It was a total set up.

When I took him to the vet a few days later, I discovered that he was sick with an upper respiratory infection. Which explained his quiet disposition and docile behavior.

As he started to recover, he became a bit less quiet and a bit less docile. Actually, more than a bit.

The woman who ran the animal shelter had at least 20 animals in her care and I have no doubt that she could tell he was ill. But they have no legal obligation to disclose that to you.

So, if you meet a shelter animal and you can’t believe how sweet and quiet it is, it might be sick.

Just so you know.

2. Read the adoption agreement carefully.

I was completely enamored with my new puppy. So when the shelter owner was reviewing the adoption agreement, I barely paid attention.

She held up the paper and said “This is just the agreement showing the amount of the adoption fee and stating that, if you decide you can’t keep the dog, you have to bring him back to me.”

I nodded blindly, rocking my new furry friend in my arms.

Later, after the vet told me some things that the shelter owner did not, I went back and read the agreement I’d signed.

The adoption fee was on there, plus the promise to return him to the shelter if I decided to rehome him for any reason.

But the agreement also included a few items I’d missed. Specifically – the shelter was not liable if the breed, age, and health of the animal turned out to be different than they’d told me.

So – when all three of these turned out to be incorrect, the shelter was not responsible.

Awesome.

3. Prepare for the unexpected – right away.

Now I had a dog who was most definitely not a dachshund mix and who was most definitely not going to remain small. I also had a dog who was significantly younger than I was told.

Which meant that I’d be housebreaking and teaching him not to bite, all of which I fully expected to be completed, because I was supposed to be adopting an older puppy.

I spent weeks getting up multiple times a night to take him outside and basically keeping him away from my kids so they wouldn’t get bitten while he was teething.

I’ve also had to take him to the vet to get some of the vaccines I was told he’d already had. (I was even given paperwork that said so.) Turned out he was too young to get them, so that was probably not accurate either.

It’s been…an experience.

Now I don’t mean to imply that I regret getting my dog. I don’t.

Even though he’s not quite what I was expecting, he’s still a sweet pup and he’s part of our family. And now that he’s been with us for a month, he’s settled in and is doing much better.

He sleeps through the night, he listens and responds when I say “no”, and his teething has improved.

But if I ever decide to do this again, I won’t make the same mistakes. Hopefully you won’t either!