I am planning on purchasing a dog from a shelter, are there any precautions i should take?

Also what type of dog do you feel will go best with in a household of 5 children ages rangin from 6-17Be sure the shelter workers ask you alot of questions. If they know how you live, and what you are looking for, they can make a better match to your family. If they just turn you loose in a kennel full of dogs, well, that's not good. They should know quite a bit about the dog's personality, and be willing to help you find the right dog. They should have a very detailed record of any vet care done to the dog, and the dog should appear bright, clean and healthy. They should make you sign a contract and be willing to take the dog back if it doesn't work out.
There are sevral good breeds for families with children. Pugs, Shelties, Labs, Goldens, Boxers and Aussies are popular here and mixes of these and even purebreds are availible at the shelter. Good luck to you and thanks for saving a life.um.... a gentle golden retriever...
something you should look out for when getting a dog from a shelter is if the dog has any medical conditions, have temper problems, or rough since you have a child of 6 years old!Make sure the temperment on the dog, because doesnt matter what breed, sometimes there is a reason why they are there. Just take the dog for a walk you are allowed and when outside, see how well they listen to you and how well they walk with a lease and if they go pee outside while you take them. Chances are if they are trained they will go outside because they dont know the next time they will get to go!! Hope this helps.
Bre :)If your concerned about children, I would definitely go with a young dog.  A lot of different people have different opinions on what makes a good dog. Two of the best dogs growing up were a Rottweiler and a pit bull.  We adopted them from a shelter when I was younger (they were young dogs but not pups).  I am a dog lover and honestly believe the dogs behavior depends on how it is raised.  I would definitely take the whole family and make it a family decision.  The dog will let you know immediately if it wants anything to do with children.  I currently have a NON-aggressive pit (that I had since a pup) and he loves kids.  Whenever I leave town, a family, with three girls watch him.  They love him and dress him up in clothes.  I just say keep an open mind, even the most "loving breeds" can be mean if they were raised to be.i would reccommend a puppy or a young dog less than one year old. i would also recommend that you get a lab or golden retreiver mix. ( as most of the dogs in shelters are not pure breeds ) youhave quite a few kids and they are going to want to play with the dog so take them with you. it may make it harder to choose as they will all most likely want a different one. But as you are paying the bills on the dog it is mostly your choice. Most shelters have rooms where you can socialize with the dogs outside of thier pens( with all those other dogs barking and sniffing around) I recommend that you use this room to see if the dog will adapt well to all of your kids. dogs can be skittish and sometimes agressive when in a room with kids so its important to know how they will react when faced with that many people. better safe than sorry. Good luck and thanks for adopting. (even though Im a breeder i love shelters and what they do.)Beware of foster parents that are watching the dog until a owner comes along.  I have just about had my fill of these arrogant people.  you fill out adoptiong papers and then they make you wait weeks to find out anyting... then you have to constantly call them until you get some information on the amimal.  i will NEVER fill out another application for a pet adoption again.thats great that your getting one from the shelter. well the only thing i can think of is, if you get a puppy then you can train it but it will take time, if you get an older one, it might not jump up as much and it probable has already been trained. i would just pick the one that looks like the right one, and ask them if you can take it for a walk or something to see how it does. just remember that it'll be excited!! just imagine being cooped up 24/7 and for the time being you could look up certain breeds that you know of and see what their temperment is and stuff. i've always heard that mixed breeds are less prone to certain health problems a purebred would have. good luck