Adopting a dog from a rescue shelter is a beautiful and rewarding experience, perhaps one of the most important things you will do in your life. However, this noble deed is not without its fair share of challenges.

Deciding if you're ready for the responsibility of owning a dog and understanding what kind of dog is right for your lifestyle is an important step.

Visit any dog shelter and you will be overcome with a huge array of emotions. I guarantee you will feel everything from downright crushed (at the sheer number of beautiful animals who have been dumped or abused). Right through to falling head over heels in love with the most cute and adorable waggy tail you ever saw.

For people with a love for animals and a soft heart this can be dangerous. It is exactly why we share our home with six rescue pets already. I will openly admit that we have far too many pets but we just couldn't turn our back on them at the time.

The amazing thing about adopting a dog from an animal shelter is you actually save two lives. The dog that becomes your pet and the dog that benefits from the space freed up in the shelter.

However, adopting a rescue dog is a decision of the head as well as the heart. Before you decide to bring a new a dog into your home, listen to this book and consider each and every question carefully.

This guide will help you ensure you make the right choices, get the right dog for you and avoid some of the problems and pitfalls of pet adoption.