UDO, your dog-side guide urbandogownerYOUR DOG-SIDE GUIDE.

Getting a dog · Home preparation

A dog in your life: work through the decision together

A hopeful first look can bring a lot of questions. Put your home, daily care and support beside the adoption and purchase process, then take a useful worksheet into the conversation. You can leave questions open.

Your answers stay on this page unless you choose a device or Pack save. They aren't added to analytics or a shareable result link. No account is needed to create or print a worksheet.

Start with life at home

Seven optional questions. “Not sure yet” keeps a question open; it doesn't mean “no”. You can skip any question and change your answers later. No address, income or bank details needed.

Your circumstances

Choose the broad situation only. We don't need your address.

Include everyone sharing the home or caring for the dog.

Think about an ordinary working day and unexpected changes.

No names, counts or health information needed here.

This helps shape questions. It doesn't select a dog for you.

Choose the planning stage, not an income or spending amount.

Think about holidays, illness and unexpected overnight absences.

Your conversation worksheet

Here are useful starting questions. Create your worksheet above to reflect the circumstances you choose to share.

This is a discussion aid, not an ownership approval, housing clearance or a recommendation of an individual dog. Neither route guarantees health or temperament.

Revise my answers ↑Edit my preparation checklist ↓

Your stated circumstances

Housing situation
Not sure yet
Agreement at home
Not sure yet
Daytime care
Not sure yet
Pets already at home
Not sure yet
Preferred life stage
Not sure yet
Budget planning
Not sure yet
Travel and backup support
Not sure yet

Questions and arrangements to resolve or confirm

Adoption and purchase, side by side

Use the same questions for the actual dog and organisation. A rescue may know more about some parts of a dog's history and less about others; a seller's paperwork also needs checking. No package, trial, support period or price is assumed here.

Process

Adoption

Ask about the application, meetings, home checks and any supported homestay. Processes vary by rescue and dog; do not assume a trial is offered.

Purchase

Verify the seller through AVS and ask about visits, the contract and transfer. For a pet-shop purchase, follow current AVS pre-sale declaration and PALS guidance.

Available history

Adoption

Ask for the known background, veterinary records and observations in shelter or foster care. Identify gaps and the context in which behaviour was observed.

Purchase

Ask for source and microchip records, veterinary records and any available parent or health-screening evidence. Ask what is missing; paperwork cannot guarantee future health or behaviour.

Included care

Adoption

Ask which vaccinations, parasite care, sterilisation, microchipping, assessments or training are completed or included. Check dates, records and exclusions.

Purchase

Ask exactly which veterinary care and microchip or transfer services are included. Ask what remains due and who will pay. Do not assume a standard package.

Costs to verify

Adoption

Request the current itemised fee, any homestay deposit or separate charge, refund terms and ongoing care estimates. Confirm licensing and training costs separately.

Purchase

Request a dated itemised price, deposit and refund terms, transport charges and any care or follow-up exclusions. Plan the same ongoing care and emergency costs.

Support

Adoption

Ask who to contact after arrival, what support costs extra and what happens if the placement struggles. Get any return or rehoming terms in writing.

Purchase

Ask who handles concerns after collection, how any written health or support terms work and what happens if the household cannot keep the dog. Verify the scope rather than assuming a guarantee.

Questions for the conversation

Adoption

What does an ordinary day look like for this dog? What is known around people, pets, handling and absences? Which needs remain uncertain? How would you support our household?

Purchase

Where did this dog come from? Which records can we inspect? What has been observed around handling, pets and absences? What do the written terms cover, and what is not known?

These are your unverified quote notes, not Udo prices. Leave them blank if unknown. Use the existing dog cost calculator for setup, ongoing care and emergency planning; replace its estimates with current quotes. No totals are calculated here.

My preparation checklist

Edit the task wording, tick what you've arranged, or add up to six tasks. Leave out names, contact details, health notes and private financial information. A tick records your preparation, not approval by a rescue, seller or authority. Revised answers may need a fresh check.

Back to summary and saving ↑

It is fine to leave the decision open

You can pause while arrangements are unresolved. Ask a rescue whether fostering is offered and what its responsibilities involve. Fostering still needs suitable housing and care; it isn't a way around the checks.

Useful next stops

Check the current Singapore requirements

AVS requires dog licensing and a Pet Ownership Course for first-time licence applicants. A pet licence doesn't approve the premises. Check the applicable housing, ownership limits and licence or transfer process with the relevant authority before committing. For a pet-shop purchase, follow AVS's current pre-sale declaration and transfer guidance.

Official sources checked 28 October 2026. Follow the linked requirements for your circumstances; the worksheet doesn't apply their eligibility rules automatically.

A Singapore dog community update

Daisy has been found!

Thank you to the amazing dog communities across Singapore who watched, shared and cared. UDO was proud to help amplify Daisy’s appeal.

Read the happy update