I got my dog from RACC after many months of interacting with him there as a volunteer. I helped with his temperament test and supervised him in play groups. I knew him as well as you could possibly know a shelter dog.

He was a 100% different dog at home, for better and worse. At the shelter, he only ever interacted with people who were confident with dogs and friendly. He's great with that type of person, but is not good with people who are afraid of him or give off kind of unstable or macho vibes. He went from good with most dogs, to dog reactive except in very structured interactions. He can get along great with dogs, but he needs a structured introduction with humans who know what they're doing. He will fight a dog that approaches him while he's on leash.

But I said for better too, right? In the shelter, he was really sketchy with other non-dog animals. In my home, he did great with my guinea pigs under supervision, and is pretty much good with any non-dog animal except cats. He was also problematically high energy in the shelter and is a lazy couch potato at home.

Ultimately, I don't regret anything. My dog is my best friend and the good far outweighs the bad. The biggest change I'd make next time is to only get a fully grown, 2+ year adult dog, because then at least their personalities are done changing and you have a better sense for what you're getting. Although to be honest, I love teen dog energy and will probably break my own rule.