The Cat Goes

The last thing you want when choosing a dog is one that doesn't get along with your other animals. While it can be hard to tell right off the bat whether or not your dog will get along with your new dog or your cat won't try to claw its eyes out, it is important to try to discover before giving the dog the hope of a new home. A lot of rescues will do home visits before adoption. They don't want the dog to end up in another bad situation any more than you do. Another option, if you know your pets are generally fine with other dogs, you can take your new potential for a walk around the shelter to see if there are any potential fights that might arise. Also, many rescue groups hold their dogs in foster homes and experiment with these types of situations so they can provide adopters with as much advice as possible. Petfinder even allows you to choose options in their "additional search options" menu. These options include what your household includes (children, cats, dogs) as well as size and characteristics. While many shelters can't provide this information, many rescue groups can.
Additionally, there is always an adjustment period to consider when bringing a new animal into your home. For instance, my mom has had our dog Baxter for about 8 years now. 3 years ago, she decided to bring a new puppy into the family. At first, Baxter was skeptical and jealous and didn't appreciate a new little girl playing with his toys. However, he established his dominance and she accepted it after a few scuffles and now they're best friends most days. There's still the occasional old man grumpy moments. In that case he just steals Bella's ball and won't give it back while she whines and begs for him to do so. Overall, there can be obstacles in any case when bringing home a new dog, but you have to be smart about it and consider everyone's needs and allow for some time and patience before giving up on them.