Dogs can oftentimes find it quite unsettling when they are placed with their new owners for the first time - entirely understandable as they are suddenly in a new home, with a lot of new and unfamiliar faces, smells, and objects, not to mention new rules for them to learn. But there are also many occasions when dogs are very excited to meet their new owners, and luckily for us, some of those moments were captured on camera so we can see these special first moments of humans finding their new best friends and visa-versa.
20+ Heartwarming Moments Of People And Their Dogs Meeting For The First Time
Eat You Up!
The excitement of meeting your new human for the first time can do what it did to this little pup – he got so excited he just had to give his new owner a little bite on his nose… You know that feeling when you love someone so much and you just want to eat them up, in a non-cannibal way? That’s definitely what this cutie was trying to do!
First Bite!
Too Cute To Part With
This woman saw this little cutie on the side of the road and had all the intentions to take her to the local animal shelter, but when she saw her adorable face, she couldn’t resist and decided to take her home instead!
Worth Keeping
Pup Selfie
This cutie pie puppy is definitely grinning from ear to ear with her new human, resting her little paws on his shoulder, it’s not clear who adopted who but they are definitely right for each other! Such a cute selfie!
First Selfie
Surrender!
It seems quite obvious here that both the lovely doggy and her new family are equally happy to have found each other. The beginning of a wonderful new friendship and loads of adventures we are sure!
Put Your Hands Up
Pup in Bed
Waking up to this little face in the morning in definitely one of the best wake up calls ever! Maybe even better than breakfast in bed!
Morning Call
Love is in the Eyes
Look how in love these two look! Staring into each other’s eyes lovingly, he is probably thinking how cute his new companion is with that little puppy grin, and the adorable doggy is thinking ‘my human is the best, I get treats, cuddles, and to sit in the front seat of the car!’
Loving Look
Satisfied Grin
This gorgeous pup seems to know it has a good deal going for it, getting hugs from her owner, sunshine on their faces, green grass all around… What more could a dog want? Well, ok, she probably wouldn’t mind a year round all-you-can-eat barbeque too.
Happy Smile
Snuggles Are A Must
Anyone adopting a dog should know that there needs to be a lot of hugs and kisses involved, and here we can see lovely pup, Tata, enjoying snuggles with her new owner. So cute!
Lovey-Dovey
Best Surprise Ever
This man has asked his wife if they can get a dog every Christmas, but every year her answer was negative, as she knows all it takes to look after a new dog. But one year, she decided to give him the best surprise ever, with this gorgeous pup. And we know it was the best surprise ever, because just look at his face!
Cute Christmas Present
Magic Combatant of Stress
We can just about try and imagine the stress levels a cop has to cope with while at work, it being one of the toughest jobs out there. So this is the magic combatant of stress, two minutes of cuddles with your pup is just what the doctor ordered to chillax a bit. .
Puppy Love
Rock-a-bye Pooch
These two definitely already have a lot of love between them! She is clearly happy treating him like her baby and we are sure he has no problem with that either.
Rock-a-bye Baby
A Bear Of A Dog
When this Reddit user went to the kennels to adopt a dog he didn’t quite know what he had got himself into, as he said “I went to adopt a dog and ended up with a bear.” But they both look happy enough to have found one another.
A Bear Of A Dog
First Photo Magic
When people choose to adopt a dog they mostly go for the puppies, also because they may have health issues or they are already stuck in some bad habits they fear they may not be able to change. This photo was taken outside the shelter where this man, who clearly didn’t care about adopting a fully grown dog. And look how happy they both look!
Cute First Photo
Overwhelmed by Love
This guy received his new pooch as a surprise gift, and was so overwhelmed by emotion he burst into tears while hugging his new pet. We can definitely understand the emotion in this beautiful picture!
Perfect Present
Two Cuties
We are not sure if this cute little girl’s expression is one of pure excitement or love at the adoption of their new puppy… We think it is probably both! These two are going to have such love and adventures together!
Can We Take Him Home?
Two Peas in a Pod
These two seem to be two peas in a pod, with all that energy and humor, we know that this selfie of the two with a similar expression on their faces is just the beginning of countless adventures and shared fun.
Similar Expressions
Therapy Pup
This woman used to feel hopeless suffering from depression. When she was feeling slightly better, someone suggested she adopt a dog which could help her in a number of ways; also by having to care for a living being, and also because that living being just keeps loading you with love and care. It was a great idea, as we can see in this photo, just how happy she is with her new happy pill.
Happy Pill
Staring Contest
We are not sure who won this round of the staring contest these two seem to be having but they are definitely bonding and the size differences are just so cute!
Staring Contest
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Seeing a dog and child snuggling together is nearly as beautiful as seeing them smiling and playing together. It seems that these two definitely need their power nap to reboot their energy levels, so that they can keep being the cheeky and adventurous pups that they are.
Power Nap
Poster Boy
This kid’s obvious love of his little pup makes us want to go and give our own dogs a huge squishy hug just like this one! It looks like it could be a poster to encourage people to adopt pets from animal shelters. We love it!
Lots of Love
Licks of Love
This is such a gorgeous photo, one that really captured the love between this new pup and their owner, as he licks her nose enthusiastically! One Reddit comment said, “the camera may have been quick enough to catch this protruding puppy’s tongue, but it still couldn’t capture his fast-flicking tail!”
Dog Kisses
Planning Mischief
This little girl’s face says it all, she is clearly so overwhelmed with excitement at receiving a new pup for Christmas, and the new pup seems pretty pleased with it all too. We just know these two are going to get up to a load of mischief together!
Mischievous Look
Content Cuddles
This little boy looks like the epitome of contentedness! With such a snuggle pup who can blame him! And to be honest, the pup looks just as pleased with himself, so we are pretty sure this is a match made in heaven!
Bear Hug
Love and Smiles All Round
This dog is no longer a puppy, so all the more exciting for him and less obvious that he should be adopted! He is clearly already in love with his new human as much as she is with him by the look of the smile on her and his faces!
2 Peas In A Pod
Young and Old
This elderly lady felt rather lonely when her husband passed away, that is until her son surprised her with the gift of this adorable canine! She looks extremely excited and looking at where the pup decided to sit, it has already understood who its new human is.
Old & Young
Gratitude
This older lovely doggy is looking at her new owner with love and gratitude that she doesn’t have to spend a day longer in the kennels.
Grateful
Extending the Family
This family decided to add to their lot by adopting this gorgeous pup, Harley. You can see the excitement on Sarah’s face when she understands that Harley is a new member of their family!
Who's More Excited?
Don’t Give Up On The Seniors!
Anyone adopting a dog rather than buying one is to be commended, but even more so when they adopt a more senior dog who would probably otherwise be put down pretty quickly! This man found it in his heart to take this older dog home with him, and they both seem pretty happy about it.
"I Wub You Papa"
Scratch That Itch
If dogs could talk we are pretty sure this dog would be saying “Mmmmm… Yes Human, you are doing great, that’s the spot, don’t stop!” as he looks in heaven. The lady in the picture was just looking after him for a while until she decided to adopt him permanently after all, and he just found out the good news!
Just Keep Scratching
Ears at Attention
These two seem to be wearing both matching smiles and collar/shirt color too! This gorgeous mixed breed, Max, found a loving home to go to, while she will now have a new best friend called Max. Perfect.
"I'm Going Home!"
Adoption Fairs
Quite a few pet stores hold the occasional adoption fair, where they also give free food and toys to anybody who ends up adopting a new pet. These two found their new canine friend, Sasha, at one of these fairs, and now she has a funky collar to prove that she has a family of her own.
Pure Joy
Funny Faces
There are so many captions we could give this photo with this dogs brilliant expression! Shocked, surprised, excited, or just posing for the camera? We can’t be sure, but we are pretty sure these two are going to be happy together.
Eyes, Ears & Mouth Open
Giant Softy
Hugs are often the best way to go to express love, excitement, or joy. And this monster, uh we mean giant dog, is clearly expressing all of those emotions with the massive bear hug he is giving his new owner, maybe with a slobbery kiss or two thrown in too!
Big Hug
Peaceful Sleep
Most dogs only really close their eyes and truly relax when they feel super comfortable, and this dog looks undoubtedly content in his new mommy’s arms. ‘Aint nothing like loving arms wrapped around you to make you feel safe and sound.
Nap Time
Kisses All Over
Some dogs just cannot resist showing their humans love by licking them, and great big slobbery licks usually, all over the face, neck, head, hair, eyes, everywhere! Tom seems to be taking the kissing-festival well enough!
Kisses Galore
Jus' Got Adopted #rescue
That is one super-cute bandana! It even compliments the pup’s eye color, fancy that! He doesn’t seem to have quite understood how fabulous this moment is for him, but we are sure it will sink in soon that he now has a loving family to call his own.
Jus' Got Adopted #rescue
Eyes Wide in Excitement
We think this dogs’ expression is possibly the best of them all! It reflects just how exciting it is to be adopted. It seems he can’t quite believe it himself!
So. Flipping. Excited.
Wagging Tongues
This is one happy looking dog! And it comes as no surprise as he is leaving the shelter with a loving, laughing human in tow. Happiness all round!
Tongues Out
Special Friendships
This teenager, who has special needs, has been waiting for months to meet Peach. Peach is a handicap-assist dog who will help her in her daily activities and we are 100% sure this will be a wonderful friendship, with lots of hugs and snuggles.
Best Friends For Life
Pearly Whites
This woman says that while she was signing the adoption papers for her new dog, Mika, Mika began grinning bearing her pearly whites, and grinned all the way home! Mika’s new owner looks pretty pleased too!
Can't Stop Smiling
Whispering Sweet Nothings
Who better to tell your secrets to than your fluffy pooch pet? That’s exactly what this little girl seems to have thought too! Maybe she was telling him how pleased she is that her family adopted him? They seem to have a special bond already.
Secret Time
Too Big to Wrap Around
It seems like this little girl tried to give her new doggy a big hug but she’s too small to wrap around the big dog, so instead she seems to have got the right idea about her new pet being able to be used as a nice fluffy pillow, and he doesn’t seem to mind in the least.
A New Pillow
FLove for Paws
Paws was adopted by his new mommy, Hallie Noble, from Paws in the City in Dallas. There seems to be a mutual contentment in this picture, both happy with the budding love.
Feeling Loved
Perfect Snuggle
This is such a perfect moment, we want to say thank you to whoever managed to capture this snap, because you can really feel the love and contentment of both human and pooch, just shining off the screen through this photo.
Feels So Right
The Penny Dropping
Just look at this little pup’s adorable face, as the penny drops for Penny the pup that she has been adopted by her new daddy, John Sechrist, as they leave the Bidawee adoption center in New York.
Is This Really Happening?
Mahusiveee Yawn Time
Dogs yawn for a number of reasons, mostly because of either nervousness or excitement… I think it is an easy bet to say that Roxy is letting out this huge yawn from excitement that she has this lovely smiley new mommy, Sarah Brown Carter.
Yeaaaaah
Relaxed and Happy At Last
We absolutely just love this photo! And even more so when you know that the happy and relaxed looking dog in this photo is Rex who suffered from severe neck trauma from his previous owners misusing and overusing a shock collar on him. But that was all before he was adopted by Dan, and now just look at that grin!
Home At Last
Smiles All Round
Josh Patrick adopted the appropriately named, Fluke, in November 2017, and this was their first snap together. There were many more to follow and you can see that their bond just keeps on growing tighter.
All Smiles
Absolute Joy
Kelsi Keys makes the case of how amazing it is to adopt a dog, not just for the dog but for the humans too. She says that “Adopting Dax is one of the best decisions I have ever made. He has been there through all of the ups and downs of my life. He is the best adventure partner and cuddle-buddy. I keep him safe and he keeps me wild.”
Pure Ecstasy
Expanding the Family
Some of us already know how difficult it can be to bring a new animal into a home where there are already a number of animals living, so when this couple adopted Cora from a BISSELL Pet Foundation event in Grand Rapids they were a little nervous as to how it would play out at home where they already have three cats and one dog. But it turns out they had nothing to worry about as Cora fit right in!
Now We're Family
Instant Pals
Terabyte, this little cutie cattle dog, was discovered abandoned in a field. This family adopted her and discovered later that she is deaf, but we are pretty sure she can feel all the love her new family has for her. And we cannot decide who is more content, Terabyte or her new brother!
Instant Pals
Happy Families
Hazel is the beautiful eyed pooch in the pic, a Husky-mixed-Alsatian, who was adopted by these adoring two, and they now all live quite happily together in Oakland.
Picture Perfect
From Fear to Excitement
Jenna Gunselman, this adorable Oliver’s mom, describes the change from the fear and trauma Oliver had in the car from the first journey, to the excitement he feel now when they get in the car, “The first time we took Oliver on a car ride, he was shaking and crying (we assume because the only time he had ever been in a car before was to take him to the shelter). Now he loves car rides because he knows he’s going to get to see a new friend or go play somewhere!”
Whats Going On
Best Buds
Christina Haberkern tells the remarkable story about their search for a companion for their Labrador, Zoe, who is handicapped. They went to the shelter with Zoe, and she was the one who actually pulled them up to Marty’s pen, where they touched noses and wagged their tails. Of Course Christina understood there was an instant connection and there was no doubt that Marty was coming home with them all that day.
Road To Recovery
9 Years of Love and Support
The picture on the left is a picture of Suki on the day that she was adopted nine years ago, where she looks rather scruffy and a bit confused. The picture on the right is nine years later where these two have shared a serious amount of quality time together. And Suki seems to have been more than just a pet to her human, as she says that “Suki has been a major support for me, especially for my mood disorders. Suki has been with me since freshman year of high school.”
Before And After
Kodak Moments
This gorgeous puppy is actually called Kodak, and he is definitely photogenic! Kodak is a Labrador-mixed-Shepard and was rescued from a hoarding case, and has been with his new family happily ever since.
Puppy Eyes
Bella and Better
Bella was adopted by Krystal, and on the left you can see when she was first picked up, looking disheveled and slightly uncertain, and on the right you can see her looking fresh, clean, and cared for, visibly relaxed. The power of a loving home!
Better And Better
Adoring Eyes
Just look at the adoring look this lovely newly adopted puppy is giving her new human! She seems to have understood already exactly what was going on, and the fact that she is safe now and on her way to her new home.
You Are My Savior
Car Cuddle
Bull Terriers are sadly often left and neglected at dog shelters as people believe them to be intrinsically dangerous as well as them not being typically cute. Thank goodness for angels like this woman who know that it is the owner who makes the dog, and they are actually extremely loving and sweet animals, and took this little guy home with her.
In The Arms Of An Angel
Ecstatic
We reckon that by the looks of his expression, this little pup in a basket is saying “This is officially the best day of my life!” as he is driven to his new home from the dog shelter.
Best Day Of My Life
Cutie Pup
Seriously, can anyone look at this little pup’s face without their hearts melting?! He is on his way to his new home for the first time, and it will just keep getting better and better for him, we are sure of it!
That Smile
Designated Driver
This little adorable pup is clearly absolutely relaxing into the hands of his new papa, while he drives them to what will be his home. He is quite tiny now, but we get the feeling he will grow big and strong and be a great addition to the family!
Never Let Go
What a Face
This little face is just classic, one of joy, excitement, wonder, he is just beginning to discover all the fun adventures he can have now that he is safe and loved!
Everything The Light Touches
Picnic Time
What more could a newly adopted puppy want than being introduced to his first picnic?! Sunshine, grass, a cozy blanket to roll about in, and a good few treats to indulge in! Happy days.
His First Picnic
The Image of Bliss
The power of safety and comfort, love and cuddles, just look at that face – pure ease and contentment now that he has a safe and loving home and family to belong to.
Pure Bliss
Puppy Eyes
Honestly, just look at that face! Adorable or what?! Clearly overwhelmed by excitement this little pup knows she is on her way to a safe and loving home. Let the good times roll!
Happy Days From Now On
Speechless
This is one of those photos where one image speaks louder than a hundred words. The look of relaxation that comes with a feeling of security, love, and care just says it all really.
No Words
New Besties
This photo really brings out the ‘Awwww’ in us! The little boy caring for his new best friend and her visibly relaxing into his lap. Just so beautiful, we are sure these two will be best friends for life.
Awww
New Energy
This senior citizen adopted this puppy who gave her a new lease of life with all the energy and excitement puppies bring with them. These two will surely have many new experiences together.
Energizer