Dog Training | DogTraininGuide.com

November 18, 2008

Choosing a Dog 2

Posted by: admin : Category: Choosing a Dog, Dog Training

: Image via Wikipedia

Should you get a puppy or an adult dog? This is the first decision you need to make before picking a pooch. Please give this some serious thought. If you do, your final decision may surprise you.

Most people don’t even think about the adult dog option—they just go out and get a puppy. They’re so cute! Adorable! Fun! Just the word “puppy” makes most people feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
But perhaps you should at least consider the benefits of an adult dog before making your decision:
The habits, manners, and temperament of an adult dog (at least two years old) are already established and easy for you to evaluate. Most dog rescue groups, shelters, adoption services, etc., will allow you to take a dog on a trial basis. You can take him home for a few days to see if his personality is compatible with you, your family, your other pets—in other words, you can find out if the dog fits what you’re looking for a in a new furry companion. If not, you can usually take him back. With a puppy, on the other hand, you won’t necessarily know what kind of dog he will turn out to be, because this will depend very much on you and the time you spend with him.

Adult dogs typically require less care, attention and training than puppies. An adult dog doesn’t need to go to the bathroom as often as a puppy. They are usually housetrained, and often know the difference between a chew toy and a your favorite pair of shoes. An adopted adult dog may be an ideal “out of the box” companion that is so well trained, affectionate and “perfect” that you’ll wonder how anyone could give him up. But there is the possibility of the other extreme, as well. Each dog is unique. (Hence the importance of the trial adoption period.)
Adult dogs are less likely to be adopted from shelters than puppies. If you want to rescue a dog, picking an older one is more likely to save a life.

The key to finding a good adult dog is to take plenty of time to evaluate his habits, behavior, and personality. Proper training can correct many bad habits and teach good ones (yes, you certainly can teach an old dog new tricks!); but not all behavioral problems can be overcome.
A puppy, on the other hand, is like a lump of clay waiting to be molded by you. You can raise him to be your ideal companion. This, of course, presumes you know how to train a dog properly and have the time—and the desire—to do so. But because you’re reading this report and have subscribed to the Happy Mutt Training System, we know you’re one of those rare humans who realize what’s involved and is willing to go through it anyway—and that whatever pooch you bring home is going to be one lucky, well-trained, well-adjusted dog!

Keep this in mind: An adorable puppy will become an adolescent dog with a few months; that adolescent will quickly become an adult dog that can live from 10 to 20 years. So when considering a puppy, put a lot of thought into the grown dog it will become, and the long-term commitment you will make.