Getting A Dog : Should You Adopt a Dog or a Puppy?

When it comes time to adopt a pooch into your family, you should consider whether a dog or a puppy will best fit your lifestyle needs and expectations. Many individuals immediately adopt a puppy, only to experience aggravation and frustration with the house breaking and obedience training process.

The truth of the matter is that adult dogs work as better pets for a majority of individuals interested in owning a dog, so you should not rule out this possibility. There are many myths associated with adopting an adult dog that often discourage the uninformed dog owner from making a responsible decision regarding the age of dog to adopt. However, some individuals find they would rather have a puppy and deal with all the pains of raising that pup into a lovely dog. Whatever option you choose, remember to make the decision yourself and not to let anyone else influence your decision.

There are a great many adult dogs that are living in animal shelters and rescue centers today that do not know the joy of a home. These dogs were given up for adoption by owners who were unable to devote the necessary time and energy into proper training or simply outgrew the dog as the dog grew in age or size. Many owners were not aware of the full grown size of the dog, so they were forced to give the dog away since he was too large for their home or too large for children who also lived in the home.

All of these reasons are quite unfortunate, but you should consider the possibility of adopting one of these loving adult dogs and bringing him into your household as a pet. Making the decision to adopt an adult dog is great for many people, especially seniors who may not want to deal with the hassle of training a young pup and dealing with the often annoying behavior of a puppy.

One common myth regarding the adoption of an adult dog is that the bond will never be as close as the bond between a puppy and his owner. This is completely untrue, since the adult dog has the same potential to become one of the family—just as a puppy can become one of the family. You may need to work on overcoming certain fears instilled by the previous owner, especially if the previous owner abused the dog or treated him poorly. Often, you will be able to overcome any previous fears by simply bonding with the adult dog, treating him well, and winning his trust.

Making the decision to adopt a puppy is just as important as adopting an adult dog. After all, you do not want your pet to end up for adoption later on since you were unable to properly care for him and meet his needs. Puppies do take a greater amount of time and a great sense of devotion since you must train him in both house breaking and obedience. Usually, adopting a puppy is the best decision for families with children.

A puppy is less likely to exhibit aggressive behavior if a child is playing too rough, whereas an adult dog may quickly lose his patience with the play. However, remember that a puppy is smaller and is more apt to be seriously injured by a careless child, so before you bring any animal into your home, be sure to carefully explain the importance of treating the pet with the utmost respect. Also, you can further enforce this importance by treating the puppy with respect yourself. Children learn by example, so setting a good example is key for kids to understand the correct way to treat animals.