Should You Adopt A Puppy or A More Mature Dog?

Adopting a dog is an exciting event for any family. A dog is truly a man’s best friend, you can rely on your pet to become your companion and some may even guard your house.

You need to review your personal lifestyle and needs when taking on the responsibility of a dog. It is a major decision whether or not you choose to have a puppy or an adult as a pet. Before deciding on which dog to adopt, here is some useful information that might help you decide.

Adopting a puppy…

Raising a puppy can be an advantage because this means that you guide its growth and well - being. You have the chance to raise it according to what you want. This means you can ensure that it is properly nurtured with the right dog food, ensure that necessary vaccinations are given and prevent heartworm at this early stage. Having your puppy personally trained is also a plus since you can teach him exactly what you want.

Only adopt a puppy if it is at least 10 weeks old. Puppies need a lot of time to be cared for by their mothers. This is a crucial stage for them. They somehow gain a psychological advantage for both puppy and for the mother dog as well.

A puppy can easily adjust to new surroundings as compared to an older dog even though most puppies may cause minimal to major damage to your personal stuff while they are in the stage of teething. They need to be housebroken and house training needs a lot of time, effort and patience.

Most pet owners love how puppies can be entertaining for the entire family. They are very cute and adorable pets that is a hit for both children and grown ups. Puppies are easily accepted as one of the family.

Taking on a more mature dog…

You should have less of a problem taking care of a more mature dog. They already have this established behaviour that you can easily adapt too. By being with the dog more often, you would have more or less an idea of what its temperament is.

You need to get as much information as you can when adopting an adult dog. Take note of its habits and mood swings. Hopefully you can acquire this valuable data from the previous owners of the dog. Some adult dogs may have some behaviour issues. It is important to take note of them.

It may take some time and effort for an adult dog to be completely comfortable with a new owner.

You need to introduce the dog to your children and other household members before bringing him into the home. This would help the dog be familiar with them and helps them refrain from biting or barking thinking that they maybe strangers.

Most mature dogs are housebroken already so they would cause lesser damage to your belongings and don’t wake up at night like most puppies do. They have usually outgrown the impulse of chewing anything that takes their fancy.

An older dog can easily adapt to other pets, like other dogs or cats.

Adopting a dog is not an easy task and choosing which one to adopt can be a little tricky too. Everyone loves sweet looking puppies, but not everyone can stand up to the tiresome house training although most appreciate the bonding shared with them.

Adult dogs need no great amount of guidance but can still turn out to be a lovable pet. Whichever you think is the right choice for you, just keep in mind that taking care of them needs a lot of time and effort.

In return, they would always keep you company and has a ready smile with an excited wag of tail waiting for you everyday.

See what you can do for your dog's health. John's been involved with arthritis in dogs for over 15 years and you can view his site at http://www.dogarthritissite.com