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Should You Get a New Puppy or an Adult Dog?

Article Summary: Most new dog owners only consider the dog breed type when they are getting a new dog. This article discuss the pros and cons of choosing a new puppy or adult dog when one is choosing and selecting a new dog.

One of the main considerations in dog ownership is choosing the correct breed to suit your lifestyle. Another aspect of dog selection that is widely overlooked is whether you should get a young puppy or adult dog. Both options offer different rewards and you should take the time to make the best decision.

On the whole, most dog owners believe that bringing up a puppy is an advantage because this means that you guide its growth and well being. You have the ability to raise it according to what you want. This means you can ensure that it is properly nurtured with the right dog food, the necessary vaccinations given and heartworm prevention done properly at this early stage. You can choose to train your puppy the right way from the start, giving him no chance to develop undesirable behaviors.

It is usually easier for a young puppy to adapt to a new home when compare to older dogs, nevertheless, puppies bring along destructive behavior problems when they are young and damages are unavoidable. They need to be housebroken and house training needs a lot of time, effort, and patience from the owner.

There is no assurance of what a puppy will look like when it grows up; especially if it is a mixed breed. Then again, his temperament and characteristics might change when he grows into an adult. It is advisable to bring your puppy home when it has reach ten weeks old. Puppies need a lot of time to be cared for by their mothers. This is a crucial stage for them. This allows them to gain a psychological advantage for both puppy and for the mother dog.

Puppies are at a stage where they are most adorable and fun to have in the family. They are hugely lovable and cute now which makes it fun and interesting for the whole family. Puppies can be easily accepted as one of the family.

Then again, raising a puppy requires much more effort and attention from its owner. It can be a difficult, frustrating and time consuming process. Destruction is inevitable in the house ranging from carpet stains during house training to chew up shoes and furniture when he is teething. All these behaviors can be annoying and frustrating especially if you are too busy to train your puppy properly.

Getting an Adult Dog - A well trained adult dog is an easy fit into any family. You would generally have less of a fuss taking care of an adult dog. They already have an established behavior that you can understand. By being with the dog more often, you would have a clearer idea of its temperament is.

One big consideration is that the personality and characteristic of the adult dog is relatively unknown and need to be carefully evaluated. A new owner should 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 behavioral issues. It is vital that you know or learn how to handle them before you commit to bringing home that dog.

It may take some time and effort for an adult dog to be completely comfortable with a new owner. You need to introduce an adult dog to your children and other household members before bringing him into the home. This would help the dog familiarize itself with them. It can help your dog to identify family members and prevent it from hurting or scaring them.

An Older dog do not need as much attention as a young puppy does, it also requires lesser trips to the local veterinary. For a fully grown dog, its physique is no longer an element of surprise. Its behavior is less of a variable as well. What you see is basically what you get and there might be fewer surprises for you in the long run.

Most dogs are housebroken already so they would cause lesser damage to your belongings and don't tend to wake up at night like most puppies do. They have usually outgrown the impulse of chewing things that strike its fancy. In addition, an older dog can easily adapt to other pets, like other dogs or cats.

A popular myth believes that older dogs will not bond to their new owners is definitely not true. If you invest the time and effort into developing a good relationship with your dog, bonding will happen regardless of age.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Moses Wright
Moses Wright loves to spent time with his 3 beautiful dogs and he loves to help fellow dog owners stop their dog obedience problems on his site whenever possible. You can get a free copy of his book filled with invaluable knowledge on dog ownership here: Free Dog Obedience Book