Pros and Cons of Adopting Adult and Puppy Dogs

Most senior have already been house trained, evaluated for their compatibility with other animals and children, and have had additional basic training.

It's hard to watch a pet you love age and die. However, this relationship can be truly rewarding. Even knowing that heartache could be right around the corner, most owners would do it again and again because the joy is just so much more. Plus, a nine-year-old dog may still have another four years left to live. Why not help make those years as comfortable and content as possible by giving him a lovely retirement home?

Senior dogs can be wonderful, sweet-tempered animals that don't get quite as excited, or quite as anxious as young dogs. They are happy to either walk a sedate mile with you or lounge on the sofa beside you.

A senior dog may have age-related issues that could be either time-consuming (sight or hearing loss) or expensive.

Undesirable behaviors that have been picked throughout the dog's life may be harder to train him out of. You can teach an old dog new tricks, but undoing behavior is harder.

The biggest reason that senior dogs are hard to adopt out? It's the mentality of "why would I give my heart to a dog who is only going to die in a year or two?" Dogs wiggle into your heart rather quickly, and adopting a dog that is 10 years old could mean that your relationship is of short duration.

Adult dogs in shelters and rescues are usually mostly house trained, if not completely. Many have had basic training (sit, stay, come, etc.).

Most adoptable dogs have been evaluated by shelter volunteers for compatibility towards other animals and kids.

A full-grown adult dog can still be puppy-like in his desire to play and run with you. Dogs of all ages love to play and a full-grown dog has fewer physical limitations on what kind of physical activity he can do.

Most adopted adult dogs seem to know they have found a good life and are reluctant to leave it.

It's harder to un-train a dog of certain unwanted habits, like counter-surfing, garbage-eating, etc. Luckily, it can be done, it just takes persistence and consistency.

Adult dogs have an unknown quality to them. Something completely innocuous could turn them into fear-biters or undo weeks of socialization.

The fear that an adult dog won't bond properly with his new owners is a big one. Some breeds are notorious for being "one-man" dogs, and this puts off a lot of potential adopters.

Dogs over a year old have made connections between behavior and reward, even if that reward is slightly delayed.

The age-related restrictions on physical exercise have started to lift, allowing to do more strenuous play with your dog, like longer hikes, jogging, jumping games and starting dog sports if you are so inclined.

There might be behaviors that you need to deal with, like counter-surfing, biting, and inappropriate marking.

As was mentioned earlier, adolescent dogs will push their boundaries and constantly try to get away with things. It takes a stern leader to get through the adolescent stage, but once you do, the rest is pretty much smooth sailing.

Starting with a puppy is starting with a blank slate. While genetics do play a role in how your matures and what type of personality he develops, most of his adult life will be shaped by you, his owner, trainer and "parent."

Puppies are adorable and cuddly!

Puppies take a great deal of time. You really don't want to get a puppy when you aren't home a lot of the time. Your puppy will be missing out on valuable training and socialization if he is he left alone for long periods. 

You will need to invest a little more money at first on your puppy's vet care for things like puppy vaccines and spay or neuter.