Have you ever thought about adopting a dog? One of the main considerations is whether to adopt a puppy or an adult dog, which one should I choose?
Let’s face it: puppies are cute, funny, adorable, and hard to resist. But they also require an enormous amount of work, especially when you bring them home for the first time.
Since they are not domesticated, they will urinate and defecate whenever and wherever they want until they are trained. You should start potty training your puppy outside as soon as he gets home.
Puppies like to play and chew, and no matter how many toys you buy, your pup will still grab something off the ground to chew on, be it a newspaper, briefcase, shoes and slippers, or whatever else he can get hold of. Unless you enforce the law and teach your puppy the rules of your house, he will continue to violate your house, especially when he is alone, because he is lonely and there is someone else to play with.
But remember, this puppy who will test your patience and stamina will soon grow into a fantastic adult who will hopefully be your best friend for a long time.
Now let’s look at the adoption of an adult dog. You have outgrown your boisterous and energetic puppy. Hopefully, he is potty trained and knows the general rules of your house without too much work teaching him on your part. You just have to ‘show him the ins and outs’ of the behavior in your home.
Adult dogs generally have less medical expenses than puppies. If you adopted your dog from a shelter, he has been examined by a vet and has likely been neutered or spayed in addition to being vaccinated, saving you a lot of money on future vet bills.
Before adopting a puppy, you must decide what breed of dog you want because this puppy will soon grow into a full-size dog with all the attributes and detriments of his breed. This is the same rule that applies to an adult dog. Therefore, if you are a homebody, you should not consider a very nervous dog that needs a lot of play and exercise time.
Size is another factor to think about. Do you want a small lap dog or would you consider a large dog like a Collie or Labrador? Maybe you want a very large dog for your home, maybe a Great Dane or a Saint Bernard. Think about the size of your family, both now and in about 10 years.
So there are many factors to include in your decision, but no matter which dog you adopt, if selected wisely, you will have a new best friend.
