When thinking of adopting a dog, there are many questions that you need to ask yourself. Among them - what dog breed would suit my lifestyle? Should I get a male or female? Should I adopt a puppy or an adult dog?
Here are some reasons why you should adopt an adult dog.
#1 No 'accidents'
If your family is out for most of the day, it can be very difficult to house-train a puppy. Puppies need to go out very frequently to relieve themselves and aren't typically able to contain it when they need to go to the toilet. With an adult dog, you will more than likely be dealing with a pre-trained dog and therefore won't need to clean up after them in the same way. Additionally, dogs from shelters will have been house-trained prior to adoption.
#2 Keeping your shoes safe
Puppies have to chew a lot to grow strong, healthy teeth. However, they may not have learned to only chew toys and therefore take their teeth out on your favourite pair of shoes, the furniture, or even the TV remote. An adult dog is far less likely to make this a regular occurrence.
#3 A quiet night's sleep
Hello puppy, goodbye sleep-in. A puppy needs attention constantly and may wake you up at regular one, two or three-hourly intervals throughout the night. Puppies are used to sleeping with their siblings and will not understand why they no longer sleep in a pack. An older dog will be much more used to this.
#4 Less costly
Puppies need to undergo a series of tests and vaccinations against all kinds of diseases. They are also not likely to have learnt the art of not eating from the bin, or learnt about inedible toys, so a trip to the emergency room may be a reality for some in those early months. The money you pay to a shelter for an older dog will definitely cover the cost of vaccinations, by a long shot.
#5 No surprises
How big will my puppy get? What kind of personality will they have? Will they be easy to train? These questions cannot all be answered by looking at breed. When you adopt an adult dog, these questions already have an answer. The shelter staff will be able to answer them with a lot more certainty.
#6 Help children relax around dogs
Puppies are hard to control, both with their teeth and their paws. If you are wishing to get your children used to dogs, an adult dog of your choosing is likely to be calmer and therefore not as frightening.
#7 An immediate companion
With an adult dog, it's likely you'll be able to go wherever you wish as soon as you adopt them. You don't have to avoid dog parks as you would with an unvaccinated puppy. An adult will be calmer and more understanding than a puppy and therefore will be able to spend more time with you doing what you enjoy!
What were your reasons for choosing an adult dog?