PUPPIES

   Deciding to adopt a new puppy is a big decision. One that should be taken seriously. It is potentially a 10 - 14 year commitment. Puppies need a lot of love and attention. In order to train them right they need to be supervised constantly. House training alone can take a few months. Although crates and crate training can be helpful, puppies who are left in crates for 8 -10 hours a day never get the attention and exercise they need. Their frustration at being locked in a crate all day often leads to behavioral problems. If you work full time, an older pet would probably adjust better to your lifestyle - and you to his.

                                   ADULT DOGS

   There are a lot of good reasons to adopt an older dog, too. For one, older dogs are usually already housebroken. House training a puppy can take months and requires alot of consistency. They need to go out often and need to be watched almost constantly while in the house. If you have a hectic schedule or are not home often, a puppy would be difficult to train. An adult dog does not feel the urge to chew things up either. Their puppy teeth are gone and that need to chew is no longer there. A nippy puppy can wreak havoc in a family with small children, too. Also, adopting an adult dog leaves no questions about the dogs potential size. What you see, is what you get. Adult dogs can be calmer and not require as much exercise as a young pup does.

   Either way, puppy or adult, adopting a pet is a big decision and should be thought out thoroughly. It is potentially a ten to fourteen year commitment. All dogs require socialization, training, safe environment, grooming and health maintenance, companionship, attention and love. Before getting a dog, consider all these things carefully. Make adopting your new dog the best decision you ever made!