adult dog
How to choose a puppy (Part 3): Well, Maybe Not Quite A Puppy
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Ok, so you've figured out the perfect breed (and it's not just because they're just so darned cute!). Or maybe you don't care about breeds, you've just considered your lifestyle and thought about the type of dog that will fit in best with it. Now it's time to look at some actual dogs!
First off, you can look for a puppy, or you can find an adult dog in need of a home. Even if you want a purebred, there are purebred rescue organizations for almost every breed. Breeders sometimes have adult dogs available as well ---the Obamas just got a 6 month old Portuguese Water Dog who'd been returned to the breeder by someone who was unable to keep him. And the shelters have lots of wonderful adult dogs who are often overlooked in the general rush towards those adorable puppies. That's a real shame, because some of the best dogs I've ever met were adopted as adults out of shelters. Adult dogs often come house trained, and sometimes even obedience trained ---one of the dogs I had growing up came from the shelter with a long list of tricks! Sure, some shelter dogs have specific issues that will need to be worked on, but sometimes wonderful, well-behaved animals just have the bad luck to end up in the shelter. And don't worry that your dog won't bond with you as strongly if they aren't a puppy when you get them ---I really think that dogs who are adopted as adults appreciate their owners that much more, because they remember very clearly what you rescued them from!
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This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.
