|
10 Reasons to Adopt an Adult
Dog
Tuesday,
February 10
10 pm Eastern
9 pm Central
8 pm Mountain
7 pm Pacific
There are many advantages to
getting a full-grown dog. Contrary to popular misunderstanding,
adult dogs bond with their new people, are trainable, and offer many
advantages over puppies. We'll talk to Kim Saunders, VP at
Petfinder.com and author of the Adopted Dog Bible Find out why an adult dog might be the
perfect match for you.
-
An adult dog has an adult
bladder. Puppies can only be expected to "hold it" for as many
hours as they are old, plus one. Therefore, a four-month-old
puppy can only be expected to hold it for five hours. You
probably plan to be home for the first weekend -- even a long
weekend -- when you bring your dog home. But what about after
that? Have you made arrangements to walk the dog or let her out
every three, four, five, six or seven hours over the next six
months? Is there someone home during the day to help housetrain
your dog? If not, consider an adult dog. They can be
housetrained even if they've never been housetrained before. And
best of all, the can hold it until you come home.
-
An adult dog is past the
puppy chewing stage. This stage, from two months to two years of
age, is when much of the home destruction happens. Chewed
cabinets, sofas, shoes, window sills, and clothing can cost you
plenty. But an adult dog, given chew toys and bones to keep him
occupied, is no longer in a chewing frenzy.
-
An adult dog is as big as
he's ever going to get. With puppies -- especially puppies whose
heritage is unknown -- you never know. My cousin got a "Beagle
mix" who is now nearly 50 pounds. Many apartments have weight
restrictions on the dogs they will allow, so if you rent, you
may need to get a smaller dog. In addition, food, vet care and
boarding are all more expensive for bigger dogs. If you're sure
you can't end up with a bigger dog, get an adult.
-
Adult dogs are better able to
focus, and this comes in handy during training. Although puppies
can and should be trained, ask any trainer and she'll tell you
it's often easier to train dog who's mature. And don't give in
to fears that an adult won't bond to you, or that you can't
teach an old(er) dog new tricks. Both are false. Every day is a
whole new day for dogs, and the bonding that takes place during
training (or retraining) is every bit as rewarding as that with
a puppy. Plus, you don't have to get up in the middle of the
night to take him out!
-
What you see is what you get.
Some dogs are very active as puppies, then mellow out
considerably as adults; others are very cuddly and passive as
puppies, then develop the energy of a squirrel on crack cocaine
as they grow. An adult dog's baseline personality is pretty well
set, and shelters are full of dogs who became the "wrong" match
as they grew up.
-
If you're a fan of a
particular breed, getting an adult purebred might be easier than
you think. Breed rescues take in dogs from shelters and breeders
... dogs who may have lived in comfortable, loving homes prior
to coming to yours. Don't assume that all rescue dogs are street
urchins with no training who will not withstand being on a leash
or being brushed. Then there's the added bonus of getting a dog
who's very "typey" and a good representative of the breed you
like. Remember my cousin who wanted a beagle? Her dog (whom she
adores, by the way) looks more like a smaller Irish Wolfhound. I
loved collies all my life, and got a puppy from a breeder. His
mom and dad were both gorgeous examples of the breed. He was a
ball of fur with good coloring as a puppy, but as he grew, he
began to show some conformation faults. His ears didn't stand
up. They drooped all his life. His back legs pointed outward,
like ballerina feet. He grew and grew ... to 90 pounds. He
looked very gangly because of a very long back and high hips.
His coat was so thick that our groomer, who had show collies,
said he had three coats. Most people didn't recognize him as a
collie. Several people asked if he was a collie mix. Don't get
me wrong; I loved him dearly until the day he died. But as
collies go, there are others who are better representatives of
the breed. If you want a Papillon or a Pug that looks like a
Papillon or a Pug, consider an adult dog.
-
The first year is a lot less
expensive with a grown-up dog. All those trips to the vet to
give your new puppy round after round of inoculations can really
add up. A healthy adult should only need to go to the vet once a
year.
-
Most adult dogs are already
socialized. Puppies must make mistakes and be corrected by dogs
and humans to learn how to interact with others. Most adult dogs
have already had run-ins with other dogs, so they know how far
they can go. They want to keep the peace, and this is what
socialization is about. The first time my young Lab got a
correction from a Husky at the dog park, I could see her working
it out in hear head. In hear world, everyone loved her, and
everything was hers. But suddenly, she was put down hard by
another dog. It was a necessary learning experience. An adult
has been around the block and will be more aware in social
interactions with kids, dogs, and you.
-
Instant companionship is
yours when you get an adult dog. Puppies have to wait until they
get their last round of shots before they should be around other
dogs. They can't run very far, and are easily knocked around by
kids and other dogs. They're uncoordinated, untrained, and must
eliminate, eat and sleep frequently. An adult dog can go running
with you today!
-
If you're adopting a dog to
save a life, consider this. Most people get swept away by the
cute factor of puppies. They come to shelters looking for
puppies, therefore most puppies in shelters have a much better
chance of being adopted than most adult dogs. When you adopt a
dog, you're saving a life, so why not save a life that's running
out of time, with fewer chances of being adopted? Many people
say, "the dog knows." Owners of adult adopted dogs often say
that these dogs are grateful and happy dogs. One thing's for
sure; you'll never regret it!
|
Last week's show:
Click white arrow above to
play
The Lucky Show is Sponsored by:
|
Get on our e-mail list for
great discounts, freebies and advance notice of new items.
|
Get Kim Saunders' new book today!
Got a product that relates to this show's
topic?
|
