That is a good question and one that is asked quite often. The answer depends on you and how much patience you will have with house training and training a new puppy. Puppies can be a lot of work and require a bunch of your time and energy to keep them out of trouble.
If you go to any shelter or rescue you will see a bunch of dogs that are in the 12 - 18 month age group. Why are so many dogs that age in the shelter? Because their owners got them as a puppy, never trained them and now they are monsters.
That is true, a puppy that is never obedience trained, house trained and exercised properly become a monster to an owner that just will not take on the responsibility to teach the dog what is right and what is wrong.
Now don’t get me wrong pups are cute and they can be a whole lot of fun if you are up the the challenge. If you are not up to the challenge maybe an older dog would be better for you. When we talk older you can consider anything that is maybe 2 years and older.
Many of these dogs have had some training, are past the chewing stage and with any luck they are house trained as well. Depending on your activity level you may even want to consider a senior dog.
Senior dogs are usually very grateful to have a new home and an attentive new owner. They don’t require as much activity as either a pup or a 2 year old dog so they are great for a senior citizen.
So if you opt for an adult dog rather than a puppy there are a few things that you can do to create the bond between man and dog. Start of with a good obedience training program. The training will establish you as the alpha in the pack and will teach the dog some skills that will make it a good member of the family.
Exercise is important for any dog so do what you can to exercise your dog. Walks actually build a true team and allow the dog to see you as the pack leader.
So to answer the question there is no right or wrong. It simply depends on you and which you prefer, a puppty or an adult dog.
———-
Do you need help training your puppy or dog? We can help. If you are in Nashville, TN, Chattanooga, TN, Clarksville, TN, Knoxville, TN, Huntsville, AL, Birmingham, AL and Indianapolis, IN visit our website and give us a call.
If you have an aggressive dog please be sure to visit www.DogAggressionExperts.com for help…
Please remember we can help you with dog training or problem solving no matter where you are located. In fact we have clients all over the U.S. simply visit www.TrainMyDogOnline.com for more information and the give us a call.
Until next time,
P.S. Do you need some advice from a Canine Behavior Specialist? If so CLICK HERE now!
About Wayne: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists which is headquartered in Nashville, TN but serves clients all over the U.S.. If you have a dog with aggression, behavior problems or simply needs training feel free to contact him.
Wayne has also been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network. If you would like to become a Professional Dog Trainer he can get you started.
Thank you for the information! I found this post very helpful and completely true! I am a pet owner of two dogs, Charlie and Delta, both adopted through a local animal shelter. I adopted Delta first, he was six years old when he first joined my family. Charlie on the other hand was adopted at three months a year after I adopted Delta. The experience with them joining their new families was completely different with each pet. Delta was already house broken with very little behavioral problems and for the most part made a very easy transition into our family. Charlie on the other hand, was a furry ball of energy who needed constant attention and to be house broken. Both are equally loved by our family and make great additions, however both were different experiences when they were newly introduced to our home.
Thanks for the message John and for telling us about Delta and Charlie.
Wayne
You’re welcome! Thanks for the great blog!