When planning to get a puppy into the family, there is usually only one option we consider, and that is a small puppy of a breed we like. The belief that a dog that has been bred since childhood will not have any problems, unlike a dog that has been adopted as an adult, is very common. Is it really so? Even if you have never thought of taking an adult dog into your home, after reading this article, you might consider it.
Most people are afraid that an adult dog has behavioural problems, and this may be true. Animals in shelters are often anxious, fearful of loneliness, food aggression (where the animal defends itself when it sees food). However, not all dogs and cats have behavioural problems, as abandoned pets often end up there, and they are not really bad, they are just very lonely. You can find out more about the dog of your choice from the shelter staff.
Of course, all adult dogs, like adult humans, have their own habits, and not always good ones. An adult dog may like to paw through the garbage or not to be touched.close with other dogs. But similar traits can develop in a pet, even if you take it in as a puppy and raise it yourself. A puppy is not a clean slate, you can only partially influence its character and control its personality, and you will never know how it will be when it grows up. Even the influence you will exert later on is the result of serious work that requires patience and vigilance.
When you take home an adult dog, you will already know her character. And the dog will no longer surprise you, as can happen with a young dog. When you buy a small puppy, you will not be able to predict whether it will be calm, nervous, hyperactive, friendly or timid. You can draw some conclusions based on your knowledge of the breed and the temperament of its parents. But this will not give you any guarantees. When you take an adult dog, you can know for sure what you will be dealing with.
In some cases, an adult dog is more suited to an established human lifestyle than a puppy. Especially if you are elderly or havehave little free time. Puppies, like children, need lots of attention, care and patience. They need toilet training, training and socialisation. Puppies do not know the commands and rules of behaviour in the human world. They are unable to concentrate for long periods of time, which is both fascinating and frustrating.
In addition, a puppy needs vaccinations, vet appointments and various treatments in the first year of life. On the other hand, an adult dog can become seriously ill and treatment can be costly. But these problems can occur in the future, even if you take a puppy into your home.
It is considered impossible to get along with an adult dog, just as it is impossible to get along with a dog that has lived in your family all its life. But in reality it is not. Of course a dog needs time to learn to trust, respect and love you. A puppy also needs time to get used to a new home and to life without its mother. Animals that are very attached to their owner are more afraid of loneliness.
When you take a dog from a shelter, it is more frightened of being separated from its owner.