Puppy energy is just lovely to be around. That’s why when a child said, “I want to get a dog”, she probably is thinking about a puppy jumping up and kissing her face. So, you’ve decided to grant your child her wish. What next? A big decision is on whether to get a puppy or an adult dog. This article offers some reasons why adopting an adult dog from a shelter can save you time and money, and less of a change in your daily schedule.
The advantage of adopting a shelter dog
Adult dogs are more calm. Their personality traits are already developed. What you see is what you get. Adult dogs have already outgrown the high energy of puppyhood. If they have already lived with a family before they end up in a shelter, chances are they have been trained to some degree. This is a big advantage in a family with young children.
You probably spend less time training a shelter dog
Adult dogs know how to behave. That’s not to say that all adult dogs are trained to be around children, or that all adult dogs like to interact with children. You can ask about the history of the dog before adoption. Other advantages of adopting an adult dog is that medical expenses can be lower (unless there is special care involved). For example, they are probably already neutered or spayed, and are already vaccinated. So you are saving money right there! And they are probably already potty trained. Do you know how much time you’ve just saved yourself? That’s not including the time you spend cleaning up before the training is completed.
Adopting a shelter dog is probably easier than training a new puppy
And the teething period! Remember the movie Beethoven? If you have very expensive shoes, you’ll need to find higher grounds for them to keep them from becoming your puppy’s chew toy. However, if you would like the experience of training a puppy from scratch, you’ll find plenty of rewards too. But if you want a dog already “move in” ready, adopting an adult dog may be a better fit.
