Puppies are irresistible – who can say no to a bunch of lively, charming little pups instead of an older dog? Getting a puppy can also feel like the obvious choice, since you may want to be there as early as possible so you can shape the dog’s personality and development yourself. But is a puppy really the right choice for you?
¶Puppies need time
Many people feel short on time, but a puppy doesn’t care about that. They won’t wait until next week when you finally have time to take them to training. Compared to an older dog, there is a lot a puppy has to learn. And if you’ve never had a dog before, choosing a puppy can be difficult. What should you look for? What should you teach it? An older dog is already partly trained.
¶Older dogs’ experience and risks
You might worry about what an older dog has been through, and that’s something you should respect. But it doesn’t have to mean anything negative for the relationship between you and your new, slightly older companion. An older dog isn’t automatically “used up” just because it grew up with someone else first. It may even have learned things that you won’t have to teach it yourself.
Keep in mind, though, that dogs are often extremely sheltered while living with their breeder. In a new environment, without the support of older dogs, a previously cheerful clown can turn into an anxious dog that barks at everything it sees.
It often takes 3 to 4 weeks for a dog to settle into its new surroundings. Make sure the dog hasn’t just been kept in a kennel up until you pick it up, but has actually received the socialization training it really needs. If you notice that after just a week the dog is already showing signs of anxiety or aggression, you should seriously consider what that will mean in terms of time and commitment from your side if you take on a dog with problems.
The cause of these problems may be that the dog hasn’t been sufficiently socialized with other people and dogs, but has instead grown up isolated with its own pack. In all likelihood, such a dog will probably never function quite as well as a dog that has been out and about, experiencing different situations from an early age.
One solution might be to take the dog on a trial basis for a month to see whether your personalities and interests are a good match. This is much harder to do with a puppy, since its development will be influenced by so many more factors than in the case of an adult dog you take in.
