Buying A Dog: Which Is Right For You – Puppy Or Older Dog?

When you want to buy a dog, your thoughts naturally turn to puppies. They're so cute and adorable… However, a puppy may not be a good choice, especially if you don't have a lot of time to spend with your dog.

A puppy is demanding

A pup is a baby, and babies are demanding. If you're home most of the time, a puppy is a great idea. When you buy a pup, the pup grows with you. You can teach the puppy everything he needs to know, from house training to obedience training.

You have the joy of watching your pup sprout up, from a baby to a young adult, all within the space of a year.

What you see is what you get (mostly) when you buy an older dog

When you buy an older dog, someone else has raised and trained him. He's grown, so you don't need to concern yourself with feeding him several times a day, or with house training. If you're lucky, perhaps he's already obedience trained too.

It takes around three weeks for a dog to settle into his new home, so you won't be completely sure of your dog's personality until he's been with you for a while. Unfortunately this can mean that you've bought a dog with problems: he may be a barker, or a digger, or have another trait that you'll have to train him out of. It's rare that an older dog has no problems at all.

So there you have it, puppy or older dog: which is the right dog for you?