Dogs Discussions

Why not adopt an adult dog from a local shelter or rescue with KNOWN personality traits, including protectiveness and friendliness?

You'll never know what a puppy will grow up to be.  If you really want a dog that doesn't bark/dig and who is friendly and alert, your best bet is an adult dog with a known temperament and personality.  Getting a puppy is a total crapshoot.  You never know what they will grow up to be: purebreds, show-dogs, mixed breeds, etc. They all are a mystery until they are fully-grown and trained. 

The idea that a dog/puppy has to be raised in a home from 6-8 weeks old in order to be a loyal, obedient, friendly, or protective dog is FALSE.  You can no more control a dog's personality than you can your children's. 

Good advice njchicaa, Yes, I thought about and will consider some of the shelter dogs as well.

 I think it maybe my first place to look.       Thank you.

hi there, a very good choice to have a little protector for yourself. there is so many small breeds to choose from, but it all depends on the size of the dog you yourself prefer. Now i have a cocker spaniel and i have to say he is not the smallest dog you could get, but he is a watchdog and a good one. We had 2 other cockers that passed away awhile ago.

So i got my baby already 7 years ago already. and lucky for me i did not  have to work out so i was with him always. But he is the first one that we have had that does not take off running when you let him outside.

And he lets you know when he hears something or  someone is here, and if the wrong person came into the house they would not get very far.

But there are so many wonderful pets out there, so you might have to do some research on this by the time all your responses come in.

So good luck and if you have any questions please let me know, and i hope this helps. Dee

I agree that getting an older dog will tell you exactly what his or her traits are and you'll be saving a sweet animal from a life of loneliness or worse. If you want a puppy, I do hope you get one at a shelter. My sister got her dog at the SPCA and was told he would be about 30 pounds when full grown. Well, he's 90. BUT he is the best dog ever and she is so in love with him. He's a mixed breed, all white, and as sweet as any dog I ever met. Not a god watch dog though. lol.

I have a Jack Russell Terrier who is a great watchdog. I have no idea if he has anything else mixed in there. I think he may since he's very small, under 14 pounds. He is super loyal, watches over me like I'm a princess, and is easy to care for BUT I wouldn't trust him 100% around young kids. I got him when my kids were young (My youngest was 5) and he never bit them of course but he's cranky when kids dart toward him. I won't even let my young nephews get too close "in case" and that's a big consideration. If you have kids or plan to, you may definitely want an older dog that you know tolerates them well.

Thank you Deeceeba,  I agree there are many womderful pets and I am having a hard time trying  to chose one. I"ll keep researching until I find the one that fits my needs.

My neighbor had a  bossy cocker spaniel named sparky. He thought he owned the entire  Neighborhood!   If he didn't like what his owner gave him for lunch he would self invite himself to our door and others, barking until you let him in or tossed him what ever it was you were having!

He would then either go home or scout the neighborhood for non-neighbors be it people, cats, other dogs and squarrels.

He was a Hoot!  we miss his antics, He died about eight years ago, I believe he was about 10 years old but not sure. But i do know he was up in age.

Thank you, PattyTherre for sharing that with me good advice.

I do agree that if you need certain characteristics, maybe an adult dog would be better. As far as digging (and many other destructive behaviors), most dogs do it when they are bored. If you do need a really little dog because you live in a small space or can't commit to walking miles a day... I may have to go against the grain and say don't adopt a puppy from a shelter (I still say an adult from there is OK, though), if, as in Patty's example, you do want a 30 lb dog and he ends up 90lbs, is it really fair to keep him in a little apartment? When you get a dog and you know what size his parents are (mixed breed or not), you have a way better chance of getting a dog of an appropriate size, and can estimate its exercise needs. Some very large breeds don't need that much exercise.

Adopting a puppy from a shelter is certainly a noble deed, but if it's going to end up right back at the shelter when it's grown (and less chance of being adopted), it would be better placed with another family.

If you can take a chance (for anyone), I would definitely say save a shelter dog. But it's not horrible to go another way.

Thank you pitcherday, I appreciate your comments and your view. Everyone that has written thus far have offered their honest, heartfelt, tips, views,and advice. 

Believe me, I'm thinking all of this through carefully! So that when I bring my little friend home he/she is home to stay.

                                              Thanks again..  Vesty.

pitcherday said…

I may have to go against the grain and say don't adopt a puppy from a shelter (I still say an adult from there is OK, though), if, as in Patty's example, you do want a 30 lb dog and he ends up 90lbs, is it really fair to keep him in a little apartment?

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I've been rescuing animals for 5+ years now.  I do a very good job of estimating the size range that a given puppy will hit when fully grown.  Heck, after only a few months of fostering, my parents adopted a puppy from the rescue I was working with and the vet said she would be 45 pounds fully grown.  (I said 75-95)  HA! She was 35 pounds that week and 45 pounds the very next week.... she is now 95 pounds and 5 years old.  There simply was no excuse for the vet to make such a claim.  I kept telling them that she was going senile and was completely wrong...  5 years later my mother is only just beginning to admit that I was correct. 

There is no benefit for a shelter or rescue to deliberately lie about how big a dog will become because they will inevitably wind up right back in a shelter when they become larger than the "promised" size. 

thanks for being a rescuer! I also don't understand what the motivation would be for lying about the size a dog will become, or even about personality traits. It's counter-productive.

This is also off-topic, so i will just go with the flow and say an adult dog would work out the best. Even if you did want a purebred dog, there are breed rescues for just about every breed there is, and off-track greyhounds make great pets, and need a lot less excersize than you would think. I think they are really gentle and sweet and are crate-trained, and I have seen lots of them around kids. They're really mellow.

Obviously, you have to watch out because they're sighthounds and will take off when they see something dart. they are not that small, but they can be protective, too.