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I was caught in a conversation the other day that I have had many, many times in the years that I’ve worked at the South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter. It started as an inquiry as to what puppies we had available. For reasons that I’d rather not go into, suffice it to say that I was less than comfortable with the caller’s suitability in raising a puppy. This is in no way meant to insinuate that the caller would be anything other than loving with any animal, but puppies are not the right fit for everyone and it takes a whole lot more than love to raise a pup.

I had a couple of concerns with this situation, one being that the family in question had no time for the rigors of housebreaking and general training. The second concern was that the breed they were seeking is high-maintenance and typically in need of dedicated, disciplined owners. When I expressed my objections, I got the argument that they really wanted a puppy that would grow up with the family and become the perfect companion.

When the “I want a puppy that can grow up with my kids” thing came up, I knew I was in for a much longer conversation. It was one I was more than ready to get into, though, because I knew that if I couldn’t sway this gentleman’s opinion, we likely would have a failed adoption somewhere down the line. Here at the shelter, we see many dogs surrendered that are in that 1- to 2-year-old range. This is very typical, especially in larger breeds. As they reach true maturity, their real personality develops; they become more headstrong and whatever breed they are, the traits that were purposefully engineered in them come to fruition. Although mixed-breed traits tend to be watered down with the expansion of the gene pool, you still may get some strong breed-related behaviors from them. People often will put up with small dogs’ bad behavior, but once they get past the 20-pound range, people become much less forgiving.

Some of these behaviors may not be bad; it may just be that they don’t fit into the lifestyle of the owner. With a puppy, there is no knowing what the finished product will be. I have seen people do all the right things as dog owners and still face failure in the end. This is why it’s so important to do research before you bring a new pet into your home. Size matters! Breed matters! Age matters! Your expectations and lifestyle matter! Like children, you can educate them, shelter them and give them all you have to give, but they are still going to develop their own personalities and traits, which can’t be corrected or trained away.

Therein lies my argument for adopting adult animals. They are who they are. They’ve reached their maximum size. There will be no question as to what their grooming needs will be. You will know if they are warm and wiggly or cool and aloof. You will know if they have the attention span of a gnat. You will know within a very short time whether they will fit into your lifestyle or not. Most importantly, you will give a pet a second chance at life.

Source: Why you should consider adopting an adult pet

Posted in 2017, SJRAS Articles