Adopting A Dog: Puppies and Adult Dogs

Before you choose a dog for your home, this firm commitment must be made: Everyone in the household must agree on which dog to adopt, and agree that they will keep him, no matter what.

If you adopt an older dog with the idea that you’ll “see how it goes,” you risk creating behavior problems- the dog had already lost at least one “family,” so he already has feelings of social insecurity.

When these feelings combine with the dog’s ability to sense whether or not you sincerely want him, you can appreciate that the dog could suffer a double dose of insecurity. Also, he may have had behavior problems in a former home.

Previous owners rarely mention them because they want to place the pet in a nice home. However, even if there were problems in the past, they won’t necessarily carry over to yours, especially if you follow basic obedience training advice.