Introduction

If you are considering adding a dog to your household, stop and take a few minutes to consider if you are really ready for the responsibility having a dog will entail. And if you are thinking of adding a puppy, you really need to consider if you, your family and your current lifestyle can accommodate a new puppy and if you are ready to expend the time and money needed to properly raise one.

Step One: Evaluate Your Lifestyle

Are you at home enough for a puppy? Or is your work close enough to your home for you to come home several times a day and let the puppy out or walk him? If the answer to either is yes, then great. You are a good candidate for owning a puppy. Puppies need a consistent schedule with plenty of opportunities to eliminate, where you want them to. Their bladders and bowels are small and they cannot ?hold it? until you get home.

Chewing: Puppies teethe just like human babies and chew while their new little dog teeth emerge. Items of clothing, shoes, belts, electrical cords (which are potentially very dangerous to your puppy) and other household items will full of puppy tooth marks while your new dog breaks in his new teeth.

Sleep: If you are someone who needs 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night, then a puppy is not for you. Your new puppy will be very demanding. For one, he will miss his litter mates. Ticking clocks, hot water bottles and plush toys will not be an adequate substitute and will not be able to make a puppy ball with your new family member. If you have had children, owning a new puppy will be a lot like having a newborn human baby.

Exercise: Puppies love to play. If you or other members of your family have time and energy to play with your new dog, then great, you are in for a real treat. Puppies love to play.

Step 2: What Size And Type Of Dog Do You Want?

Size: The space you have available for a dog will be a prime driver in the size of dog you adopt. If you adopt a puppy, you may not know how big the dog will ultimately grow to be. If you have a single family home with a good-sized yard, the size of the dog will matter less. If you live in an apartment of a high-rise building, the size of the dog will matter more. On the other hand, if you adopt an adult dog, there will be no mystery about what the ultimate size of the dog will be.

Do I Need An Instant Friend? With an older dog, you automatically have a buddy that can go anywhere and everything with you right now.

Bond: Rescued dogs will quickly bond with their new family. Dogs who have been uprooted from their homes or had a tough start in life are more likely to bond with their new people. Those dogs who have lost their families because of death, divorce, or other upheaval go through a terrible grieving process. But once attached to a new family they will be anxious to please. They know too well what losing a family is like, and they will not be interested in going through that again, ever. A rescue dog knows what it is like to be loose and without a permanent home. He or she will appreciate you that much more. Most rescue dogs will make exceptionally affectionate and attentive pets who will make a wonderful lifetime companion.

Dog & Your Home Checklist

Take this quick test to determine the type of dog that best suits you and your family?s lifestyle.

1.I have the time to walk and train a new puppy several times a day.
yes no.
If yes, one point for a puppy. If no, add a point for an older dog.

2.I do not mind too much if some of my property gets chewed by a playful puppy.
yes no.
If you do not mind, score one point for a puppy. If you do mind, score one point for an older dog.

3.A good night?s sleep is not as important for me because I can nap or I do not require as much sleep as other people.
Sleep not important Sleep at night is important. If you can manage without a full night?s sleep, score a point for a new puppy. If you need your sleep, score a point for an older dog.

4.I have the time and inclination to spend time playing with a new dog.
yes, I have time no, my time is limited.
If your answer is yes, then score a point for owning a puppy. If you answered no, score a point for an older dog.

5.The ultimate size of the dog does not matter much because I have plenty of space.
size does not matter, I have room my space is very limited.
If the ultimate size of the dog is not an issue for you, score a point for adopting a puppy. On the other hand if the space you have is constrained, score a point for the known quantity of an older dog.

6.Having a good idea of the dog?s personality is important because I need the dog to be a good match for me and my family.
If the personality is less important, score a point for a puppy.
I need to know the temperament of the dog when I adopt, score a point for an older dog.

Score Your Results
If you scored any of the questions for an older dog, you should seriously consider adopting an older one only. While all puppies are adorable, cuteness is not the best reason for adopting a dog. So many people think that dogs in a shelter are somehow inferior. But it is not uncommon for a very expensive, purebed dog to end up in a shelter because people send their dogs to a shelter for lots of reasons, most of which have nothing to do with the dog. The original owner may not have had the money or the time to adequately care for the dog. Often times, divorce, illness or death are why the dog ends up in the shelter. Good rescue shelters will evaluate both the dog and the prospective owner before they are matched.

Conclusion
Choosing a rescue dog over a purchased pup is a decision only you and your family can make. The information presented here is designed to help you make an informed decision. Adopting a rescue dog will help give a potentially wonderful pet a second chance at life, so adopting a rescue will give him a second chance at life.

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To learn more about the plight of adult dogs who need a home, visit http://www.gettingluckythedog.com. To contact the author, call Harold Nicoll at 989-839-8293 or via email at hgnicoll@sbcglobal.net.