Choosing an Adolescent or Adult Dog

by Trish King

Having a happy relationship with your dog means learning how to work together. If there´s a topic you´d like to see Trish cover, email editors@fetchthepaper.com.

Last month, we looked at choosing a puppy. This month, we’ll look at the older dog from adolescent (five months to two and a half years) to adult. As with all dogs it’s a big decision, and you should seriously consider whether you have time enough to devote to the animal. Let’s look at some pros and cons.

The good

• Most people worry about housetraining, although believe me, there are many worse behavior problems. With an adolescent or adult, there’s a very good chance the dog is already housetrained. Even dogs who are not housetrained can be fairly easy to teach unless their previous owners actually impeded learning by their actions. Small dogs are usually harder to housetrain whether you acquire them at eight weeks or five months.
• Oftentimes previous owners have already trained, or attempted to train, an older dog. It’s very likely he’ll know the cue “sit,” for instance and perhaps “lie down.” If you’re very lucky, he may have been taught not to beg or pull on the leash when walking.
• He’ll have gone through at least one of his chewing stages. There are two, one at about four months, the other at eight months or so. The older the dog, the less likely to chew he will be.

The not so good

• The first all-important socialization period (eight weeks to three months) has passed, and you normally have no idea how his previous owners handled it.
• He’s had ample time to develop a lot of bad habits like begging or running away when called.
• You’ll be catapulted into working with an already formed personality without having the benefit of knowing past behavior.

Testing, 1-2-3, testing; can you hear me?

Just as you can test a puppy to see whether he’ll fit into your household, you can test an adult. Keep in mind that no test has been proven to be 100% correct in predicting a dog’s personality. After all, we are talking about a sentient being and the art of behavior. Your major criteria should always be whether you “click” with the dog and whether you can envision him or her in your household.

The dog’s appearance can play a big part in the way he will act, at least because it shows some of his family tree. Different breeds were bred for different jobs, and their physical make-up can give you clues as to what a dog’s ancestors did for a living. Just because he’s fluffy and cute doesn’t mean he’s the best dog for you. But by all means check out the dog who attracts you the most, and then withhold judgment for a bit. And do explore different breed behavior.

Friendliness first!

First try to take the dog somewhere where you and your family can be alone with him. Let him sniff around a bit, and then call him. If he doesn’t have a name or he’s just received one from a shelter or rescue group, you can try just calling him “puppy.” It’s amazing how many dogs answer to that. Your perfect dog is one who will look up at you and trot over to you, wagging his tail, expecting a good time, not one that jumps all over you and pushes you down. A dog who wants to stay with you is even better, especially if he sits in front of you and doesn’t jump up. Think twice about a dog who doesn’t acknowledge your presence. He may just be cautious or shy, or he may not like people very much.

After you’ve called him, start petting him to see how he reacts. Some dogs are eager to be petted, and some dogs are a bit more standoffish. If you have kids in your family, you probably want a dog who likes being touched, petted, handled, tugged, and pulled on. You want the ultimate tolerant dog. If he stares at you as though you’re making a social gaffe, moves away, or worse, growls at you, then perhaps leave him for another family. A growl is a dog’s way of communicating that he doesn’t like what you are doing! You should also let the owner, shelter, or rescue group know that he growled.

Now play with him. Get a little rough, maybe even pull out a tug toy and see what happens. See how excited he becomes and whether he starts being a bit over-enthusiastic when he is excited. Some dogs actually seem to throw themselves at you, kind of like a football player. This can be hard to live with, especially if you have human children, and it can hurt! It also doesn’t bode particularly well if the dog plays with other dogs like that, since some dogs take offence to being rushed or body slammed. At any rate, after he’s excited, suddenly stop playing and just stand there. We want to find out how quickly he calms down. The faster he calms down, the more likely it is he will be able to relax in your home.

You should try to find out whether he’s possessive, whether he guards his toys or food. If you have something that he might like a lot, like a chew toy, give it to him (with permission of course), and let him work on it for a few minutes. Then approach him slowly and watch his behavior. Here are some signs that the dog has possession issues:

1. he takes the chewy to the corner farthest from you or under a chair,
2. he stiffens when you walk close to him, or
3. he growls at you.

Dogs who like to share usually chew on their toy right on top of your feet, or offer it to you, with tail and body wagging. If you’ve got kids, don’t mess with a possessive dog! No matter how much care we take, food or toys drop out of children’s hands, and you don’t want the child and the dog fighting over them.

The last test is the one you have to take. Do you like him? There is no such thing as a dog who doesn’t disrupt your life to some extent, usually a lot. If you don’t like him you may end up hating him, leaving him in the back yard, or otherwise ostracizing him.

Some people actually go out of their way to adopt a senior citizen dog or one with health issues. This is one of the most humane things an adopter can do, but there are some things you should keep in mind. Dogs who don’t feel well, for instance, sometimes become less tolerant, even testy. The same can be true of older dogs. They may not handle change well, and they may require physical management, like ramps for cars or stairs. It’s almost a given that they will need all of your patience at some point. But then that’s true of all dogs!