All grown up

[bigdoglover]

Star-Telegram

Adult dog may be better option for adoption

If you're thinking "puppy" when it comes to adding a new member to your home, you may be missing a good bet.

Adult dogs are a better choice for many of today's busy families. These dogs are past the trials of puppy-raising, and are a known commodity when it comes to size, health and temperament. Even better, they can be an amazing bargain: Nearly every purebred or trendy mix can be found in a shelter or from a rescue group. And if you're patient, you can even find a dog with basic training completed.

No matter the age of the dog you're interested in adopting, you must do what you can to find out everything possible beforehand. While expecting to work on some things as your new dog gets used to you is reasonable, you want to avoid those animals who have too many problems, especially if one of them is aggression. Here are some questions that will help you:

What do you know of this dog's history? You may be dealing with a shelter, a rescue volunteer, the dog's original owner or breeder, or a nice person who found a stray. If you find out nothing about him, because he was a stray, don't count him out. If he's healthy, friendly, and otherwise fits your size, coat and activity criteria, he's a contender.

Why is this dog available for adoption? Dogs become available for lots of reasons, some as frivolous as a change in decor. "Losing our home," "divorce" and "death" are some of the most common and sadly understandable reasons for a dog needing a home. "Bites people" obviously is not. Listen, too, for what isn't said: "He needs more exercise than we can give him" may mean "He needs more exercise than anyone could possibly ever give him, and he eats furniture when he doesn't get it."

What behavior problems does this dog have? Many things are fixable and worth considering if you honestly believe you'll take the time to work with the dog. "Pulls on the leash" is fixable. "May bite" is not, at least not by the average pet owner's standards, and not to the extent that you should take a chance on a dog like this. Remember, too, that some problems are the owner's fault, not the dog's. "Won't stay in the yard," for example, may be easily cured by a decent fence and neutering.

How is he with children? Other dogs? Cats? Even if you don't have children, you're going to run into some from time to time. The same is true with other dogs. You can successfully avoid cats if you don't have them, but make certain your prospective pet at least tolerates them well if you have a cat in your home.

If you're getting an animal from a shelter, the organization should have asked the former owner to fill out a card on such things as problems with children or other animals, but there's no guarantee of honesty. If you're adopting from a foster home, ask if the family has other animals and children. If there's no way to determine the dog's attitude toward children and other animals but seems friendly, he may be OK. If you have doubts, however, hold out for an animal that you're sure fits well with your family.

Don't take a dog because you feel sorry for him. If you do, the perfect dog for you may never get a chance to be in a happy home. Choose with your head, not your heart. There are lots of dogs to choose from, and you'll be doing a good deed no matter which one you take.