You’ve weighed the pros and cons and have come to the conclusion that you want to bring a new canine friend into your home. But should it be a young puppy or, perhaps, an older dog?

Undoubtedly it can be lots of fun having a playful puppy in the house. However, adopting a puppy is a major decision requiring a major time commitment. For the first couple of weeks, both you and your new pup will have to adjust to your new living arrangements. There may be a few sleepless nights in store for both of you. In addition, new puppies must be supervised closely and properly taught what is and is not acceptable behavior. And don’t forget housetraining! In some cases this can be a difficult time with numerous “accidents” to clean up. Your patience while housetraining a puppy may be stretched to the limit. Also, young pups love to chew on things. Keep in mind that it may take at least six to eight months for your little buddy to outgrow his chewing phase and another 12 months until he’s fully mature.

It’s very important to carefully consider whether or not your lifestyle can be adapted in order to deal with the challenges that a new puppy will present. Should you determine that you really can’t provide the time and attention that a puppy requires you may find that adopting a mature dog can be an excellent alternative.

With longer attention spans than excitable puppies, an adult dog is generally easier to train. Adult dogs that lived with another family are likely already housetrained. There may still be a few accidents at first but it won’t take long for an adult dog to adapt to your rules. You may find that they have already learned some basic commands and/or cute tricks. Since an adult dog may have lived with other children in their previous home, they may adapt to children in your home much more easily. Also when playing with a puppy you’ll undoubtedly discover that they have needle-sharp baby teeth that can accidentally injure a young child.

Another option to consider is the adoption of a canine “senior citizen”. All too often, older dogs in shelters are considered unadoptable even though they can still have many more good years to offer to a loving family. Rescuing an older dog from an untimely demise can be a reward all its own.

When choosing between an adult dog or a new puppy, try to consider every aspect of your pet’s, and your own, needs. Adopting a dog should be great fun, but it also requires a major commitment on your part to ensure a healthy, long lasting partnership between you and your new best friend.

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