The how much thread got me thinking.. why isn't this more in demand..

Dekka

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#1
So my friend who has Snip loves him, a lot. But she is constantly telling me how much other people love him. (she leaves him with friends if she is busy for the day sort of thing) They all think he is just the best.

Snip is 5 now, very well mannered. Obedient, walks on a loose leash (even in down town Toronto with all its distractions), house trained, fine on public transit, in stores, doesn't bug people when in crowded elevator.. etc etc.

When she borrowed Kaiden in the summer (to see if she could handle a dog.. Kaiden loves all humans equally so its not biggy for him to go live with someone) Same deal, he was told he was welcome everywhere he went.

(now forgetting these are a JRTs lol, and not normally what people think of as fantastic urban dogs) Why aren't dogs like this in demand? Why is it people will drop $$$ on a puppy that knows nothing, will disrupt your sleep, need training, need more vet costs etc. But people don't want to take adult dogs. I mean I get the whole awww cute puppy. Yet soo many people just want a well mannered pet, but don't have the time to put into training one.

(by people I am not really referring to chazers.. more to JQ Public types)
 
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#2
Hey... I mentioned wanting an adult in that thread :p

I loved seeing mine as puppies but honestly I like adult dogs better... plus I dont plan on adding my next dog for 2-3 years down the road and at that point will probably not be able to dedicate the kind of time needed to housetrain.

I think in the general population it all boils down to the "aww" factor... its why people buy dogs from petstores and why people get dogs they arent ready for... they cant resist a cute puppy... when in reality most people would be much better off with an adult dog.
 

Dekka

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#3
lol I noticed your post actually and went WOW smart! :) When I got Ferret (she didnt' work out long term, very strange dog!!!) I specifically was looking for another JRT that was not a puppy.
 

Romy

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#4
Most times when you're getting an adult, you're getting a rescue. Rescues often find themselves homeless as adults because they weren't trained, so people are taking on large, ill mannered beasts with who knows what kind of socialization.

Usually when I talk to people about getting a dog, and I tell them about getting an adult dog from a breeder they get very excited about it. A couple of them did go on to get adult collies from good breeders. One collie was the pick of the litter, but he was monorchid. The breeder hoped his testicle would drop, but when it didn't she neutered him and put him in a pet home. He had tons of training and socialization, a really great healthy dog. The family was very glad to get him.
 

Doberluv

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#5
Well, I think it boils down to science. People are naturally attracted to babies. It's an evolutionary thing...an advantageous thing for survival. We are so attracted to babies that they've bred dogs to have baby faces....the wide forhead, wide set apart and large eyes, flatter faces like a human baby. They've even done studies on how much we are drawn to these physical features. So, the "awwww, it's a snuggly puppy" phenomenon has more appeal than "meets the eye." It's inherent. It's our instinct to nurture babies that is such a strong influence in that pull to have a puppy.

It takes an ample amount of compensation...of logic and sensibility to resist a puppy and get an adult dog that doesn't have to have all that training a puppy needs, generally. Anyhow....that's my take on it.
 

Doberluv

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#6
To add....if I were to get another dog, my sensibility tells me how nice it would be to skip over that difficult puppy period. On the other hand, I still have that strong pull toward a squishable, adorable puppy. It would be a hard choice for me. Also, there is something to starting out with a fresh slate....to raise them from scratch....even though adult dogs can adapt just fine and their behaviors can be modified. But some of their past experiences may make it so certain things about them will not be worked through.....things like a lack of good, early socialization, sometimes certain abuses etc. So, the clean slate thing has it's appeal too. But so does giving an adult dog a good home when he's had a rotten time up to the present.
 

Dekka

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#7
Carrie.. though knowing your enjoyment in training I can totally see wanting the fresh slate. I am the same way (except when Darien was small and not wanting a puppy then) Kat has been a blast so far!

I am thinking of your typical family where both parents work and have kids. If they bought a young (like yearish) trained, fixed, socialized dog they would be much better off than getting that squishy adorable puppy. They often want the ideal dog but don't have the time nor skills to get it there.
 

CaliTerp07

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#8
I much prefer getting adult dogs. My lifestyle doesn't allow for puppies. Lucy was 3-4 when we got her, and I think that's pretty ideal.

My MIL on the other hand, says her ideal is 6 months. She wants to avoid any chance of "issues" with an older rescue dog (and she doesn't have the patience to spend time evaluating dozens of dogs).
 

Doberluv

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Carrie.. though knowing your enjoyment in training I can totally see wanting the fresh slate. I am the same way (except when Darien was small and not wanting a puppy then) Kat has been a blast so far!

I am thinking of your typical family where both parents work and have kids. If they bought a young (like yearish) trained, fixed, socialized dog they would be much better off than getting that squishy adorable puppy. They often want the ideal dog but don't have the time nor skills to get it there.
Oh yes! I totally agree with you. I think the adult dog is a much, much better choice for many people. Like I say, even though I enjoy training, I'd even think twice these days, as I'm getting older (not that old yet)lol...but sort of tired.:eek: And I don't have quite the energy that I use to. I might consider an older dog myself.
 

BostonBanker

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#10
I do see people smartening up about it. More and more people I know say, "no, I don't want a puppy!". Meg was perfect - about a year, old enough to really work with, old enough to be basically housebroken in a matter of days, young enough to still be molded.

There are a couple particular breeds on my "want" list that I would want from puppies for various reasons. But for the most part, a 6 - 18 month old dog is perfect.

I often get "what a perfect/ideal dog" comments about Meg as well, mostly from friends of my parents who are entering retirement and looking to get a dog. When I say, "Oh, a friend of mine who runs a rescue found her for me; do you want her website?" they say, "no, we don't want to take on someone else's problems". Well, folks - there are a whole lot of super dogs who were someone else's problem. Most ill-started adult dogs can probably be trained to be wonderful house dogs faster than an 8 week old puppy can :rolleyes:.
 

milos_mommy

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I don't think it's not more in demand...it's just that most people who have a well trained adult dog aren't looking to give it up, it's part of the family. I'm sure most people going to shelters to look for an adult are going to JUMP at the first trained, well manner dog they see, because most are completely unruly.
 

Sweet72947

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#12
Most times when you're getting an adult, you're getting a rescue. Rescues often find themselves homeless as adults because they weren't trained, so people are taking on large, ill mannered beasts with who knows what kind of socialization.
I think this is a rather broad statement. Many dogs I have known in rescue have come knowing at least some basic commands, and many, many adopters send us updates telling us the dog they adopted was already house-trained. If you adopt a dog who is two years old or younger, then yes, chances are you will have to deal with a few obnoxious behaviors (mainly mouthing and jumping up), and will probably have to give the dog a refresher course in house-training. But, these things really don't take much effort to fix most of the time, and if you aren't willing to put a least a tiny bit of effort into owning a dog, why own a dog?
 

Dekka

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#13
I don't think it's not more in demand...it's just that most people who have a well trained adult dog aren't looking to give it up, it's part of the family. I'm sure most people going to shelters to look for an adult are going to JUMP at the first trained, well manner dog they see, because most are completely unruly.
See I wasn't thinking of the people goign to shelters. I was thinking of people who want a well bred (nsert breed here) Thinking of puppies.. easy to sell when little. Not nearly as easy when they are older.. but they are then pre socialized, crate trained etc etc.. You would think pet homes would be more excited by them. But it seems they want a 'discount' for it being older. Not that I have dealt with 'pet homes' in years, but I remember. And I have heard this from other breeders.
 

Paige

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#14
I'd drop more money on a well behave adult than I would on a pup. I can walk away from a cute face.
 

MandyPug

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#15
I would go for an adult or older pup but it depends on what kind of training it's had and the style it's learned... Izzie is my clean slate and i've trained her how i like, but my older 2 were trained the basics and potty training by my parents who are old school. So when you say sit to them they cower or don't do anything until they see you have food, whereas Izzie will do it no matter what because i don't let my parents touch her at all.

So really it'd depend on the dog.

For a regular family with kids and such i'd be all for them getting an older pup or young adult (or even an older adult) that was trained because i know they just wouldn't be likely to have the time or effort. However i'd still recommend they be open and consider all options and see which clicks the best.
 

Doberluv

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#16
I wish I could walk away from a cute face easily. LOL. The thing is, it's not just the cute face. Puppies are so interesting to me. They're such sponges and I really enjoy seeing them develop and go through their phases. I love teaching them the things they need to know to grow up into a civilized member of society. It's rewarding. Training is my thing. It interests me. On the other hand, they are indeed a lot of work.:eek: So, yeah....the decision would not be that easy for me. The decision to get another dog at all wouldn't be that easy for me. I'm sort of maxed out right now.

Why, oh why do I see everything in shades of gray?:eek:
 

lizzybeth727

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#17
If they bought a young (like yearish) trained, fixed, socialized dog they would be much better off than getting that squishy adorable puppy.
But where does one find such a dog??

Really the only way would be from a breeder. Let's say I want an adult collie - socialized, trained, the whole works. I can't even begin to think about how much time money a good trainer would have to put into raising a puppy for a year - socializing, taking it to puppy classes, training it at home, etc. - and not just one puppy, but the whole litter. And that's AFTER all the health testing and other costs that come along with breeding a good litter. So now, if I'm already looking at spending $1000 for a good puppy from a good breeder, how much more would I have to spend to reimburse that breeder for all the work that's gone into that puppy for the past year?? No way JQP is going to spend that much, IMO.
 

Laurelin

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#19
I like getting adults from breeders. We've gone that route 3 times now and it's been great. Summer was soooo much easier to adjust to than Mia was.
 

Laurelin

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But where does one find such a dog??

Really the only way would be from a breeder. Let's say I want an adult collie - socialized, trained, the whole works. I can't even begin to think about how much time money a good trainer would have to put into raising a puppy for a year - socializing, taking it to puppy classes, training it at home, etc. - and not just one puppy, but the whole litter. And that's AFTER all the health testing and other costs that come along with breeding a good litter. So now, if I'm already looking at spending $1000 for a good puppy from a good breeder, how much more would I have to spend to reimburse that breeder for all the work that's gone into that puppy for the past year?? No way JQP is going to spend that much, IMO.
Actually most people I know sell their retirees and grown out pups for LESS. It may just be because I'm in toy dogs but breeders often keep multiple pups and grow them out to 6-14 months or so. These dogs are already house trained and socialized and may have basic obedience. They sell for less simply because most people want cute puppies.

It's really easy to find an adult papillon and I'd almost guarantee unless the dog is conformation titled, it will be significantly less than a puppy. Summer was $500 at 4 years and Mia as $1600 as a puppy.
 

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