Adult vs. puppy, big vs. small

Laurelin

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#21
Mia was supposed to be a border collie puppy. I decided to get a papillon puppy instead for a few reasons. 1) At the time I was moving around a lot and renting apartments. Mia was more portable and I had a lot more rental options. 2) Mia and Summer are the same size and I do think that is MUCH easier to handle. You can handle multiple sizes but I love that mine can play and I don't have to worry. 3) Summer is a little DR and she gets on better with puppies than adults. Adding Mia was a breeze and she's the best dog I've ever owned. My dogs get along great and are easy to take places together. It all worked out perfectly.

My next dog will be bigger and a puppy. I'm settled into a place and job I can see myself in for a long time. I have a yard now. I'm not moving although I am saving for a house. I have two good training places I'm already established with and already know what classes the pup will take. I finally have enough income to comfortably take a bunch of classes and get a dog walker and not feel crunched. since getting into dogsports there's things I want to try with a bigger dog now. I also want a puppy I can implement all the new sports training knowledge I now have on. I'm super excited about that. Raising Mia was a blast and I love molding an eager and bright little pup into a good dog.

I never want a BIG dog. Medium (bc/aussie sized) is as big as I will ever go. not a good fit for what I want to do and just not many big breeds that really interest me.
 

rubygirl

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#22
At this point in my life I would be interested in a small-medium, young adult dog. 15-40 pounds and between 10 months-1.5 years. I DO NOT like potty training at ALL!
I also like that you can already ascertain their personality and behavior, whereas a puppy (especially from a byb) could end up being a total psycho.
I got Ruby when she was 4.5 months old and she does have some fear/insecurity issues due to not being socialized. She also suffers from mild S.A. :( We love her to death though... she is fantastic in every other way and just LOVES our kids!
 

Aleron

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#23
For me personally, it's pretty much puppies without a second thought. And young puppies. I don't see myself seeking out an older puppy or adult and if I were to become interested in one, it would have to be a dog I knew was raised in a similar way to my own dogs. And even then, bringing an adult dog into my current group would be much more difficult then bringing a puppy in so it would have to be the absolute right dog. I find myself wishing I could have gotten the Brown Stick Puppy a month or so sooner, I think it would have made a world of difference with him.

I like medium sized dogs best, anywhere between 25-50ish lbs is about perfect, although a bit more or less would be ok too. My current dogs range from 26 - 54 lbs I think.
 

Southpaw

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#25
I struggle with this sometimes too, mostly because puppies take TIME and if I'm working, I don't know that I'll want to give them that time. But I do love training puppies. I love how enthusiastic they are, what sponges they are, and I don't get frustrated with puppies like I do with adults that don't "get it." I'm on extreme ends of the spectrum - I either want a breeder puppy, or to adopt a senior. LOL adopting a young adult does not appeal to me unless it's the PERFECT dog for me.

It's a fun process for me too - I made mistakes raising Lucy. I didn't make those mistakes with Juno, but I made different mistakes. And I'm curious to see what I would do with another puppy; what new mistakes would I make?

Size is easy for me. I like medium sized dogs, can't imagine wanting small dogs until I'm an old lady. I think Juno is the perfect size (50lbs), I would go slightly smaller but not much.
 
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#26
Choose a Breed Based on Your Space, Time and Energy Limitations

I can certainly sympathize with the difficulty of making your decision. Deciding between different breeds or types of dogs can be incredibly difficult. I think the best way to approach this decision may be to think about the types of breeds and what each one needs. A big breed such as a German shepherd would probably not be a wise choice for an apartment dweller in the middle of a city.

Also consider if you want to have a working dog that will need a fair amount of exercise each day. After coming home, you might not feel like taking him out for a run, at the end of every day.
 

Brattina88

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#27
Which 4 Breeds are you considering?? :D Inquiring minds and all... :p


I think your reasons for not adding a larger dog sound really valid, although I completely understand wanting a bigger one! When I lived with my parents we added Missy (GSD) and she was Perfect! She was an adult rescue, and I wouldn't have had that any other way. Her temperament was stable, she was easily trained, and fit in perfectly with everyone in the family. She was (and still is) my heart dog.
But you're right, she wasn't as portable as Maddie, and she wasn't welcome everywhere like Maddie was just because of her size (and her shedding lol) like to friends/family's houses and such. But depending on where you're thinking about going, something a tad bigger than Jackson would still be portable. Which is okay, but she just had to stay home more than Maddie did.
Bailey is taller and "bigger" than Maddie, though they both weigh about the same. Maddie is 21lbs and Bailey was around 25lbs when I took her to the vet last but she was getting a little heavy and I think she is down more with all the exercise this summer... but anyways... I believe they're both bigger than Jackson, but still totally portable. Plus, cost of food and stuff like that is less than a bigger dog ;)

puppy vs. adult is really personal preference. I am not much of a puppy person myself, I mean, I LOVE puppies, but I never have much of a desire to raise one again. Maddie was my last puppy and we're going on 10 years ago :eek: of course, I puppy-sit occasionally, and its just enough of a reminder to bring me back down to reality lol. Puppies are A LOT of work... house training (main one right there lol) and the stuff I haven't had to worry about in years like mouthing/chewing, socializing from scratch, even stuff like leash training, puppy $hots, etc lol

I was on a puppy list for a sheltie breeder (still technically am). It was hard to get on the list, and now wait wait wait. Of course, in the mean time I got Bailey, which I don't regret for a second and she is absolutely the dog I needed (not necessarily the perfect dog I "wanted" at the time, but I was wrong!) and if/when a litter comes around, I have to do some serious consideration on my part. I love the idea of a puppy, but to be honest, if I would've gotten a puppy instead around the time I got Bailey, it wouldn't have been good... because my hours changed at work to where I could not take a lunch break to let them out, and then I moved, and it would have been really hard on a young pup. The adult dogs adapted fine, though. Plus I got to train/play with Bailey in classes that I've always wanted to do without waiting for bones to grow. RallyO, Agility, I LOVE that she runs with me on the bike, hiking, the lake, treibball .... but anyways...

If it were me, and I was wanting to add a bigger dog and I already had a smaller dog, I would absolutely go with an adult. Because like you said, with an adult dog, normally what you see is what you get. Their personality is already set, you'll know if they're good around smaller dogs, and any potential problems depending on where they come from, of course. But, that's just me ;)

Now if you like raising a puppy and molding a puppy, than I say go for it! And take lots of pictures because when you look back, it goes by so fast!:D
But if you go for an adult, you don't have to wait for them to have all of their shots to start socializing and training. If your patient, you can absolutely find the perfect fit for you.
 

JacksonsMom

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#28
Which 4 Breeds are you considering?? :D Inquiring minds and all... :p
A Silky Terrier, a Papillon, or an English Shepherd or Border Collie. I guess sort of 5 because I've really been looking at Border Terriers too, but I don't know if I could get used to the wiry hair that has to be stripped- I def prefer softer hair.

Basically, I just know I want to add a second dog, but I really don't want to wait a whole lot longer, and if my second dog were going to be a breed like a BC or an ES, it would definitely be wise of me to wait a lot longer.

I know within a year I'll be renting. I am almost sure of it. There's these new apartments being built that are starting in January and the price is pretty good for this area, so I was looking into being put on a waiting list, my dad is going to help me out. I know it's going to be pet friendly, but they weren't sure on the size limit yet. So yeah I dunno, I kinda am just getting impatient and Jackson is going to be 4 in October (which is obviously not OLD) but I did not want to wait a whole lot longer to add another.

So I'm not sure if I should branch out or not. I'm really comfortable with Jackson, and he's honestly the perfect dog for me, and I think I want another like him (hence why I was interested in Silky Terriers) but then I don't wanna get stuck on one breed either and now is the PERFECT time in my life to have a high energy breed like a border collie. But gahhh I don't know.

Maybe I should just plan on my second dog being a smaller breed and then even a few more years down the road have a BC or some kind of "bigger" dog as a third.

Lol.

I don't know. I must say I really appreciate the easiness of a smaller dog whenever I dogsit for someone else and am reminded of how easy it is.
 

*blackrose

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#29
Totally no input to this thread at all....

But you need a Cooper. I will box him up and ship him to you and just tell Mike he ran away. :D Seriously, though...I really wish Mike wasn't hell bent on keeping them both. I like them as dogs, but I would be just as happy to see them in loving homes that weren't ours.
 

Grab

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#30
I prefer medium/larger dogs. (abover 45ish lbs). I'm fine with both adults or puppies. I don't particularly LOVE the puppy stage, but it's not horrible. Except Chow puppies....I love them.

While we've adopted adult dogs in the past, we'll probably stick with puppies from now on, just because we have a child. Yes, I do believe that adult dogs can (and do!) adopt into homes with kids just fine, I'm personally more comfy with a puppy.

There could always be a special case one day, though.
 

ihartgonzo

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#32
I vote for a large puppy... But that's for me. :p

I'm a really great puppy raiser! I've raised about twenty now, and all of them have turned out to be AMAZING dogs. The few dogs I haven't raised have been a serious pain, including Gonzo. I love him, but if I had raised him he'd be a much happier dog.

I love other peoples little dogs, and I might end up with one someday... But I need a big dog to do the work that I'm into. I also like feeling safe with my dogs around.
 

JacksonsMom

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#33


Just going to leave this here, with the fact that he's looking for a new home. :popcorn:

:lol-sign::lol-sign:

Hmmm is there a particular REASON you are wanting to find a new home?

I don't need any annoying little-dog-syndrome type dogs :rofl1:

I don't really like 99% of Yorkies to be honest. Jackson is one in a million. I'm SO lucky he's not the typical Yorkie.
 

JessLough

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#34
:lol-sign::lol-sign:

Hmmm is there a particular REASON you are wanting to find a new home?

I don't need any annoying little-dog-syndrome type dogs :rofl1:

I don't really like 99% of Yorkies to be honest. Jackson is one in a million. I'm SO lucky he's not the typical Yorkie.
:lol-sign: from what I understand, Dana's.... grandmother? or aunt or something gave him to her, but Dana can't have a third dog, so he's with her mom and dad right now, and they don't want another dog either :p

ETA: Our immediate thought was how he'd make a perfect brother for Jackson...
 

PWCorgi

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#35
I vote for a large puppy... But that's for me. :p

I'm a really great puppy raiser! I've raised about twenty now, and all of them have turned out to be AMAZING dogs. The few dogs I haven't raised have been a serious pain, including Gonzo. I love him, but if I had raised him he'd be a much happier dog.

I love other peoples little dogs, and I might end up with one someday... But I need a big dog to do the work that I'm into. I also like feeling safe with my dogs around.
When I decide it is time for a puppy, can I just send it to you and you can send it back when it's like 9mos-1yr old?
 

JacksonsMom

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#36
I vote for a large puppy... But that's for me. :p

I'm a really great puppy raiser! I've raised about twenty now, and all of them have turned out to be AMAZING dogs. The few dogs I haven't raised have been a serious pain, including Gonzo. I love him, but if I had raised him he'd be a much happier dog.

I love other peoples little dogs, and I might end up with one someday... But I need a big dog to do the work that I'm into. I also like feeling safe with my dogs around.
I have helped to raise a few puppies, too, and I admit, I DO like the puppy stage (most of the time). I also liked feeling safe when I was with the Rottie that I used to watch. Although I wouldn't be going that big for a long time, but even so, I think having a 35-45lb dog would be nice to have around. I'd like a giant breed a long way down the road when maybe I am not into dog sports or doing a lot of active things with my dogs. But anytime in the near future, no bigger than like 40-50lbs hopefully.

I've kind of been turned off of adult rescues since my dad adopted his dog at a little over 1. He seemed sooo sweet and awesome in the shelter. He was very friendly, playful enough but not overly. Now he's just a barking maniac who is totally antisocial and doesn't really enjoy any activities except a short walk and cuddling on the couch. Lol. Sooo not my kind of dog. I tried to teach him to shake, and I've only gotten him to the point where he *very* slowly lifts his leg up for me. Ha. It's so annoying. But my point is he was totally different in the shelter than he is now. And I know that's not always the case. I think if a dog had been living in a foster home for a bit, and knew more about how he was in a home setting, I'd be more apt to do it.
 

ihartgonzo

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#37
I can't say I'm a yorkie fan either. There's nothing wrong with them, but most lack much personality..... And I groom lots! Like nearly half my clients are yorkies. I don't understand why they're one of the top needs. Jackson is definitely the coolest Yorkie ever! I'd be a big fan if they were all geniuses like him. :)
 

JacksonsMom

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#39
:lol-sign: from what I understand, Dana's.... grandmother? or aunt or something gave him to her, but Dana can't have a third dog, so he's with her mom and dad right now, and they don't want another dog either :p

ETA: Our immediate thought was how he'd make a perfect brother for Jackson...
Just saw the FB post...

He is REALLY cute.

:eek:
 

JacksonsMom

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#40
I can't say I'm a yorkie fan either. There's nothing wrong with them, but most lack much personality..... And I groom lots! Like nearly half my clients are yorkies. I don't understand why they're one of the top needs. Jackson is definitely the coolest Yorkie ever! I'd be a big fan if they were all geniuses like him. :)
Lol, yeah I feel bad saying it. But really I just don't like most of the ones I meet.

That's why I discovered the Silky Terrier, because even though they look so similar, just totally different personalities. One breeder described them as the best kept secrets of the toy dog world. I've gotten myself somewhat active in a Silky group on FB, and spoken to a few different breeders on different occasions, and really feel I'd get another dog like Jackson if I went with Silky's.

It's hard to explain - but really, Jackson is unlike EVERY Yorkie I've ever met in real life.

And not gonna lie, I do think it's cute to have two similar-looking dogs together. :p But then again... a Border Collie would look good with Jackson, too, huh?



Replace the Westie with Jackson. :p
 

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