Hi! My fiance and I are considering adopting an adult dog relatively soon (I hope). I was wondering if anyone out there has any advice about challenges that came when they adopted a dog as an adult (~1-3 years old). I have more experience than most with dogs, growing up with them, as well as working in a veterinary clinic for 4 years. However all my families dogs we got as puppies.
Any thoughts or advice would be great! Thanks
@FutureMrsphD: Our dog was somewhere between a year & a half and two when we got her. Best thing we ever did. I've never had a puppy to raise alone so I was doing SO much preparing & research, I had it all planned out how we would potty train it, take it to training, best food, toys, dog parks, etc. We found our baby at a shelter, she is a finnish spitz mix (I wanted a finnish spitz or another breed, idr the name of that one) & when my SO saw the finnish spitz she called me over. She was a little older than we were looking but she doesn't bite, tear into ANYTHING, she was already potty trained, super easy to train to sit, stay, lay down, etc...she was a God send. I love her so much & she's still playful like a puppy but knows when we want to play & doesn't badger us. Perfection
ETA a picture =)
I adopted my Noodles when she was about 1.5 years old.
The biggest challenges I think were the fact that she's not really as bonded to me as I see my husband's dog is, which he got when he was a puppy, though that could also just be her personality. She's sort of aloof to people and prefers to be alone. I am clearly her favorite person of all people, though. I know she trusts me more than anybody else and is more affectionate toward me, on the off chance she feels like getting/giving some attention.
It was hard to properly train her. I'm not sure what method her previous owners used, but she was having regular accidents in the house. I started with potty pads, which worked, until she started shredding them when I wasn't home and making a mess. I think most of her issues revolved around separation anxiety more than anything. It made a WORLD of difference when we moved in with my husband and his dog. She had a model of proper potty behavior AND she had somebody there (even when she wishes he wasn't) so the anxiety is decreased. She never has accidents now.
1-3 years old are still considered "young" since they're still in the puppy play age (I think they use adult once the dog is 6+). We adopted a 2 year old and he still has a TON of energy. He was peeing on the floor when new people came over but we quickly trained him out of that habit.
Best of luck!
Yay for you!!! I have been a volunteer with rescue (a foster mom) for 10 years and I love that you are considering adopting an adult dog. Too many people are under the impression that you have to "have them from a puppy" to get a good dog and that's SO untrue. I actually prefer adults since you don't have to deal with housebreaking and teething and crazy-hyper-puppy behavior. Yes..they are adorable but also a pain.
Adult dogs are no different than adult humans. We are all different. My advice to you is to determine what type of dog best fits your needs/lifestyle. Do you have a specific size/breed type in mind? Figure out what you aboslutely DON'T want. Like..my Bullmastiff drools. Some people can't stand that. Jack Russels are very hyper. I'd rather have drooly than hyper. Then start looking.
Speak to the shelter staff or foster parent about the specific dog that you are interested in to find out their quirks/habits. Some shelters are very poorly staffed so you may need to go in a spend time with the dog you are interested in yourself to get info. Private foster homes will be able to give you all the nitty gritty. Good luck and again, kudos for looking into adopting an adult. Too many get passed by because they aren't puppies.
I adopted my (now late, sadly) dog when she was 3 years old. She was out of that puppy-wired stage, though she did still have a chewing habit that she didn't fully get over until she was about 10. She was already housetrained--there were just a few days of accidents while she basically trained me; there was a noise and a dance that she did if she wanted out, and as soon as I figured out what it meant, we were in business!
She was a sweet, mellow dog and just amazing. She lived to be 12 and we had 9 years together.
We adopted both of our dogs as adults, and I swear it has been the best decision we ever made. SO much easier than a puppy!
We adopted our dog at 9years of age...so, she was a geriatric. Honestly, I have NO idea WHY or HOW anyone could give her up, but apparently she had been re-homed 4 different times until we took her in.
With that said, we were apprehensive that maybe she was a terror, or whatever, but my heart was drawn to her when we saw her.
The challenges we have faced, honestly, have been none. Except she is high anxiety, which then causes some neediness if there is a storm or loud noise, or whatever. The worst is when we take her to his mom's if we are out of town, etc. I do not blame her, as it seems she was never in one place for too too long. This, AND we do not get an overly extended period of time with her, because she is a german shephard and their lifelines are approx 12-14 years!
However, this dog is amazing beyond that, and fits our lifestyle. She is fully potty trained, she is a great walker, and she does not leave our side when we are outdoors, so no fence/leash, etc is required!
Because of this adoption, of which we are so happy about because we honestly feel we have given her a great 'end of life' home, where she can sleep all day, etc we think we will consistently do this...adopt adult dogs. They are harder to find homes! And certainly, although I love puppies, sometimes wonder if we were spoiled with not only her, but also the fact that there was little training involved.
GOOD LUCK!
@alligirl78: We are looking for a hound mix. We are pretty active, and have a decent sized yard (~1.5 acres). We would like a pretty active dog, but not border collie type active. The dog is mainly just for companionship, however my fiance does hunt, so a hunting dog would be great (although he only deer hunts which they don't use dogs for, its mainly just to have fun training him and keeping him active and learning). We would like a larger dog (>50 lbs), I grew up with labrador retrievers so I am used to having bigger dogs (75-100 lbs).
I think my main concern, especially with one dog I really like in particular, is overcoming prior bad experiences. Since you've worked in a shelter, the one dog I really like has been returned because of marking in the house(he had been recently neutered), strong on the leash, rough with their kids (we dont have kids, but for future-and not mean to the kids just knocked them down cause he is big) and constantly begging for food. I realize these are all things that are easily addressed through training, I just worry that since I have only trained dogs from a puppy I won't know how to address these issues in an adult dog.
@OUgal0004: That is so great that you guys adopted a dog of her age! I have definitely thought about this a lot looking at dogs that need homes. The only reason I haven't considered an older dog is because we have a pretty active lifestyle and I want to bring the dog along! I know at an older age it becomes hard on their joints and hips, I dont want to drag them along for my own pleasure:( It makes me so happy to see there are people out there like you, who will open their hearts to an old dog who just wants to be loved:)
i adopted my dog when she was 5 and i haven't had any issues with her based on her age. she bonded to me immediately and she was easy to train. she'd had a bladder stone removed while she was at the rescue group because her previous owner didn't take care of her UTI (and it caused a huge bladder stone) so she had some trouble holding in her pee all night when i first got her. i kept her in the kitchen at night in case she had an accident but none of that was because of her age when i adopted her. i highly recommend adopting older pets!
@FutureMrsphD: Valid point, and I was worried about that too, especially with a shephard, but we take jogs together all the time!! I asked the vet if Im shortening her life span by doing this, because the next day she is a tad slower, and he said she will let us know when she has had enough :) So although the jogs are slower paced, and not as 'long', I get giddy thinking she is the happiest she probably ever has been, because you can see it in her. Actually, honestly, I think we added time to her life due to the adoption!! Thank you for your kind words. I am no angel, but A HUGE DOG LOVER of any age!!
Furby is a Keeshond Mix.
8 years old when adopted~Going on his 12th birthday this April. He was "too big" to keep by his origianl owners and no one wanted to adopt him (spent 5 years at the no-kill shelter). He had an embedded collar when brought to the shelter, so they told me touching his neck was a no no. He also hated men and children and other dogs.
All these years later: He lives comfortably with another dog (my parents dog since he is there becuase I can't have in in my apt), snuggles, LOVES having his neck itched, loves kisses by men and women, and enjoys walks and treats.
Best dog ever <3 <3 <3
All dogs are weird, that's a fact, but when we raise them from puppies, we don't notice, because we're the ones that made them OUR kind of weird....when you adopt an adult dog, you get two kinds of weird:
1. Someone else's weirdness
2. The weirdness that comes from a dog being put in a shelter/rescue
So...that being said, you two and this dog, are just going to have to feel each other out...dogs are amazing observers, they're keen ability to read human behavior might surprise you...but as long as you are patient and operate under belief that whatever this dog does, or does not do, he's trying to tell you something...it will work out fine.
I own one of the weirdest dogs this side of the Mason Dixie line, a retired racing hound with 5 and a half years on the track...he's quite strange, in every way imaginable...
If any part of the bottom of the dog food bowl is visible, he panics and eats all of the food in the bowl...
He will freak out and start screaming bloody murder if he loses sight of his Great Pyrenese brother for even a minute.
He runs in his sleep.
He's afraid of moths
He is also a hoarder, known to steal anything he can pick up...examples include empty beer bottles, cans of food, toilet paper, keys, a cell phone, a shoe, a sprinkler head and a potted plant...he doesn't eat them, just hides them in his bed and sits on it like a boney chicken.
Either way, it's a great way to go, if you have the heart and patience for it!
@FutureMrsphD: Peeing in the house = crate him when you aren't home and keep bedroom/bathroom doors shut when he's loose. If he's REALLY bad about it, there's a marvelous thing called a belly-band that male dogs can wear. It's like a headband around their belly. Keeps em from peeing inside. He can be crated during meal times too to prevent annoying begging. Nothing wrong with that.
As for the rest of it, I recommend basic obedience for every dog, no matter how good they are. My first Bullmastiff literally pulled me out of my shoes the first week I had him (he was adopted by me at 3 and weighed 140 lbs). After obedience training, no problems. It's no different training a pup to sit/down/heel than an adult.
The thing that I recommend people keep in mind is that people who dump dugs (surrender them or "give them up") USUALLY do so because they are not willing to put the extra time/money into addressing issues. Sometimes it's for the best interest of the dog ( I am getting a foster dog tonight who has such servere allergies that he requires expensive treatment for and his mom lost her job) but usually, it's because people don't want to put the effort in to work through issues. And they make excuse after excuse why they couldn't possibly keep this dog..but that's what they are...excuses. And many times, exaggerated cuz people don't like admitting to anyone that they are dumping an animal for a fixable problem. Most dogs end up in shelters/rescues due to bad owners, not being bad dogs.
If you are willing to love this dog forever, and help him learn to be the kind of dog you want him to...he will be great!! But if you honestly (in your heart of hearts) don't want to put all that work in, find an easier dog.
@megz06: omg FIVE years?? I am SO glad you adopted him! He's so cute!
@Rubbs: THANKS!
@OUgal0004: I am in love with this post. Makes my heart happy :)
@alligirl78: I am definitely willing to put in the work and training he needs! Thanks for your advice it really helps! I will have to look into the bellyband if we can't correct that behavior quickly!
We adopted a dog that was around 2.5 years old over a year ago. He is a wonderful dog! We had to get him to the groomer asap because he was a mess. However, he has never chewed anything. He has only had accidents when he was left for longer than he could hold it. He never barks, unless someone knocks on the door. He acts like we have had him since he was a puppy. My mom dogsits for us when we go on trips, and she loves him. He is a perfect dog, which is surprising since we had no idea what to expect with a rescue dog. We just made sure to have a few days with the dog (like Friday/Sat/Sun) in order to get him more use to the house.
Here is our cockapoo Winston!
We adopted Ace the same day that we got engaged.
.
There was an adjustment period for all of us though. He wasn't potty trained and peed in the house multiple times. He is a smart breed though, and ended up catching on within a week or so. The animal shelter told us that he was potty trained, so don't necessarily take that as the full truth. I think they have too many dogs to take care of to know everything and there is no telling how the dog will act in the new environment. Ace was also very restless when we first got him and ate a lot of the things in our house. Make sure you keep things out of the dogs reach until you get to know them and know how they will respond. Most of all, it is important to realize that you don't really know where these dogs are coming from. I believe Ace was abused in his former home and he has awful reactions to magazines, belts, etc. So just keep that in mind when they have strange behaviors that you wouldn't necessarily expect. And don't worry, they will learn to trust you and settle in. But you may need to prove yourself to them so that they know they can trust you. I love Ace and am glad that I got him every single day!
@Nona99: That is so true and hilarious! I am always amazed at the adaptability of dogs in a new situation. Your dog sounds like he is quite the character! My parents black lab doesn't like when my dad raises his voice (at all-even sometimes normal talking level), and will sit on his lap and put his head on his shoulder. If that doesn't get him to be quiet he puts his head over my dads mouth, basically smothering him! It's hilarious, and his own learned behavior over the years. (He also does this if he says a swear word:) He keeps my dad in line!
I also love when people adopt older dogs. Ace was only 2 years old, but had spent a year at the shelter. We adopted him for $12 because nobody wanted him. He is the best dog in the world though! He just has his own experiences that he is bringing into our family. :)
@FutureMrsphD: Ace does the same thing! When he gets frustrated he'll just roll on top of your face!
I adopted my dog when he was about 3. (The shelter said 1, but I've taken him to 3 vets and they all say he's older.) But he's awesome, and he was completely house-trained and crate-trained when I got him, which was great. I Didn't have any problems with him, and he's soooo attached to me, so I don't feel like I'm missing any type of bond with him than if I had adopted him as a puppy. However, all dogs are different. I had a beagle growing up, and my parents adopted him when he was 3. He was a great dog, but he was never really attached to any of us in the same way that my dog is to me now. But he was neglected and abused for years, so I think he had a very hard time trusting people again. You just need to pick a dog that fits your lifestyle and has a good personality.
@petempich: This is my third adopted adult dog. This one is from Mexico (Cancun area) and I have no idea how old she is except she was a mother when I got her. Never had to house train her, just brought her insided. I didn't have to train the other adult dogs either. She doesn't chew. She is much more independent and smarter than my other dogs and doesn't always come to a call. I blame that more on the fact she is a girl.
We adopted our male Siberian Husky when he was 3 years old and I was very worried about the bonding issue (especially since Huskies are known to be stubborn and difficult to train). But, within 2-3 days, he was completely attached to me. To this day (4 years later), he still follows me around and nudges my hip with his snout to get my attention. He was fully house-trained and knew basic commands when we got him. Honestly, we had a much more diffucult time adjusting to and training our 2nd dog, a 1 year old female Siberian Husky (we adopted her 2 months after we adopted him). Here are our babies, Kopi (male, all white face) and DD (female, mask around her eyes).
February 2009, about 3 hours after we first brought her (DD) home.. he loved her from the first second he saw her.
Easter 2010:
August 2011 (loving their new, bigger yard)
August 2012 at our wedding:
Adopting an older dog rocks! We adopted a golden retriever last summer who was just shy of two years old. He was completely housebroken and the only accident we've had was when he was sick. We don't crate, but he seems to be crate trained. He's never really given us a reason to crate him, so we don't. Granted, he's chewed a pair of shoes or two (and a brand-new $100 gift card), but that's really our fault for leaving them in the floor.
My DH really had to be convinced that a rescue dog was the way to go. He's only ever had puppies and feels like that's the only way he knows to raise a dog. Our older dog is the one that he's had for the last 13 years. He still feels bad about raising his voice around the younger dog because he feels bad for him because he's been "abandoned." One behavior that we think is funny is that the dog will gather all his toys up and move them from room to room. If he could fit all his toys in his mouth at the same time then he would. DH thinks that the dog is packing up because he's expecting to be moving again. I think it's just weird retriever behavior as I've had a lab mix before that did the same thing.
We're his third home in his less than three years. I have no idea how anyone could have gotten rid of him. Okay, actually I do. I've stalked looked up his first owners online and they have a child who seems to have been born just about the time they gave him up. I find this odd since I got a dog because I wanted to have kids and because I believe that it's important for a child to grow up with a dog. The second home was basically a foster home. His foster mom bought him from his original owners in order to keep him out of the pound. Since she already had too many dogs and her husband told her they couldn't keep another one, she tried to find a home for him. When the home she had lined up for him decided that they'd rather have a female, she put an ad for him up on Craigslist. That's where I found him.
This is Turnip. He was our last foster dog. We got him in August because his family had a daughter with allergies and supposedly the doctor said to get rid of all the pets. They had a young pug who somehow managed to be taken in by extended family. But 12 year old Turnip? He got sent out of the only home he'd ever known, to rescue. Due to his age, the rescue group made him a "hospice" foster, since we are well aware how hard it is to place such an old dog. We were lucky enough to be his hospice home. I have 2 sons (8 and 11) from a prior marriage and we all agreed it would be tough, but it was the right thing to do.Well....we all fell head over heels for Turnip. We had 4 beautiful months. He developed neurological issues around the holidays and 2 days after Christmas, my fiance and I held him as we said good bye, due to a suspected brain tumor.
My ONLY regret...is that we didn't get more time with him. He was one of the best things we ever agreed to do. We were all devastated by his loss...I'm getting teary now typing..but I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Older dogs DO rock.
OP..thanks for this thread. It's a really, really good one.
@FutureMrsphD: I am so glad you are considering adopting! Many of these people have the right idea - spend time with your dog and really see if it fits with your personality. It's better if you can take it outside or somewhere away from the barking so they can be themselves. Also, don't give up on a dog if they are anxious in the shelter - it's very stressful on a dog to be in a kennel/shelter situation and terrifying for them to meet so many new people all the time.
Or - you can go through a shelter that uses fosters and then you can either meet the dog in their foster home or at a dog park or even at petsmart (most agencies get discounts for this).
Lastly, there are a lot of things written online about how to bring an adopted/abused/shelter dog into your home. You need to make them feel comfortable but not be overbearing on them. And give them a little time to adjust. I have fostered a few dogs that when they got to my house they jumped at every noise, barked, destroyed things, and even made messes in the house - but only a few days or weeks of intense loving they acclimated and started being normal again. Keep in mind that you should ask about any of their issues. Some dogs have food aggression, some have high anxiety, etc. Be prepared to work with the dog to train them and help them to oveercome these issues (almost all of them are solvable!)
But otherwise - YAY! I wish more people would do this - it breaks my heart when I go to our shelter to bring home a new foster and I see all of those terrified pups just begging for someone to hold them - I always want to take them all home! Hopefully you end up with a good experience and will convince others to try it as well!
@alligirl78: I love that you foster! We foster too! I am on my way to drop off our current dog in a few hours (in the middle of a snow storm/two hours away). I am so excited she has found her forever home :)
SPAY AND NUETER YOUR PETS, KIDS!!!
We got out golden when he was 3 years old. He's never had an accident, besides the first day when he peed on the Chirstmas tree. He's quirky, for example he hoards toys and "yells" at you if something he wants is out of reach. I wouldn't hesitate to adopt again. Once we buy a house we hope to get another dog
@IowaDDS13: Love the ring pic!
Wonderful to see so many amazing dogs go to amazing homes. We all love our furbabies so much.
@IowaDDS13: OMG! I love that face! I'm glad to see someone else has a hoarder. Ours is also a bit of a leaner. By a bit, I mean that he'll lean all 100+ lbs of himself into you until you have to step back or fall over. Speaking of, here's my baby boy:
I adopted two adult dogs and they are both fully bonded and loyal to me. They were easy to train. Don't believe that old dogs can't learn new tricks! Plus, older dogs are already through their chewing phase and crazy-puppy-energy which is SO nice. One of my dogs had a troubled childhood and was scared of tall men for a while, but other than that she is a normal, wonderful dog. (And she is fine with tall men now.)
Adult dogs don't get adopted as much so you're doing a much better thing when you give them a home. Probably saving their lives.
I adopted my greyhound (thus my login name!) when he was 5 years old, and just retired off the track. He is now 10 and living the good life. I could write you a tome about why you should adopt an adult racing greyhound, but I will try to limit my responses :)
Pros: they don't bark, sleep 18 hours a day, and just need daily walks and the occasional outdoor (enclosed) run. They are used to being manhandled by all kinds of humans (vets, trainers, etc) on the rare occasion you need to groom them, its a breeze. My pup is ever the gentleman: never jumps on you, slobbers, inappropriately sniffs you, or gets on furniture. He comes when called and just wants to please you.
EDIT: They also come housebroken and are used to/love their crate. We kept a crate open for him to use, which he freely went into all the time, just because he was used to having his own space. Crate training is easy with greyhounds.
Cons: NONE! Ok, well, when my husband first met my dog, he thought he wasn't "dog-like" enough (he has since come around). They are not the breed to play fetch with, or involve in a tug o war. They are simply not interested in that nonsense. He also has a staring problem, so if you fall asleep on the couch, don't be surprised if you wake up to him intently gazing at you. Edit: mine was not, but greyhounds are prone to separation anxiety.
I could go on and on, but I will leave you with this: When I set out to adopt a dog, I only knew that I wanted a rescue or pound pup - I had no reason in particular to adopt a greyhound. After looking at what kind of dog suited my lifestyle, I am so glad I chose this breed. My greyhound is the best dog I could have ever asked for!
This is Lincoln who we adopted from the Humane Society when he was apx. 3 years old. He is fully housebroken, gets along withthe cat and is wonderful with our 2 daughters. I would never get a puppy again- adopting an adult dog has been great for us.
I think adopting an adult dog is probably often easier than a puppy, depending on the circumstances. They have more fully developed personalities which allows you to get to know them better than just a cuddly puppy. I would not hesitate to adopt an adult dog (and have before! I think she was 3).
Absolutely adopting an adult dog is a great idea. Dogs in general take time and effort... I don't think an adult dog is any more so than a puppy. Honestly, personally, raising my puppy is/was HARD, lord!!! I adopted my lab when he was 3. He was potty trained and not a chewer, but he had separation anxiety (he wasn't destructive tho, he just didn't like it when you were gone). My puppy is a clean slate emotionally, but I've had to teach him every single do and don't 3 million times. So it's different. There will be a period of adjustment regardless, for whatever reason. It's 6 of one and half a dozen of the other. Unless the dog has come from severe abuse, it will all turn out normally with enough love, time and patience.
Either way, adoption is the way to go!!!
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