How to Choose Between a Puppy and an Adult Dog
Think about cost., Ask yourself how often you’re at home., Reflect on your own experience.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Think about cost.
If you have unlimited resources and budget isn’t a concern, feel free to skip this step.
Otherwise, keep in mind that a puppy is more expensive, both up front and over the long run.
If the idea of bringing home a dog in general is already making you worry about bills, go with an adult dog.Purebred puppies typically have an upfront sticker price that is much more expensive than adults.
Assuming that a puppy grows to full adulthood and fulfills its life expectancy, the long-term cost of food, vet visits, and medication will be higher than an adult.
Puppies require lots of training, which means more dollars toward treats, cleaners and pee pads, or even professional help.
Adult dogs and especially senior ones may have already developed medical issues that require regular medication and/or vet appointments. -
Step 2: Ask yourself how often you’re at home.
Expect puppies to require much more direct supervision and training than adult dogs.
Figure out how much time you spend out of the house, and for how long of a stretch you’re away each time.
The less time you spend at home, the more you should consider an adult dog.Also consider which out-of-the-house activities you’re willing to sacrifice or include your dog in.
For instance, if you go out to the movies every Friday night, you can easily nix this for a few months.
On the other hand, if you like to jog in the park every Sunday morning, you can just as easily bring your pup along with you.
If you stay at home for most or even all of the day, also consider any at-home responsibilities that might interfere with raising your dog.
For example, if you work remotely from home, are you free to walk away at any time and come back later, or are you required to be on-call for specific hours? If you’re thinking about adopting a rescue dog (regardless of its age), these same considerations should also be applied if they have behavioral issues, since these may require just as much attention as a puppy at first.
Even a well-behaved dog that’s already been trained well will require some additional training on your part.
This will help it adjust to its new living situation, learn new commands it may not have needed before, and develop a bond with you. , Ask yourself: will this be your first dog ever? If you’ve had a dog before, how old was it when you got it? If it was a puppy, were you actively involved in its training, or did someone else handle it, like your parents, roommate, or significant other? The less experience you have, the more likely an adult dog is the right age for you.Of course, there’s a first time for everything, including raising a puppy.
If you’ve had experience with adult dogs before and would like to try your hand with a younger one, go ahead.
That said, brace yourself.
Your new puppy is undoubtedly going to be way more energetic and demanding than your last dog.
If, however, you have no experience with dogs whatsoever, definitely go with an adult dog.
Learn the basics of caring for a dog with one that’s already more self-sufficient than a newborn. -
Step 3: Reflect on your own experience.
Detailed Guide
If you have unlimited resources and budget isn’t a concern, feel free to skip this step.
Otherwise, keep in mind that a puppy is more expensive, both up front and over the long run.
If the idea of bringing home a dog in general is already making you worry about bills, go with an adult dog.Purebred puppies typically have an upfront sticker price that is much more expensive than adults.
Assuming that a puppy grows to full adulthood and fulfills its life expectancy, the long-term cost of food, vet visits, and medication will be higher than an adult.
Puppies require lots of training, which means more dollars toward treats, cleaners and pee pads, or even professional help.
Adult dogs and especially senior ones may have already developed medical issues that require regular medication and/or vet appointments.
Expect puppies to require much more direct supervision and training than adult dogs.
Figure out how much time you spend out of the house, and for how long of a stretch you’re away each time.
The less time you spend at home, the more you should consider an adult dog.Also consider which out-of-the-house activities you’re willing to sacrifice or include your dog in.
For instance, if you go out to the movies every Friday night, you can easily nix this for a few months.
On the other hand, if you like to jog in the park every Sunday morning, you can just as easily bring your pup along with you.
If you stay at home for most or even all of the day, also consider any at-home responsibilities that might interfere with raising your dog.
For example, if you work remotely from home, are you free to walk away at any time and come back later, or are you required to be on-call for specific hours? If you’re thinking about adopting a rescue dog (regardless of its age), these same considerations should also be applied if they have behavioral issues, since these may require just as much attention as a puppy at first.
Even a well-behaved dog that’s already been trained well will require some additional training on your part.
This will help it adjust to its new living situation, learn new commands it may not have needed before, and develop a bond with you. , Ask yourself: will this be your first dog ever? If you’ve had a dog before, how old was it when you got it? If it was a puppy, were you actively involved in its training, or did someone else handle it, like your parents, roommate, or significant other? The less experience you have, the more likely an adult dog is the right age for you.Of course, there’s a first time for everything, including raising a puppy.
If you’ve had experience with adult dogs before and would like to try your hand with a younger one, go ahead.
That said, brace yourself.
Your new puppy is undoubtedly going to be way more energetic and demanding than your last dog.
If, however, you have no experience with dogs whatsoever, definitely go with an adult dog.
Learn the basics of caring for a dog with one that’s already more self-sufficient than a newborn.
About the Author
Timothy Vasquez
Experienced content creator specializing in practical skills guides and tutorials.
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