need to raise a dog from pup to bond - NOT!

[Echowe]

You are right, I had Spencer only 3 months and I can see how attached he is to me. We think he is between 18 to 24 months but sometimes I think he is younger. He is so goofy!

[Jason Ware]

My mom rescued a 2 year old dachshund about a year ago and from the moment he got home that day till now he's been my mom's best friend. They do about everything together. Chewie can never understand why he doesn't want to play with him though. Must be that thing about out-weighing him by 65 lbs and being 15" taller than he is.

[WorkinDogz]

You're absolutely correct k&s.

I CHOOSE to raise dogs from puppyhood for a variety of reasons however.

The #1 bar-none reason is that I have 6 kids. My dogs aren't just "working" dogs; they are the family pets too.

I'm much more confident in raising a puppy WITH my kids. The baby is 18 months old and the newest K9 addition is a 10 month old Rottie. (purchased at 10 wks.)

Since the other dogs were raised with the kids....the babies arrival was barely noticed.

I know there are many, many success stories of young adults or adults coming into a home with kids....I just can't see myself doing it.

[Eliza]

I'd certainly consider resucing from a shelter if I could, and hope that in the future this will be possible. Some dogs bond with you quicker than others. The first time I saw my Westie pup was when she was 8 weeks old but as the breeder insisted on the females being neutered I couldn't bring her home till she was 10 weeks old. I never thought she'd bond with me she seemed so uninterested but then I guess she was a bit frightened at first. To look at her now you wouldn't know it she thinks she's the boss and loves cuddles.

I used to be under the misconception that one needed to raise a dog from puppyhood, especially that critical 8-12 weeks old, in order to really bond with the dog, and make the dog what you want it to be.

This is not true! As many people here have demonstrated, you can have a wonderful older pup or dog come into your life and be incredibly bonded with you.

I think many people get pups because of this misconception, and dismiss getting older dogs because of it.

I have had my rescue rottie (he's about 1.5 yrs old) for only 2 months, and I have never had a more devoted pet with whom I have a wonderful connection.

[ronny]

I totally agree. It's a terrible misconception about older dog not being able to be taught and not bonding with their owner(s). I have a friend who rescued a 1 yr old Rottie (her name is "Happy") from a horrible place. A husband and wife bought a rottie puppy to grow into the ultimate guard dog. The pup was thrown outside and got little to no attention. The couple divorced 1 yr later and the woman had to get rid of the dog. The woman ran an ad in the local news paper to give the dog away. When my buddy went to check her out she was underweight and kinda of shy. He felt so sorry for the dog he immediately took her away from that mess. Within a few days she had majorly bonded to him. He got her weight back up and she is in heaven now (he has had "Happy" for 4 years). He moved her inside and she was potty trained within 3 weeks! I think that is pretty good for a dog that had never been in doors. Basically, the moral to story is that you can teach an old dog new tricks. They want to be loved and barring any mental disorders they become great companions regardless of age. As a matter of fact, being around "Happy" prompted me to get Boogaloo (my Rottie). People should definitely consider older dogs!

[This message has been edited by ronny (edited June 15, 2000).]

[AngelBunny]

My sister has a 10 yo rescue Akita bitch. To see Cagney with my sister, to listen to Caggers make the Akita "wooo", and to see her smile at my sister such that Cagney's eyes get all scrunched up, you'd never, ever guess my sister has had her only 7 months.

[WorkinDogz]

k&s

You're absolutely correct!

A GOOD rescue (even when they know NOTHING about the dog in question....as NERR didn't know anything about Savannah) can *almost* tell you exactly what happened to the dog, how much training they've had, how they respond to daily situations, other animals etc, etc WITHOUT having the animal in a Foster Home yet! The Temperment test was INCREDIBLE! It CLEARLY is invaluable in determining the character of the dog and what type of enviornment the dog should be in.

There are MANY, MANY great rescue organizations! I commend them all!

I just worry so much when a family walks through the door...3 small kids in tow and a year old "stray" they just adopted from the shelter. (Our shelter checks the pulse of the dog and potential owner; if they both have one...it's a match... THAT'S the temperament test.)

[JoJo]

I am on my second "OLDER" rescue and she is a dream. We have had her 5 weeks now and you would think she was raised with us since she was 8 weeks old!!! Reba is 3 1/2 years old. Our first rescue was a 5 year old male. He took to us like fly to fly paper. Unfortunately he died of cancer after only having him for 6 months. I believe if you give these older dogs alot of love and understanding they will know that they are secure with you and they will trust you and bond with you in a very short time. I will never have a puppy as there are to many "older" dogs that need good homes. I'm not against puppies but I know that for us, we don't have the time to raise one. We both work all day and puppies are like babies, they need alot of attention. It just wouldn't be fair to the dog.

I knew there would be lots of good testimonials.

Workingdogz- I'm not trying to say that there aren't good reasons, such as yours, for raising your dog from a pup. Just that if the main reason is 'to bond better with the dog', then people should also consider older pups or dogs because they can become incredably bonded with their new owner. Plus, if you go through a good rescue organization (as I did/ Hudson valley Rottweiler Rescue), then you also have the benefit of knowing quite a bit about your new addition's temperament.

[norcal420]

JoJo -- couldn't agree with you more. I rescued Chevy (3 yr. old male) a month ago. While we've had some issues (chewing, housebreaking), he couldn't be a better dog for me. I couldn't have a puppy w/ my schedule, and really wouldn't want one now . . .

DR

I almost feel guilty sometimes because I have an incredible dog and didn't have to go through the puppy and teenage phase with him. But then I think about what I went through with Ike and feel I more than paid my dues.