Each choice comes with different responsibilites
If you're looking to get your own furry friend, you may find yourself caught in a classic dilemma – should you buy a new puppy or go straight for an adult dog?
You may want to bond with your pooch from the get-go and train it yourself, and so are set on a new-born pup. But older dogs can create just as special a bond with their owner.
Puppies and adult dogs come with a different set of responsibilities, so how do you know which is right for you? Here's everything you need to know about getting a puppy versus a grown-up dog.
Puppies are more popular than adult dogs
When choosing a new furry friend, puppies are far more popular than grown dogs. And research by website Many Pets revealed just how prevalent this preference for puppies really is.
Their website says: “In January 2022 we surveyed 175 people who owned one dog and found that 70 per cent of them got their canine companion as a puppy.
“The five biggest reasons people gave for choosing a puppy were:
- To bond with them from a young age (67 percent of survey respondents included this reason)
- To train them themselves (49 percent)
- So they grow up with their own children (37 percent)
- Wanted the puppy raising experience (32 percent)
- Puppies are cute (20 percent)
“It can also be cheaper to take out puppy insurance than to try to get cover for a more senior dog. The most popular age to get a puppy was three-six months.”
But if everyone is buying brand new pups, who is giving a home to older dogs who've found themselves in shelters?
Rehoming adult dogs can help a pet in need
Many Pets' research showed that the most popular reason for choosing an adult dog was to give a home to a rescue or an animal in need, which 43 per cent of their survey respondents said.
The website says: “It’s interesting that the the second most popular reason for choosing an adult dog was to get an animal that’s already trained. As nearly half of people who instead chose a puppy said it was because they wanted train it themselves, it seems adult dogs are seen as the easier option.”
So, if you're looking to gain experience in training your own pet, a puppy may be the right option for you. But if you're a compassionate individual looking to help a pooch in need (and don't fancy training a pet yourself), an adult dog may be more suitable.
However, even if you choose to buy a puppy, it won't be long until it grows into an adult itself, so it's important to consider that if you're buying a puppy, you're also committing to a fully-grown canine.
