Should I Get A Puppy Or Adopt An Adult Shepherd?

If you’re thinking of becoming a proud German Shepherd owner, you have two choices:

  1. Get a puppy.
  2. Adopt an adult dog.

Each of these options has their own pros and cons, so let’s take a look at them now.

Puppy vs. Adult Dog

Puppy

One of the biggest pros about puppies is their sheer cuteness and cuddliness. Then of course, there’s all the highly amusing capers and antics they get up to which can be a rich source of joy.

And when it comes to being cute and cuddly puppies, few dog breeds are more so than the German Shepherd.

The other main advantage to getting a puppy is that you’re basically starting with a blank canvas when it comes to training and obedience. This means you get the chance to mold your dog into exactly what you what it to be.

Of course, all this training takes time and effort which can be a pro or a con depending on your attitude.

Having a puppy means lots of mess and cleaning up until you’ve fully house-trained them. Puppies also tend to chew things when teething, which is something else to bear in mind when making your decision, especially if you have lots of nice furniture you value highly.

Puppies are also full of energy and very demanding in terms of the amount of attention they need from you.

There’s also an additional monetary cost to getting a puppy. You’ll have to fork out for vet fees, vaccinations, new collars and crates as they grow, and so on.

Finally, when getting a puppy you never quite know what you’re going to get. Even if you get your puppy from a top breeder with a great reputation, there’s no absolute guarantee as to what your puppy’s personality will turn out to be like nor what ultimate size they’ll be.

Adult Dog

By contrast, when adopting an adult dog you can be sure of what size you’re getting. You’ll also know their coat type and their personality, as well as what their needs are in terms of exercise and energy levels.

You can also make sure you adopt an already house-trained dog, if you so wish.

And perhaps most importantly, you’ll know for sure what your dog’s personality will be.

When you adopt an adult dog you do, of course, miss out on the fun side of owning a puppy. Many adult adoption dogs have some issues too, such as lacking socialization or training.

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