There was a discussion in another thread where someone asked as a prospective dog owner which was better raising from a puppy or adopting an older dog.
This is my experience only not the be all end all.
Both of my big breed dogs (our doberman that lived to 14) and our current golden are/were extremely well disciplined. Both leave the room upon command. Both go inside and outside on command (when I am outside and tell the dog "get inside" it does so promptly. Neither dog ever would bolt from us when free the yard and would always come to us immediately upon calling.
Both dogs never had even the slightest biting tendency even when feeding. The doberman which was naturally aggressive when people came to the door (but all bark no bite) actually preferred to eat with company around. In both dogs cases, you could stick your hand in the food bowl and then hand feed them and their tales actually wag in happiness at the company. Both dogs would drop a meat bone on command (not too happy about it but would).
We have kids at home. Aggression in a dog with kids is unacceptable. Sadly if your dog shows it towards your kids, the dog is usually abandoned. So its not only a family consideration its also a dog future consideration to make sure your dog has no aggression.
Neither of my big breed dogs ever received any professional training. All came from me. I am not a breeder nor a dog expert. So its not b.c of me that both dogs turned out disciplined w/ no aggression, (key in adobie a breed known for aggression). I think our dogs were/are obedient and show no aggression b/c they were raised from puppyhood. I know little about and didn't spend that much time training the goldie so he is self taught. Maybe its the breed. I think its the experience of growing from a li puppy with a faamily. (funny thing is I spent the most time trying to teach the golden shake and he just can't learn it)
But somehow the golden has instinctively learned the important commands of going inside on command (it just happened) and never bolting from us, and leaving the room on command etc).
But that is just my experience. Others who have adopted older dogs may have their own. I believe my big breeed dogs obey me so well and show no aggression and will drop food on command etc because they have learned to trust me/our family. They know (knew) that we were there for them and would never harm them.
A dog that you have not raised just does not have that personal bond imo. And you do not know their past.
We adopted from a shelter a one year labrador about 20 years ago, The dog was aggressive and a biter. Knowing we were going to have children we returned the animal within one week. My sense was that an adult dog with aggressive tendencies could not be turned.
The aggression issue is why I beleive so strongly in raising dogs from puppies.
Switching subjects there is a sad threa below where someone is very angry that so many dogs abandoned at their local shelter were older. I went to site and saw that many of the old dogs being abandoned could no longer control their waste functions indoors. That is a very difficult situation for a pet owner and I understand why the owners made decisions in those cases.
This is my experience only not the be all end all.
Both of my big breed dogs (our doberman that lived to 14) and our current golden are/were extremely well disciplined. Both leave the room upon command. Both go inside and outside on command (when I am outside and tell the dog "get inside" it does so promptly. Neither dog ever would bolt from us when free the yard and would always come to us immediately upon calling.
Both dogs never had even the slightest biting tendency even when feeding. The doberman which was naturally aggressive when people came to the door (but all bark no bite) actually preferred to eat with company around. In both dogs cases, you could stick your hand in the food bowl and then hand feed them and their tales actually wag in happiness at the company. Both dogs would drop a meat bone on command (not too happy about it but would).
We have kids at home. Aggression in a dog with kids is unacceptable. Sadly if your dog shows it towards your kids, the dog is usually abandoned. So its not only a family consideration its also a dog future consideration to make sure your dog has no aggression.
Neither of my big breed dogs ever received any professional training. All came from me. I am not a breeder nor a dog expert. So its not b.c of me that both dogs turned out disciplined w/ no aggression, (key in adobie a breed known for aggression). I think our dogs were/are obedient and show no aggression b/c they were raised from puppyhood. I know little about and didn't spend that much time training the goldie so he is self taught. Maybe its the breed. I think its the experience of growing from a li puppy with a faamily. (funny thing is I spent the most time trying to teach the golden shake and he just can't learn it)
But somehow the golden has instinctively learned the important commands of going inside on command (it just happened) and never bolting from us, and leaving the room on command etc).
But that is just my experience. Others who have adopted older dogs may have their own. I believe my big breeed dogs obey me so well and show no aggression and will drop food on command etc because they have learned to trust me/our family. They know (knew) that we were there for them and would never harm them.
A dog that you have not raised just does not have that personal bond imo. And you do not know their past.
We adopted from a shelter a one year labrador about 20 years ago, The dog was aggressive and a biter. Knowing we were going to have children we returned the animal within one week. My sense was that an adult dog with aggressive tendencies could not be turned.
The aggression issue is why I beleive so strongly in raising dogs from puppies.
Switching subjects there is a sad threa below where someone is very angry that so many dogs abandoned at their local shelter were older. I went to site and saw that many of the old dogs being abandoned could no longer control their waste functions indoors. That is a very difficult situation for a pet owner and I understand why the owners made decisions in those cases.
