Would you buy a 'trained' dog?

[~Tucker&Me~]

Originally Posted by AdrianneIsabel

The time issue makes me sad, I hope its not regarding a lack of interest in adult or senior dogs. So many will miss out on one of the best things ever with that mindset. The senior dog (rescue) is just... Bliss.

Originally Posted by elegy

The time you do get though? It's so worth it. I had Siren for 18 months (she was 15 1/2 when I got her) and Harv for 14 months. Loved those dogs so much and will do it again when the time is right.

In my mind there is a very distinct difference between pulling an older dog from rescue or the shelter, and purposefully choosing to purchase a dog that you won't receive until he's an adult because someone else is training him/her. If I had more money, time and space I wouldn't hesitate to rescue a senior I liked, but the difference is that I wouldn't have had the choice to have taken him or her when they were younger so I could enjoy those years too. It's not that taking in an older animal isn't rewarding and worth it, it's just that given a choice I would rather receive said dog earlier in life rather than later.

This is not to say that some people may find buying a trained dog to be a good option for them, I can think of a few people off the top of my head that would totally go for that. But for me, if I was given the option of buying a blank slate or a pre-programmed dog, I would hands down take the blank slate.