I have been waiting for about two years to add a dog to our pack. Now my son is at guarderia for half a day and has developed a lot more self control, I can visualise us adding a pupper some time in the Spring.
So, I am seriously considering adoption but...
When choosing a puppy from a breeder you have the benefit of knowing the temperament of the parents, checking neo-natal socialisation and all that. At a shelter you will not have that opportunity so you may very well end up with a weak nerved or aggressive dog due to poor breeding, genetic faults, etc.
So, choosing an adult then. You can see the dog's developed character but only within the unnatural and stressful conditions of the shelter.
Of course people with kids can and do rescue successfully so on the understanding that the dog's character may not truely show itself for some weeks after leaving the shelter, how to stack the deck in my favour that the dog I choose to rescue is not going to be child aggresive?
So, I am seriously considering adoption but...
When choosing a puppy from a breeder you have the benefit of knowing the temperament of the parents, checking neo-natal socialisation and all that. At a shelter you will not have that opportunity so you may very well end up with a weak nerved or aggressive dog due to poor breeding, genetic faults, etc.
So, choosing an adult then. You can see the dog's developed character but only within the unnatural and stressful conditions of the shelter.
Of course people with kids can and do rescue successfully so on the understanding that the dog's character may not truely show itself for some weeks after leaving the shelter, how to stack the deck in my favour that the dog I choose to rescue is not going to be child aggresive?