to adopt or not adopt a new pup?

[gaseousclay]

i've been struggling with this for a long time. i've outlined the pros and cons of adoption and still haven't come up with an answer. I came across this little guy while checking a local rescue organization and I instantly fell in love. he's a lab/brindle mix which I found appealing. he's about 2 months old, has a brother that looks just like him and he's just too adorable to ignore. my wife keeps asking me, 'do you really want him?' I tell her, yes....no....yes....I don't know.

the pros of adopting him are: he'll go to a good home. i'll devote all of my time to training him (at home or through obedience training). he'll get along great with our older dog.

the cons are: the wife and I work most days so he'll be home alone everyday for some time. he'll more than likely go to the bathroom in the house. I know nothing of his habits, so he may end up destroying our couch or eating my shoes.

I know the answer may seem pretty clear to most of you but for me it's more about rescuing him from a life of uncertainty and giving him a good home and lots of love. I know rearing a pup isn't going to be easy but when it's all said and done i'll have a furry little companion for life.

anyone else go through this before? what did you do?

 

[raisindot]

My kids (now teenagers) continue to hang a huge guilt trip over us for never getting a dog. We both grew up with them, and loved them, but then one of our parents wasn't working and had the time to let the dog out, take walks, etc.

We both would love to have a dog, but we just don't have room in our house for a cage or poop center, we both work all day, and we can't count on the kids to do the walking, cleaning etc. So it wouldn't be the best quality of life for a dog in our house (better than being in a case in a shelter, I suppose).

So, we're probably going to deprive our kids of a dog in the family. WHen they go to college or move out, we'll probably reconsider then.

Jeff in Boston

 

[Saturn]

I haven't gone through this yet though I've been considering getting a dog recently myself. Haven't had a dog since I was a kid, when my dad brought home a bull terrier that a hunter had abandoned up near the power plant where he works.

I say you should definitely go for it. It seems like you really want him, and you'll give him lots of love and care, and that's what counts the most. You'll get a chance to train him so the issue of him destroying the couch and such shouldn't be TOO bad, and if he gets along with the older dog, he won't be completely alone at home while you and the wife are at work. Just make sure you have enough time afterward to play with him and exercise him a bit.

Before adopting, might want to talk to the rescue organization and see if they know anything about his history or any behavioral problems that they might've noticed in him.

 

[demaro]

If you do get a pup , crate train him. Puppies have to go to the bathroom every 15 or 20 minutes when they are young. They are not as likely to go to the bathroom in their cage for a couple of hours. If you and your wife are working and the pup will be in his cage for 8 hours or more , it is not fair to keep a pup in a cage for that long. He will never be able to hold it in. If you guys work most of the day , adopt an older dog. There are plenty on petfinder and craigslist that need homes.

 

[Woodash]

i've been struggling with this for a long time. i've outlined the pros and cons of adoption and still haven't come up with an answer. I came across this little guy while checking a local rescue organization and I instantly fell in love. he's a lab/brindle mix which I found appealing. he's about 2 months old, has a brother that looks just like him and he's just too adorable to ignore. my wife keeps asking me, 'do you really want him?' I tell her, yes....no....yes....I don't know.

the pros of adopting him are: he'll go to a good home. i'll devote all of my time to training him (at home or through obedience training). he'll get along great with our older dog.

the cons are: the wife and I work most days so he'll be home alone everyday for some time. he'll more than likely go to the bathroom in the house. I know nothing of his habits, so he may end up destroying our couch or eating my shoes.

I know the answer may seem pretty clear to most of you but for me it's more about rescuing him from a life of uncertainty and giving him a good home and lots of love. I know rearing a pup isn't going to be easy but when it's all said and done i'll have a furry little companion for life.

anyone else go through this before? what did you do?

You already know what to do! Just go ahead and talk it through; get it out of your system. We're here to listen. We'll support you.

But you already know what to do....

 

[gaseousclay]

Before adopting, might want to talk to the rescue organization and see if they know anything about his history or any behavioral problems that they might've noticed in him.

this particular rescue organization is an all volunteer organization, meaning they don't have an office. all of their dogs are fostered by the volunteers. I tried emailing the organization about adoption fees but haven't received a response yet. not sure if this is a bad sign or not but it would definitely help me make my decision. i'd like to know if the dog has issues as well, but I figure since he's a pup he'll be just like any pup.

 

[Falstaff]

Deciding on a pet should be made as objective decision as possible. Whenever deciding on a puppy, please take the needs of the animal as top priority. This puppy looks as if he's going to be a very large dog, i.e. over 40lbs. Do you have an adequate yard for space for him to roam while you're not at home? It is in my experience that having that large of a dog inside will cause extreme chaos. Also, how much socialization will you be able to give your pet? Maybe this link could help you decide, Bing Query, "Dog Ownership Questionaire"
Good luck
Cheers,
Falstaff

 

[Prince]

If you get a dog, please adopt one rather than buy from a breeder.

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

You already know what to do! Just go ahead and talk it through; get it out of your system. We're here to listen. We'll support you.

But you already know what to do....

100% what this fellow said. You're not fooling anyone!

 

[mretzloff]

I would suggest adopting two. That way, they always have each other. I had a lab and now have two lab mixes from a rescue shelter. Had I known how much these two labs love have eachother's company, I would have gotten two the first time around.

 

[elalan]

this particular rescue organization is an all volunteer organization, meaning they don't have an office. all of their dogs are fostered by the volunteers. I tried emailing the organization about adoption fees but haven't received a response yet. not sure if this is a bad sign or not but it would definitely help me make my decision. i'd like to know if the dog has issues as well, but I figure since he's a pup he'll be just like any pup.

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but I wouldn't be so sure. The brindle in him is probably from a pit bull or that type. Tossing 'lab' into the mix makes it a little more palatable I suppose. Not that there is anything wrong with pits or pit crosses, they do seem to bite the hell out of a lot people though. I would be more concerned that it was rescued from a neglectful or abusive environment or its mother was anti-social to one degree or another. A lot of socialization of a puppy occurs as it watches its mother interact with people. And, as a final pessimistic note, he doesn't look that healthy to me. It looks like he has had a bit of malnourishment in his not so long life: dull hair, taut belly, oversize head. I know that's a bit of a reach, but I have raised a couple dozen litters of german short hair, jack russell, and collie puppies over the past 35 years and he looks a little 'off' to me.

 

[gaseousclay]

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but I wouldn't be so sure. The brindle in him is probably from a pit bull or that type. Tossing 'lab' into the mix makes it a little more palatable I suppose. Not that there is anything wrong with pits or pit crosses, they do seem to bite the hell out of a lot people though. I would be more concerned that it was rescued from a neglectful or abusive environment or its mother was anti-social to one degree or another. A lot of socialization of a puppy occurs as it watches its mother interact with people. And, as a final pessimistic note, he doesn't look that healthy to me. It looks like he has had a bit of malnourishment in his not so long life: dull hair, taut belly, oversize head. I know that's a bit of a reach, but I have raised a couple dozen litters of german short hair, jack russell, and collie puppies over the past 35 years and he looks a little 'off' to me.

I dunno about his breed. the site says he's a lab mix. judging from his features I don't get the impression that he has any pit bull in him....I'm not a fan of pit bulls. pit bulls have a very distinct skull characteristic which I fail to see in this dog. let's just say he's a brindle mutt

as for being from a neglectful or abusive environment, while that may be a certain possibility, the fact that he's only 2 months old speaks volumes to me and if he did come from such an environment the sooner he's adopted the better imo. I know socialization is very important, so it's not something i'm taking lightly.

I wouldn't be surprised if he was suffering from malnourishment. I think him and his brother were found abandoned, so this picture may be from when he was first found. my sister in-law is a vet so I know she would provide us with the best advice.

 

[gaseousclay]

another pic

 

[Duckster]

I would suggest adopting two. That way, they always have each other. I had a lab and now have two lab mixes from a rescue shelter. Had I known how much these two labs love have each other's company, I would have gotten two the first time around.

+1 Get the pup and his brother.

 

[gaseousclay]

+1 Get the pup and his brother.

someone must've already adopted his brother - he's not on the site anymore

 

[DFrancis]

I would say get the dog and crate train him. We crate ours at night and when we go out (no worries for the couch). She's almost 3 now and actually loves her crate, we give her a treat when it's "naptime" or "bedtime" she even goes into her crate all on her own. Put some blankets in to make it comfy. Also get a solid sided one, dogs like a cavern like place. Best of luck.

EDIT: Oh also, when you are home, make lots of time to play with him and take him for walks. Make the time you are home the best possible thing for him.

 

[gaseousclay]

Get a cat.

Seriously, dogs - especially puppies - require a major committment of time. If you can't provide that you're not doing the dog or yourself a favor. And cute puppies grow up very quickly into big dogs. As another poster mentioned he was not sure that this dog (given his background and breeding) will have a good disposition. This is a major red light.

no cats for us. we're currently cat-sitting for grandma and while the cat can be quite friendly, he's a varmint at heart. he's already punctured our leather couch, he wakes me up every morning at exactly 5:30 because he's hungry (he eats like 3-4 times a day) and he's gotten out several times. in fact, he got out two nights ago and the wife and I spent a good 20 minutes with flashlights in hand tracking him down. we live by a fairly busy road so I was worried he'd become roadkill. it really stressed me out. so, erm, i'm counting the days when we can give the cat back to grandma.

I figure all puppies are a gamble, they just need a little TLC so they can grow into well-behaved adults. our dog was a rescue dog and from what my wife tells me he used to eat shoes when he was a pup. aside from his constant barking i'd say he's grown into a well trained dog. he's never gone to the bathroom in our house and he doesn't run away. he doesn't bite and he's probably one of the most friendly dogs you'll ever meet. the only thing he's not good at is keeping quiet, not pulling on the leash, begging and jumping up on people. he probably picked up some of his newer habits from me, but I look past it because he's an old timer. what i'm saying is, i'm trying to be optimistic about the experience and think every dog, young or old, deserves a shot at a new life.

 

[churchilllafemme]

Maybe watch the "Turner and Hootch" movie one more time.

 

[Lucius]

I would say get the dog and crate train him. We crate ours at night and when we go out (no worries for the couch). She's almost 3 now and actually loves her crate, we give her a treat when it's "naptime" or "bedtime" she even goes into her crate all on her own. Put some blankets in to make it comfy. Also get a solid sided one, dogs like a cavern like place.

We had two labs, one loved the crate (we never even really "kept him in it", he just liked to go in it) and the other didn't. Depends on the personality of the dog, imo. The one who didn't like it was a real wild child for most of his life and he ended up getting stuck in it for misbehaving more than anything, but he didn't like it even when it was new and he wasn't getting punished.

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

someone must've already adopted his brother - he's not on the site anymore

If you log back in and this guy is gone, how are you going to feel? Gooooooooo geeeeeeeeeeeeeeet the doooooooooooooog!!!!!!!