Making An Informed Decision About Adopting A Golden Retriever
They
Need You
A dog really depends on its owner, especially golden retrievers.
Every year, thousands of golden retrievers are abandoned. Being such loving and
people oriented dogs, they desperately need a home. Also, it is thought that additional
thousands of golden retrievers are put down every year. That’s why you should
look into adopting a golden retriever instead of buying a puppy. Also, if you
already have a golden retriever, spay or neuter it and if you want more dogs,
adopt them. Adoption is the loving choice.
Potential Verses Certainty
When
you purchase a puppy, you are purchasing its potential. With a rescued golden
retriever, you already know its abilities and its strengths and you will know
what you are going to get. Both dogs will be trainable, but their temperaments
will be easier to identify in the elder dog as it has already proven itself; a
puppy is complete speculation.
Your Family’s Needs And Wants
If
you don’t have the time or patience to deal with a puppy’s antics, you may be
better suited to an older dog. An adopted golden retriever, especially over 5,
will be more tolerant of children and less likely to scare them by jumping up
on them. Puppies feel anything that moves is fair game, and will jump and love
on anything that will let it. Small children especially will have an easier time
with an older dog, as they tend to be calmer.
Some Bad Habits May Be Tough
To Break
Un-training your golden retriever may be tougher than training
it can be; it will be a challenge that you will probably need a professional trainer’s
help to overcome. Fixing this sort of problem may just require starting from scratch
and treating this older dog as if it were a puppy; train as if it didn’t know
any better, because it really doesn’t and have extra patience since your rescued
golden retriever wants to make you happy, it is just learning how.
The
Cost
Adopting a golden retriever can cost about a tenth of what a puppy
can cost. If it is your first golden retriever, adopting an adult could be a nice
option for you to learn how to take care of a golden retriever. These costs could
be absorbed, however, in the medical care an older dog may require. Both dogs
will likely make a great pet, and the cost may not matter that much to you.
The
Decision
Choosing to adopt a golden retriever is like choosing to adopt
a child; this will be a member of your household for hopefully the next 10 years
or longer. A pet should be added to the family, not purchased for the family;
a golden retriever is happiest as part of the ‘pack’ not outside of it. This should
not be an impulsive decision, but one that took time, research, and consideration
for what the best situation for all involved will be. For more information, read
the article on types
of golden retriever.
Attention: To discover how
YOU can have the Happiest, Healthiest and Best Behaved Golden Retriever,
get a copy of this Golden Retriever Guide
NOW!
