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.