(fun happy music)
(whooshing)
(barking) - [Host] You're ready to add
a canine companion to your family.
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^- Should you add a puppy, an adolescent,
^an adult, or a senior, let's talk
about some of the advantages and disadvantages of each.
- [Host] Puppies are fun, lovable, and adorable.
But like babies, they need time an energy to be trained
and to learn the world that you want them to know.
Sadly, puppies and adolescent dogs
are often surrendered to shelters and rescues
because people have either forgotten or underestimated
what it meant to have a puppy.
Then we have adult dogs, that are often
a wonderful fit for most homes.
They're already house trained.
They're calm, or at least collected.
They still have plenty of energy and enthusiasm.
Certainly you can train a dog
of any age to live in your home.
It's a myth that you can only train a puppy.
And these animals, what you see is what you get.
You know what temperament to expect,
you know what the dog is going to be like,
things that you don't know
for certain when the dog is a puppy.
At the other end of the spectrum,
senior dogs are surrendered to shelters and rescues
because something has happened in the home.
They're beautifully well-mannered.
They've lost their people.
They know how to live in a home.
They don't chew the furniture.
They don't need as much exercise or time.
And they can be a wonderful match for your family.
(whooshing)
For more tips and advice on what age of a dog
to choose for your family, please visit petfinder.com.
(whooshing)
No matter what you're looking for
or what kind of dog you're looking to add to your family,
you can find them in a shelter or rescue.
- We hear from people (moves into hopeful music)
who adopt senior dogs that it's one
of the most rewarding things they have ever done.
You'll save a life, and you'll be repaid
with love and devotion for the rest of his or her days.
(whooshing)