should i?

[kara1]

My situation is this, my hubby and i have been looking for a dog for some time and my neighbor has two dogs that he hasnt taken very good care of. They are locked up in kennels all the time only used for hunting once or twice. they are good with kids we decided to take one for a couple of days to try him out. He was pretty good with my 3year old son. this dog has never been played with doesnt know what a ball is or anything has no potty training. the dog is between 2 and 3 years old. I still dont know if we should take him, my hubby says it is up to me, and my son still asks for him from time to time, he loves dogs. So of course i feel guilty, do i or dont i take him? I like the dog but I've always had puppies and trained them from there. I keep thinking of him too, is it out of guilt or do i want him.

[Frenchy]

Is it because you're afraid an older dog will be more difficult to housebreak and train ? Because adult dogs are more easier than traning a puppy from scratch ! Trust me. And if this dog never been 100% part of a family , he will be in heaven with you and will be sooo eager to please your family. Believe me , I am not a good trainer , and had foster adult dogs clean in the house within a week !

[t.pettet]

A 3 yr. old and a pup all at once might be a challenge whereas a mature, neglected dog would be easier to train and as Frenchy stated - sooo eager to please. He will probably need about a month to feel comfortable and confident with your family but will repay you ten fold for any attention and love you give him.

[hazelrunpack]

We've got 4 dogs in the house now that were not reliably housebroken when they came--all of them were older than 18 months when they arrived, and one was 2. We've found that once you figure out their signals, older dogs are much easier to housebreak than pups. They already have the bladder capacity and can hold it till they get out the door. They just have to learn that you want them to go outside and they'll be happy to do it for you.

Same goes for a lot of other training. We start basic stuff right away--come and stay. Those two commands can save a dog's life, so we do those first. Then sit, down, etc...whatever you want. Be gentle, be consistent and go slow if the dog overwhelms easily, and you'll soon have a loving well-behaved companion!

Still, you know your situation better than anyone else can. Do you think you have time to work with the dog? Was the dog gentle with your child? Is your child ready for a dog and does he know how to behave around a dog? Is the dog high-energy? Are you prepared to deal with that?

I think you'd be great for the dog, but you don't want to overwhelm yourself, either. If you do decide he's right for you, I don't think you'll be sorry. Older dogs are great!