You will likely spend 10-15 years with your canine companion. Picking the right fit for you and your family’s lifestyle will ensure you live happily together for a lifetime!

Age: One important consideration is whether a puppy or adult dog is the right fit for you and your family.  

Puppies- Puppies are very difficult and time consuming to raise. Every single puppy owner I have worked with in the past decade has said raising a puppy was harder than they were expecting. Of course, the right set up and training can really aid you in your journey, but some considerations for getting a young puppy are: 

• Puppies involve very careful management, which means both space for a large playpen, and a lot of cleaning of the home and keeping things off the floor and put away.
• Puppies require a lot of hands on time to be properly potty trained. It is difficult to work long full time hours and potty train a puppy.  
• Puppies bite at hands and feet almost constantly until around 4 months of age. This is especially difficult to deal with when there are also young children in the home.
• A young puppy can very quickly be acclimated to your particular family and home environment, usually easier than an adult dog can, and you can shape their permanent personality to a certain extent through careful training.

If you decide on an adult dog, 12 months+, you will likely be getting a rescue. Adopting a dog is a wonderful thing, but there is still plenty to consider. While you will be skipping all of the difficulties of raising a puppy, this doesn’t mean the dog won’t require any training! Some considerations for getting an adult dog are:

• A Rescued adult dog might be slower to transition to your particular home and family, and come with a few behavioral issues from a previous life. 
• You can often get a clearer picture of an adult dog’s personality, although it will be more difficult to shape than a puppy’s.
• Adult dogs are usually quicker to re-potty train, past the “piranha” biting phase, and may even come knowing some basic commands! 

Breed: Once you decide on a puppy vs an adult dog, you may consider which breeds would be the best fit for your family. Some breed characteristics will carry through in a mixed breed rescue, but temperament will be more important in a rescue dog, whereas breed will be more important in a purebred puppy. Some things to consider carefully are:

• Be thorough when researching breeds. If Google tells you they make great family pets, you haven’t dived deep enough! Read the struggles of owners on breed specific forums. Search until you’ve read both positives and negatives. 
• Energy level is one of the biggest factors to consider. Determine realistically how much exercise you can provide your dog, and limit your choices to breeds for which you can provide adequate exercise. 
• Some breeds are naturally more intelligent than others. The more intelligent the dog, the easier they may be to train, but the more enrichment and work they will likely need to stay out of trouble. 
• Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, take time to thoroughly study the history and characteristics of the breeds you are considering. What was this type of dog bred to do? How does this contribute to their temperament traits? How do you plan to fulfill these instincts and needs based their breed?
• The looks of a dog should be the LAST thing you consider! It is completely irresponsible to select a dog based on looks alone, and then be unable to provide for that dog’s training, exercise, and enrichment needs. 

Temperament: It is very important to evaluate the temperament and personality of the dog as an individual. You can evaluate a litter of puppies’ personalities to a certain extent, but as mentioned above, you will also be responsible for shaping your puppy’s final personality. An adult rescued dog will have a more solidified temperament, which should be of great consideration when you are considering adoption. Things to look for in temperament are:

• In puppies, it is generally best to look for a puppy in the “middle” of the personality spectrum. The loudest, boldest, rowdiest puppy who does everything first will usually have high drive and more intensive exercise needs as an adult. If you enjoy hiking and running with your dog, and spending every free moment training with them, this might be a good fit, but for most families I find this puppy will overwhelm them. Similarly, the shyest puppy in the litter, the one hiding in the corner who does everything last, will need especially intensive training to avoid major fear and anxiety issues later on. Most families do not have the time or knowledge to take on this puppy. But a puppy in the middle of the spectrum, who is friendly and lively, but not particularly intense in their play, will often be a well adjusted adult dog. 

• In adult dogs, pay attention to their energy level. Most adult rescues will be mixed breeds, so energy will vary by individual. Much like with breed evaluation, consider how much exercise you are able to provide, and select an energy level accordingly. A very rowdy dog will not be a good fit for a family with young children. Also watch for signs of shyness such as cowering in a corner or approaching nervously. These dogs would be a better fit for a family without small children, who is prepared to slowly build the dog’s confidence through extensive training.