Reply #15: Actually, in my experience, each brings a different set of challenges.

[Pharlo]

Puppies - yes - the holy terror stage for two, sometimes three, years.
An older dog, however, comes with a fully developed personality. And, for me that was more difficult to adjust to than a needy little puppy. Then, the one I adopted - 6 years old, had obviously had a rough time at one point in his life. He was pretty much emaciated and a holy terror. There were some behavioral issues that we had to work through, but we did. I did not know about these when I adopted him, and by the time I had him home and figured it out, it was too late. He was a member of the family - funny how fast that happens. I got him on Friday night. Monday, after work, I discovered he could undo eye hooks - at about 6 feet off the floor. Which means all the rooms in the house that I had thought were 'dog proofed' weren't. And, a 1 1/2 and a 1 year old right behind him. Need I elucidate? The next day, he managed to get around the cupboard locks......Lost all my canned goods. The young ones chewed all the cans open and they all feasted.

He was VERY thin when I got him from the Humane Society. They said Cody had been adopted a couple of times but brought back. Left in a securely locked kennel, I can understand how he could be the wonderful dog they raved about at the Humane Society. Having lived with him in a household environment, I know why the other people brought him back. However, I also know that for the first 2 or 3 weeks, he would hide caches of food around the house. When the food caches stopped appearing, his behavior got better as well. Also, the first time I yelled at the girls - the two younger ones, they're always getting into something - after I got him, he went and curled up in a corner and shook so badly I had to stop yelling at the pups to go hold him. He's over that now. I can stand and yell at him and he just looks at me with his tail wagging. I still have to be VERY cautious about locks with him though -and I no longer assume the dogs can't get into something because it's locked.

Just saying.....older dogs can come with their own issues. For me, the hardest part was adopting to a fully developed personality. Because that is what an older dog is....unlike a pup.

Also, Cody was subject to accidents for the first couple of weeks. But, I expected that. Different environment, different schedule, and different food. All combined, created a bit of an adjustment period.

Oh, and by the way, he's still rearranging the furniture the minute I leave the room. I put it back, he rearranges it. I put it back, he rearranges it. I put it back, he rearranges it. I think it's devolved into a game for him now, but I'm not sure....