Reply #20: You are exactly right....There are different challenges with each group.

[NewWaveChick1981]

:hi: One of the sweeties we adopted in 1994 (Kara, RIP :hug:) had been a stray picked up by Animal Control. She was about two years old and had a dirty red collar embedded in the fur around her neck, and it was obvious it would have eventually dug into her neck if she had not been picked up. She was underweight and terrified of loud noises. She was the sweetest little dog you could ever imagine EXCEPT to males she did not know and children of any type. :yoiks: She came with a history of (we believe) abuse and DEFINITELY neglect, but she never gave us a moment's trouble unless it was an unknown male or a child or if a thunderstorm came up. She eventually got used to everything and was much better about people, but she never got over the thunderstorm terror.

I love dogs no matter what their age or personality, but my heart especially goes out to older dogs that might not otherwise have a chance. Our dog Casey (Lab mix, now almost seven) was a year old when we adopted her. She was in the animal shelter for three months and was two days away from euthanasia when we adopted her. She was a handful, but that was only because she had been cooped up for so long. After about two days with us, she calmed down, and now she's a total couch potato. :P All dogs need loving homes, but I'm better equipped to deal with older dogs who need a lot of love. :)