Pet Adoption - Puppy vs. Adult Dog

Who can resist the fluff and drool and sweet breath of the puppy? Few. You do realize, however, that Little Pup will very soon lose that baby face and in fact become a full-grown adult dog? I know, I know, it's just easier to bond with them while they're small and innocent. But dogs as a general rule don't really , um, lose their innocence as they age. They primarily just get bigger and calmer. And have fewer to no accidents for you to "discover" on your nightly trek to the restroom. Another little appreciated fact, they reach a nice mature stage where they finally have all their Big Dog teeth and suddenly lose the urge to chew the backs off only one of every pair of shoes you own. How about those first three nights in their new home? With grown-up dogs you will actually get some sleep, since they've long grown accustomed to not hearing the little hearts of their siblings beating next to them. Fortunately, they're strong enough to handle the poisonous chemicals that kill blood-sucking varmints, so you don't get a thriving colony of fleas in your carpet as part of the deal. You don't have to wonder how they'll turn out when they grow up. They've already turned out. You wanted your little pup to grow up alongside your own little human pup, didn't you? That's if Little Pup can survive all the tail yanking, tongue squeezing, eyeball poking, nose picking, haircuts, pony rides (with Little Pup as the pony, of, course), and airplane rides (with L.P. as the ... yeah, you hate to think about that one, don't you?) An adult dog is bound to fare much better under such trying circumstances. And not to be overlooked, the simple though sad reality is: everybody wants a puppy. That automatically makes Big Dog well, the underdog. If you don't love him who will?