You have to love the commercials for Sweet Million. What is sweeter than baby pigs, bunnies, kittens and of course,
puppies? You can almost hear the collective “awwwhhh” from the TV audience.
We humans melt when we see that adorable face, so we buy a puppy because its so darn cute.
Here are some other reasons – right or wrong – why people get a puppy instead of an older dog:
You’ve ALWAYS gotten a puppy, never an adult dog.
You “know“ what you are getting. When you get an adult dog, you don’t know.
You can train it correctly right from the start.
You don’t want to take on someone else’s problems by getting an older dog.
You want the puppy to grow up with the kids.
You think a puppy will keep your older dog young-at-heart.
Ok, so you get the puppy home and reality hits. The puppy cries at night, pees on your rugs, chews everything in sight, doesn’t know “sit” from “potty.”
Pretty soon you start asking your dog trainer questions like”When is he going to grow up?” and “How long is he going to keep jumping/mouthing/having accidents?”
Let’s see – here are the average ages at which the top 10 most popular breeds mature, and are considered to be an adult:
Breed/Age
of Maturity
1. Labrador Retrievers/2-3 years
2. Yorkshire Terriers/1 year
3. German Shepherd Dogs/2 years
4. Golden Retrievers/2-3 years
5. Beagles/18 months
6. Boxers/3 years
7. Dachshunds/1 year
8. Bulldogs/3 years
9. Poodles/15 months-2 years
10. Shih Tzu/18 months-2 years
Remember, it took YOU 18 years, give or take, to grow up.
Your puppy will grow up, too.
Don’t rush the process, or wish it away, or despair that he will never stop his bad behavior. With time and training and most of all, patience, he will become the well-behaved dog you always hoped for.
But, if you feel that the puppy stage might be too much for you to tolerate, consider adopting an adult dog, and TiVo the Sweet Million commercial to get your puppy fix.
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