There are many things that
must be considered before adding a new pet to your life; however,
very few people actually stop to consider the age of the pet.
While puppies, kittens and hatchlings may be extra cute, they
are also a huge amount of extra work. For many families, an adult,
or even senior, pet may be the best option. Greyhounds are an
excellent example of this.
Greyhound puppies have
got to be among the cutest animals on the planet, yet they are
WAY too much dog for the average family. They have boundless energy,
and can run circles around even the most greyhound-savvy trainers.
Picture greyhounds on the track -- they are poetry in motion as
they do what they were bred to do. Now, picture that dog in miniature
doing the same thing 20 hours a day through your living room --
THAT is a greyhound puppy.
Thankfully, greyhound puppies
do grow up. Around three years of age, an amazing thing happens
to these dogs. They go from being insane running machines to 45mph
couch potatoes. An adult greyhound may be the fastest dog in the
world, but he is also a quiet, lazy love bug, quite content to
spend the majority of his day snoozing beside you while you watch
TV.
Just like greyhounds, many
dog breeds and other animal species go from being crazy kids to
quiet, mellow adults. For a busy family, adopting an adult rescue
animal is often a much better way to go. Training a young animal
takes a huge time commitment and, quite honestly, most families
really aren’t prepared for the time or expense of a juvenile
pet. When you adopt an adult, you know exactly what you are getting.
There aren’t going to be any unpleasant surprises, and someone
else has already done a lot of the hard work for you.
Next time you are thinking
about adding to your animal family, consider adopting an adult
rescue animal. Your sanity will thank you.
A former pet groomer,
TD Yandt is currently working as an artist and animal trainer.
Her goal is to positively impact the lives of pets and their
people by providing an education on individual species, their
proper care, and the use of operant conditioning to enhance
the human-animal bond. You can learn more about TD, and her
animal family, at www.noselicks.com
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