The right Dog for us.?

[Juliet]

The best thing to do is ADOPT! If you adopt a dog from a shelter, you're not only saving a dog but making room for another that needs to be saved! Another benefit is a non-puppy age dog doesn't have to be crated all day every day if you are a working family. Life in a crate is no life for a puppy. Also, the benefit of an older dog (around a year old) is that you already will know its personality! With a young puppy, they will be destructive, need to be trained, and their personality could drastically change as they age. Shelter workers will know the exact personality of the dog, if it needs to be crated or not, if it likes to be outside, if he's well with other cats or dogs, likes people or children. And, with an older dog, this will not change. Labs also shed a TON. The mixed breeds at shelters have the great qualities of many dog breeds, and some shelters even have purebred dogs if you want something purebred. Good luck! Remember to adopt, not buy from a breeder!