# Looking for advice on buying older puppy



## Dnr2d09 (Oct 12, 2016)

Hello! First post, so there may be a learning curve :grin2:but I'm very interested to get insight on this topic. 


First let me start by saying I have always had dogs, so I am not new to ownership, but I am looking to purchase a German Shepherd which is definitely a different speed from my usual Golden Retrievers and Chihuahuas. Roughly two years ago, I adopted a GSD possible DS mix. While he was a handful and easily the most challenging dog I've ever owned, it was purely from an energy standpoint and not aggression/difficulty in training. He was very sweet and an absolute clown but had no concept of his size, weight, or strength. He was 10 months old and was with me until he was almost 2. Unfortunately, one habit I was not able to break (he was in training with a professional for the issue at the time) was bolting and unfortunately he was hit by a car. That was traumatic and heartbreaking for us to lose him that way and at that point we decided that if we ever got another shepherd, it would be a puppy from a breeder.


Fast forward to now. We have been researching breeders for a few months and getting a bit more serious about bringing home a dog but the sticking point seems to be fearing our schedules won't be fair to a new pup. The potential to work for home is a very real possibility for me, so in the next 6 months that may not be an issue at all, but we've found an older pup that may be a great fit now. I was at our local dog park and saw a beautiful shepherd, I talked to the owner who seemed very pleased with his breeder and got the contact information. As it turns out, the breeder has 3 14 week old pups and a 7 month old pup. After chatting with the breeder and telling about our life and the type of dog we have in mind, he thought the 7 month old would be a good fit. Of course there's this picture perfect image in my head of what my dream shepherd looks like but I trust the breeder to pick the dog for us, as they know the dogs better than we do.


This is what I know about the dog: He is 7 months old, originally had a buyer lined up but the sale didn't go through so the breeder has kept him on the farm since then. I know he has been exposed to other dogs and is submissive to the adult dogs and people and is good with the younger dogs and children. Per the breeder, he has a very sweet temperament and should do fine in a home with children and other pets. At this point, I feel comfortable with the breeder, his methods, and the glowing reviews from previous buyers (all showing their shepherds fitting perfectly into the family in various photos). We do plan to visit the farm next weekend, meet all the dogs, and spend some time with the pup in question and the breeder. 


Questions and concerns: He is Czech/DDR bloodlines which seem to have mixed schools of thought on their ability to be good family pets. We don't have children, but do have nieces and nephews and want a well balanced dog in the mix. At 7 months old, how pliable is he? I have no problem socializing him and working on exposing him to different things, and MOST definitely putting him through obedience training, but has the window passed for him to be receptive to new things? I've read that if they haven't been exposed to it by 12 weeks, the likelihood of accepting it is not good. Are there any temperament tests I can do on the fly to size him up? We aren't bringing our current dogs to the first meeting, and obviously bringing cats is out of the question, so I am looking for any input to gauge how he might react to those things if we decide to bring him home. I'm hoping we will just know, but also trying to be very methodical in the decision making process.


I know the breeder will take him back if it doesn't work out, so its not like we will be stuck with an unhappy dog, but if there is anything I can do on the front end to make sure he's a good fit so we don't get him home and totally turn his world upside down only to find out he's not going to work out, I'm willing to try. I'm thrilled at the idea of having a dog past the puppy stage but very much afraid of history repeating itself and I have no desire to experience that heartbreak again.


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

I think 7 months is great - past the puppy stage and able to take longer walks. I don't hold with a 12-week age window and then not accepting new things. I think he'll adjust to new people, animals, just fine, but of course to use care and patience. Your post indicated you are willing and ready to do socialization and training. He lives on a farm now, so the first training will probably be house training - at least he will have more bladder control than a little puppy. For the cats - I would ask the breeder if he has been exposed to any and how he reacted. There may be cats on the farm. But he can be trained to respect and get along with your cats. For your other dogs - if possible, try to make the first introduction in a neutral area like a park. A friend of mine adopted a second lab and the foster parent did bring the dog to a park where the dog could meet my friend's lab. The meeting went well and so my friend went ahead with the adoption. So I wish you luck and hope the dog is a good fit for your family.


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## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

He's a baby regardless of size, if he has excellent nerve and is as described by breeder, should be no problem adjusting to your situation. 
My only concern would be not having left the breeder and is now 7 months old, there's a window of exposure to outside world the pup missed that may surface some insecurities. This is where the genetic nerve is so important.


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