Adopting a young adult or adolescent puppy could be a great idea for first-time dog owners or people who love dogs, but whose schedules might not permit the full-time supervision that a younger pup generally needs. Young adult pups are aged 6 months to 18 months. They have outgrown the teething stage, their meal times are more regular and they are toilet-trained. These pups are also accustomed to walking on a leash.
S. Venkatesh Kumar, who adopted an 8-month-old Indian puppy earlier this year is delighted with his decision. “Raja has the most affectionate nature,” he says of his rescued pup. Venkatesh dismisses the misconception that a young adult pup will take time to adapt to a new home, and observes that Raja made himself the apple of everyone’s eye in no time. “They reciprocate the kindness we show them. He plays like crazy, loves every member of the family and sometimes I feel that he’s even more perceptive than people,” says Venkatesh. He narrates incidents where people fall head over heels for young pups and then abandon them when they’ve outgrown that initial stage, and believes Raja was one such pup. “They trust us and depend on us – we would never send our children away at that age,” he says, and hopes that people come forward to adopt these pups too. “I feel dogs are a must for every home,” he adds.
Sumita Pai, who rescued a handsome one-year-old dog with her two friends last week echoes the sentiment that adolescent pups make lovable pets. Her friends spotted the dog at a beach in Chennai where he was possibly abandoned as he seemed skittish and disoriented. They rescued, vaccinated and neutered him and within days, he became trusting and exuberant. “He loves people, has an ever-wagging tail and even calls out to other dogs by stretching his paw and touching theirs,” says Sumita, who named him Beach Boy is now in the process of finding him a new home.
Adopting adolescent pups like Raja and Beach Boy is a way to ensure that these young puppies do not get overlooked on account of their semi-adult status, and that they too find homes that will appreciate the immense love they have to offer.
To adopt an adolescent pup in New Delhi, email Red Paws Rescue at redpawsrescue@gmail.com.
