Scottie dogs Rescue

So, you want to adopt a Scottish Terrier, huh? Great idea! Want to hear an even better idea? Rescue an adult Scottish Terrier. No pooch is too old for puppy love and puppies are only puppies for a few months after all, right? Oh, you have your heart set on a cute little Scottish Terrier puppy? Have you been looking at Scottish Terrier puppies for sale, checking out Scottish Terrier puppy breeders? OK, here's some food for thought if you have your heart set on a puppy, and a few reasons why adopting an adult might be your better option:

What It Takes to Housebreak a Puppy

Before you adopt a Scottish Terrier, consider how much time your new family member will spend alone. Remember, a puppy requires constant attention. The key to successful housebreaking is consistency; preventing "accidents" is key. Once a puppy soils the carpeting, it becomes much more difficult to train them out of that behavior. Here's a good rule of thumb to consider: a puppy can hold his bladder just one hour for every month they've been alive. For instance, a 3-month-old puppy will need to empty his bladder every three hours! Before you adopt a Scottish Terrier puppy, ask yourself if you are available to walk your dog several times throughout the day, and if you have the patience and commitment to wake up and take him out first thing every morning at the same time, and stick to a strict schedule. Of course, before you can walk him at all, you will need to train him to walk on a leash, which is a project in itself.

On the other hand, an adult dog's bladder is already fully developed. Shelter dogs are often already housetrained and Scottish Terrier rescue groups can tell you if their adult dogs for adoption are housebroken before they go into your home. You also have the advantage of knowing that your dog is physically able to "hold it" for several hours at a stretch. In most cases, adult dogs are by far easier to housebreak than puppies. You can teach an old dog new tricks!