I'd recommend an older dog so the temperament is known. Not all dogs from shelters/rescue have been abused. Plenty of people move (or pass away) and give their dogs to rescues that keep them in foster homes who can tell you all about them.

I would not get a puppy if you look for lower maintenance/low energy. Plenty of people go for puppies because they don't want trauma and to train their own but don't have any idea what they are doing and how to train a dog, ending up with a hyper mess.

Our coworker got a fully trained adult dog that is absolutely wonderful, no issues. Owners had to move abroad for work. They are out there.

We personally recently have a puppy from a foster-based rescue (adult was unavailable/not ready to be adopted out yet) but I have 20y+ training exp. and have a great support system of people who train and compete professionally as I didn't have exp with this particular breed before.

100% my DH would have been better off with an adult dog if we weren't both WFH permanently and I didn't have the previous experience, esp. with kids and other pets in the mix (cats in particular).

I would recommend getting the smaller dog. Cavs are great and people make too big of a deal about size based on their ego vs what is actually a good fit for their energy levels and household.

Anonymous wrote:Don’t get a dog if you won’t even bother fencing your yard. What a poor dog that never gets to run around his own backyard. Really, why even get a dog?

I wonder about the OP's training and temperament requirements. I'm not sure you can buy doggie perfection - often their behavior is a mirror of the owners' behavior.

I know some dogs from the preferred list that are completely psycho, that bite, bark and can't be left alone.

What is the life expectancy of a Bernese mountain dog? Seems like a genetic recipe for built in heartache. My friendly, sweet, adorable rescue mutt lived past 15.

I don't understand people who will invest $$$ in a dog but not a fence.

Don’t get a dog if you won’t even bother fencing your yard. What a poor dog that never gets to run around his own backyard. Really, why even get a dog?

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t find the puppy stage that hard/bad and I was completely inexperienced. It was much easier than my human infant twins! We loved having our little fluffy guy in his most adorable precious stage. My advice to you (as someone who over-prioritized cuteness) is really drill down and find a breeder who focuses on good temperament. My pup is a bit anxious/fearful and is not as affectionate with my kids as I’d like.

What breed?