[Jespah]

Well, my options for getting a pup are few and far between and I am going to go this coming weekend to see a little red and white girl who is 6 months old. I wouldn't be rushing this, except Rupert is not doing well. He is very mopey and not even enjoying his people and dog friends, he is also very protective of me when other dogs come around. The breeder is well respected in Canada, so I'm not worried about the soundness of the dog.

I have only ever brought in 8 week old puppies and molded them from the start. What's your experience and the pros and cons of an older puppy? One of my main concerns is this one will be house trained - normally a good thing, but I'm at work all day and had my dogs paper trained until they were old enough for their bladders to make it through the day. I can't afford $10 a days for someone to take them out midday. I may have to train the new one to use the paper until she's old enough to go all day, without going.

Thoughts?

Deb