Dear Jubilee,

I have a chance to get a five-month old Airedale puppy. Is that too old to bond with and to start obedience with?

Should I Take This Puppy?

Dear Should I,

A five month old puppy is a joy. He is old enough to housetrain quickly and easily; he is eager to please; and he loves whoever gives him attention. You will find that he bonds very quickly with you and you will enjoy training him.

For some reason, many people think that any dog older than a seven or eight week old puppy is too old to bond with and to start training. Anyone who has helped with rescue dogs or any breeder who has re-homed a five year old Airedale knows that dogs will bond with people at any time in their lives as long as they are treated with lots of love, respect, and positive discipline. As for obedience: some people believe that starting serious obedience training before a dog has finished teething is a waste of time. Their heads hurt everywhere and their attention span is short. We have great luck training two and three year old dogs in obedience after they have finished their show careers. We firmly believe that dogs continue to learn throughout their lives and that you can teach old dogs new tricks as easily as teaching a puppy. In fact, it may be easier because they often pay better attention.

So if you love that puppy, by all means, get him. Love him, and he will return your love. Discipline him, and he will respect your leadership. Train him, and he will do whatever he can to please you. They love the personal time that training requires you to give them.