I will likely be working 8 hour shifts and I think an adult would be better suited to my lifestyle right off the bat. But what if the adult has potty training issues? The adults are pretty fast learners, correct? And any issues in that respect would be brought to my attention by the rescuer anyway, right?
Depends on the rescue. Some are better than others. Some know the life history of the dog (or it seems that way) and others don't know more than that it is indeed a dog. Some, sadly, don't even know that. It also depends on the dog as well. A dog that was surrendered to them will likely have more information than a dog that was picked up as a stray.
In any case, adults are easier to housetrain than pups simply because they have an adult sized bladder and adult control over it. Pups have about a 30 second warning, but adults have much, much more than that.
Dog aggression is something that any rescue should know about as it's something easily determined. If there's any doubt in your mind whether a dog has this or not, I'd pass. I don't think dogs that suffer from DA are right for a first time owner, but that's just my 2 cents on the subject. It can be corrected, but IMO doing so is best left to experts.
To answer your main question, a dogs behavior is always malleable simply because they live in the moment. Plus, they have no history with you. A dog that behaves horribly in one environment may have no problems in another one simply because you give the dog strict rules and boundaries that are enforced while the first home did not. It's never too late to teach a dog.
In any case, adults are easier to housetrain than pups simply because they have an adult sized bladder and adult control over it. Pups have about a 30 second warning, but adults have much, much more than that.
Dog aggression is something that any rescue should know about as it's something easily determined. If there's any doubt in your mind whether a dog has this or not, I'd pass. I don't think dogs that suffer from DA are right for a first time owner, but that's just my 2 cents on the subject. It can be corrected, but IMO doing so is best left to experts.
To answer your main question, a dogs behavior is always malleable simply because they live in the moment. Plus, they have no history with you. A dog that behaves horribly in one environment may have no problems in another one simply because you give the dog strict rules and boundaries that are enforced while the first home did not. It's never too late to teach a dog.
