From time to time breeders have older puppies, young adults, or mature adults for sale. Often times these are not the worst of the dogs the breeder has but some of the best. To give you a better understanding of the dogs on this page I thought it would be good to offer the following explanation.
1. Older puppies. Usually it is not because a puppy has not sold that it is offered here. More likely the breeder can not decide between the various puppies as to which one(s) to include in the breeding program. So, the breeder holds back the best and makes a decision when the puppy is old enough that the breeder knows exactly what the puppy will be. The fact that the puppy was not available initially indicates it is the quality the breeder is looking to keep and simply can not decide between it and its siblings until the puppies are a little older. Even then it may not be a matter of better or worse but a matter of a specific trait the breeder may need. For instance, if a breeder needs to reduce size he/she may keep the smaller of two siblings even if he/she slightly prefers the larger. It is also possible the breeder is trying to correct or improve a certain quality in his/her line. It could literally be the breeder wants longer ears and chooses the one with the longest ears in order to get that phenotype. The breeder may have to hold back a few puppies to at least 6 months of age to make that final decision. So a young adult puppy which has been held back is likely to be a very high quality puppy. Another advantage of the older puppy is the amount of training the puppy has. The puppy should recognize its name, respond to basic commands, and is likely to be doggie door trained (at least that is the case here).
2. Adult dogs from breeding stock 2-4 years old. These dogs are likely to be very high quality dogs the breeder has used in their breeding program for a specific purpose and has now achieved the goal and is retiring the dog early. An example might be a breeder wants to end up with a long hair cream dapple female. The breeder might start with a long haired cream male and a smooth dappled female. By breeding them together the breeder could get a smooth dapple female that carries for both long hair and cream. Then by breeding that female to another long hair cream male the breeder might get the long haired cream dapple female he/she was trying to create. Once that goal was accomplished the breeder might retire both the original smooth dapple and the smooth dapple female that carries for both long hair and cream. Both females would be top quality or the breeder would not have bred through them to begin with. A breeder does not breed first for color; they breed first for health, structure, temperament and conformation, then for color and coat.
3. Mature adult dogs. Every breeder has a finite capacity for properly caring for dogs and giving them the quality of life they deserve. So when the breeder decides it is in the best interest of the dog to retire it and find it a permanent home he/she places it up for adoption. These dogs make exceptional pets, especially for the elderly. They are the best of the best and are fully trained.
So, if you are considering adopting an older puppy, young adult, or mature dog be sure to ask the breeder a little about the history of the dog you are considering. You might be surprised at what you learn.
