It could take as long as 3 years before they fully mature. Before they reach their third birthday, you have already endured 3 years of constant training and 3 years' worth of test on your patience and dedication. Don t say you weren t warned. If you are insistent with adopting a puppy, the following recommendations will help you in picking the one that matches you and your needs. While this may be true for some cases such as for dogs that have lived with abusive families this is not necessarily the case for all aging dogs. It only takes time for them to build and close that bond. Once you have established its trust level and confidence on you though, it would be much easier for you and your dog to bond. Human sees this devotion and treats dogs as family members. Dogs on the other hand see humans as pack leaders although members of their pack nonetheless. Men therefore have to be obeyed and would need as much cooperation from the dog similar to how the dog will respond to a pack leader in the wild. In spite of all these, dogs are predators. Although, of course, you should expect an adjustment period before your new dog becomes very comfortable with his new surroundings and family. He has had rough beginnings, which you should understand, will affect your future relationships. You should then be very careful of the first impressions you give him. Because you are expecting the pup to urinate you could very well anticipate that it is bound to happen. Once you see a pup raising a hind leg, carry him outside to a designated place where the pup could relieve himself. Typically a pup that is good for adoption is about three months old. That also means that the puppy could hold his bladder for at least three hours. When decided to adding a new puppy, be sure to watch out that this does not happen. - Do not adopt a new dog without the agreement of all members of the family. There are different dog breeds with different attitudes and temperaments. Dog sizes also matter. Larger dogs are best when there are children in the house as they are generally more placid.