Jake was the first dog my husband and I ever had (other than childhood dogs, but that's another story altogether). We researched everything very thoroughly before getting him, and chose a reputable breeder. You would have thought that would have guaranteed an excellent match, but it really didn't. We loved Jake and he was a member of the family, but he did not match our personalities and lifestyle.

We got Max at a shelter. He was 2 1/2 years old. He chose us, basically, and he has been the best dog we could ever have hoped for. He matches our personalities and lifestyle in every way.

I think that the major lesson we learned was that meeting an adult dog and finding a personality match is the best way of getting the right dog for us. The personality of the individual dog can be so much different than the breed description.

That's just our personal story and you can take it with a grain of salt, but I know for sure that if we ever get another dog in the future we'll go with an adult again.

Good luck finding your perfect match, whichever way you decide to go!