Dogs wiggle into our hearts at all ages. The joy of watching a puppy discover the world is truly exciting, but there’s a lot to be said for adopting older dogs too. With older dogs, we get a good sense of who they are, their personality and maturity. We get to skip the house training and extra hours of being a baby dog pet parent and skip directly to the joy of having a grown companion and protector. For the most part, we know what and who we’re getting in an adult dog.

You can’t walk past a dachshund in a designer sweater, a blinged-out bichon, or a sassy Scotty on the sidewalk without asking, “Can I pet your dog?” You’re ready to share your home and life with a new dog. Oh, you can’t wait! He’ll go everywhere with you—picnics, brunch, even vacation. Where do you find your perfect pooch partner?