have been having an intense battle since yesterday and it seems as though neither side is winning so far. It's starting to tear me apart.

The reason for this battle?

A dog.

I have been preparing to get a dog for the past two years, I have researched breeds and narrowed it down to two breeds that would fit me best. An Akita and A Belgian Lakenois

The thing is, for pure breed puppies of either breed, it is rather expensive. So I decided that I would wait to get either of those breeds until I have my house and the money saved, with this decided, I went with the option I always favored. Which is adopting.

So, I went on petfinder and was looking through dogs in shelters near my house. The thing is, with my dad's dog, I had only one type in mind. Which was a puppy, a male and a dog that would grow to be a big breed.

However, what I found, was the opposite of most of what I was looking for.

I found a Shiba Inu male, he is 9 ½ years old. Not only is he a small breed and a senior dog, but he is also blind in one eye and has limited vision in the other.

But still knowing this, my heart leaped out at his picture and I felt emotionally pulled to him. Which is where the battle comes in, while my heart says 'Adopt him, the only other animals you have felt this pull with was your ferrets' however my mind keeps voicing 'what ifs'

What if he doesn't get along with my ferrets

What if I'm not good enough for him.

And a lot more. I showed him to my dad. He was like 'Well why would you want to do that, he's to old. What if he has a lot of bad habits.'

I get that, and have already thought about what habits he may have. I researched the Shiba Inu breed already, and I understand that they can be hard to train and I know what the breeds behavior is like.

It's just tearing me apart, and I don't know what I should do. I mean, he's going to be at petsmart for one of those adopting things on the 21st and 22nd, so I am going to go and meet him one of those days and just take it from there.

Sorry for posting this here, it's just I don't have anyone else to discuss this with. My friends where I live are all busy, and when I try and talk to my dad about it he always turns the conversation to himself.

I don't know if I should listen to my mind on this, or my heart. Maybe I'll find my answer when I actually meet him in person but as for now...

Well I ALWAYS say you should adopt. I'm 100% antipuppy mills, and the truth is, you just can't ever be 100% sure your breeder doesnt associate with them. They are tricky little bastards. I think adopting, is not only heroic, but its my experience adopted pets, KNOW they have been rescued, and the bond that developes between owner and pet is unbreakably strong.

Now, that said: I have had Akita's and have to say they are not neceassarily the best family dogs (which may be problematic with ferrets, which I have also had) I have also had a Shiba Inu, and outside of out mutt, she's the best dog I've ever had. They ARE very energetic, which can make them hard to train, but a SR would be a little calmer. As for difficulty training issues though, they are hard to train because THEY TRAIN YOU.... They are uncommonly intelligent. They are also high energy dogs (they would more than easily keep up with those ferrets of yours) Our Akita died before we had the ferrets, and we got our Shiba Inu after the ferrets, and the ferrets and the dog got along great... they played together and when they all pooped out they lay together.

Our dog is a SR now, and her energy has certainly dropped off. We've had NO issues with her other than that with her age had come some hip displatia issues (which if you are thinking about getting a large dog, will be an issue even as a puppy. with smaller dogs its usually not an issue until they are much older)

As for him already having bad habbits - thats the good thing about adopting.... you can ask those questions in advance so you know what you are getting into. When you get a young dog, you sometimes have no idea what you are getting, but at the same hand, you can always have time to change it too.

Now for a word of caution: With an old dog comes responsibilities that you wouldnt normally have to take on for many years. I.E. bladder control problems (if an issue with your dog) or heart conditions, and other health issues, that can really zap you financially.... if you are thinking of getting a house and saving money, that would make it hard. All the same, you could buy or adopt a pure breed puppy, not knowing there are genetic health probs, and get zapped too. I'd also caution against adopting just because you feel sorry for him. He'll know it, and what he NEEDS is someone who wants him because he loves him and feels a connection to him - not someone who just feels guilty for not giving him a home. If you feel that pull and bond to him already then you may have found your dog, but if not, then keep looking. And DONT feel bad, because Shiba Inu's NEVER last long for adoption. They are so cute that people snag them up even with health issues and being older. Our dog ALWAYS has people stopping to coo and awe over her. I've never seen such a reaction from people before we got her. She makes me proud....

Shiba Inu are also very protective (they use to be palace guard dogs) I remember I took ours out for a ride up to visit a friend, and their BIG German Shepherd came running at me, barking. He was a very sweet dog and was excited to see me, but our dog was NOT about to take that chance, so she LEAP OUT OF THE CAR WINDOW (we were parked, and I just hadn't had the cahnce to take her out of the back seat yet.) and went AFTER that german shepherd! You've never seen something so funny. She chased him off, and came back "smiling" and tale wagging... and yes I said smiling... Shiba Inu's actually smile. You'll see what I mean if you get him.

Good luck and Its so nice that you are considering rescuing a dog.

I can see where you are coming from. I am a fanatic dog lover myself with having two dogs. (a 5yr female Australian Shepperd (Dizzy) and a 4yr male Australian Cattle(Zato). My husband and I got them just as we were getting married four years ago. Dizzy was already 1 by that time and Zato was 4months.

The thing is, when picking a dog, age is one of the lesser things on your list to think about. Sure, an older dog wont be in the family longer like a younger dog. But who is to say that the younger dog wont fit into your pack? One think I have always keeps in mind is this one simply rule.

If the dog has not chosen you as its human. Then the two of you will have a hard time with each other.

I use this rule every time i get a new dog. (regardless of age) And give yourself and dog about two to three weeks to bond. By then you should know how compatible you are.

Now Shiba inu's are not all that difficult to train. Everyone always thinks that, when in reality, all dogs are this way. Showing that you can be a calm but assertive alpha is what the dogs needs.

I am glad that there is one other person who is going the grate ranks of dog lovers. And I hope that this helps you out. If you have anything ells you want to ask or talk about, just ask.

I actually just adopted my first pet, a 6-7 month old black rabbit who was abandoned and little is known about him. I got him from the SPCA and hubby and I are talking about becoming foster parents to animals in the future, once we own a house rather than condo.

It's great to hear you are looking into adopting and I'd say that after you spend a little time with him and know that he reacts well in your presence, to follow what your heart says in regards to adopting him or not. Age, breed, past owners really shouldn't matter as each animal is unique.

Just make sure you are sure, a head of time, that you would be able to handle what comes with an older dog. The health issues, the diet changes, the extra vet visits that are going to come sooner, especially since he has eye problems.

And remember, there is no wrong answer in adopting, you would be giving a deserving pet a loving home and that is all that matters. If you want a completely truthful answer, if it was me, I would pick a different dog, I personally don't think I would be able to handle and fully take care of a half-blind, unhealthy animal. I think doing so is a beautiful and wonderful thing, but I couldn't handle it.

Before you decide, make sure you could. It would only do more harm in the long run if you end up having to put him back up for adoption because it ends up being too much for you. But if you are sure you can handle everything, than I say go for it .

Thank you to all of you that responded to this.

Yesterday(sunday) I actually went and met him in person. Well, I went to the adoption day at Petsmart and saw him there, I was not able to pet him or hold him. But I was able to see him and ask his caretaker questions.

The connection I felt at seeing him online was stronger when I finally saw him in person. Because he was in a crate, I was not allowed to hold/pet him. But I stood there for about half an hour talking to the caretaker and giving him attention.

When I went up to his crate, he came right over to where I was standing and started pawing and the bars and whining/wagging his tail. I really have no clue what the people who gave him up were thinking when they said he was not friendly, he seemed very sweet to me.

When I talked his caretaker she told me the people who gave him up had him for day before bringing him to the shelter. Apparently, they had gotten him from a friend who had him his whole life, and after a day they said 'he wasn't friendly enough' which is why they gave him up. I, and the caretaker, thought this was ridiculous because anything, human or animal, would need more time than a day to adjust to a new family and home.

But anyways, his adoption fee is 145 dollars. Which at the moment I don't have, so sadly I was not able to adopt him that day. It literally broke my heart to leave there without him, but it's understanding too. I'd rather have money, not only for his adoption, but also for some treats for him and the other things he would need.

So if he is still available in two weeks, I will adopt him then. But if he is not, I'll be sad but glad that he got adopted and is in a home.

Also, after talking to the caretaker, she said he needs no special living conditions even though he is blind. All he needs is for eye drops to be put in his eyes twice a day. Which since he is use to them, won't be that bad.

Also for those who were wondering what he looked like. Here is a picture of him.