RE: I Just Do Not Know What to Think
I like training older dogs myself. They are usually smarter and concentrate better. You can usually get an older dog to do what you want in about a third of the time.
My question is this and I hate to be Debbie Downer here but if your buddy's dog was stricken prematurely with cancer why would he breed a dog like that? Chances of your dog suffering the same fate are moderate.