Wouldn’t it be great to have a lovely little ball of fluffy puppy sweetness at home? Having a puppy is fun, but it can also be quite a bit of work. You truly do need to make sure that you are ready for the responsibility, and that you are buying a puppy that is going to be right for your home and your schedule. Let’s look at some of the major considerations that will help you to make your decision.
Do You Have the Time and Energy?
Puppies are going to take more energy than many people expect. You need to be ready to get up and take them outside regularly to go to the bathroom, and to give them exercise. They need to be played with and have a lot of attention. Remember, they are still essentially babies. Some breeds are going to need to have a lot more exercise than others, and if you are the type of person who would rather cuddle up on the couch than get out and go to the park or go hiking, then some breeds, such as boxers, will not be right for you.
When you have a dog, especially when they are still a puppy, you need to make sure that you have the time available for them. If you have a job that takes you away from your home a lot, whether you are traveling or you have a long commute, you are going to need to have someone at the house who can help with the dog.
Kid Friendly
If you have kids, or you are around nieces and nephews often, you will need to make sure that you choose a puppy that is going to be kid friendly. Finding a puppy that seems to be good around kids from the start is a good option, but you are still going to need to train the puppy to make sure that they learn to behave properly around kids, and adults for that matter. Additionally, if you have children in the home, you need to teach them that they must respect the puppy’s space and that they need to be nice to the animal.
Expect that there might be some accidents, as well. Puppies can get very excited when they are playing with little humans, and they can sometimes knock kids down without meaning to.
Do You Have Room for the Puppy?
Even though the puppy might be little right now, and it might seem as if she’s going to have plenty of space in your home, you have to think about how big she’s going to get. There are many types of dogs that can do quite well in apartments, such as the Maltese, Yorkshire Terrier, French Bulldog, English Bulldog, and even some large dogs like Greyhounds and Great Danes, which like that laid back, sedentary lifestyle. It does not mean that they don’t need exercise. It just means that they do not need to have quite as much space as you might think.
The Cost
One of the mistakes that many people make when they are buying a puppy is thinking about only the cost of buying or adopting the puppy. They do not bother to factor in all of the other associated costs. You have to consider the cost of food, along with the cost of vet visits, vaccinations, heartworm testing, getting spayed or neutered, and pet health insurance. Spaying and neutering is very important, as there is a stray animal problem prevalent all around the United States. You need to be responsible.
It can cost around $1,000 or more each year to take care of your pet properly. You don’t want to bring a puppy, or any animal, into your home unless you are able to provide them with the proper level of care.
Related Article: The Perils of Pet Insurance
Here’s a new puppy checklist of some of the most important items you are going to want to have available:
- Wire playpen area
- Crate of the appropriate size
- Disposable pads for the carpet, for accidents
- Chew toys
- Quality stuffed toys
- Leash and collar
- Bowls for food and water
- Puppy food
Where to Find the Puppy
You have several ways that you can find a wonderful little puppy that you can bring into your home. You can adopt from a shelter, which will often have puppies available. Keep in mind that these are the animals that need help the most, and you should always check the shelters first.
You might also have some friends whose dog recently had puppies. It is also possible to buy from a breeder if you are looking for a certain breed. Just make sure that you are working with a reputable breeder that takes good care of the puppies. Know the breeder or get recommendations, if possible. Wherever you buy the puppy, you need to be sure that it is at least eight weeks old. They should not be away from their mothers before that.
Take Some Time
Getting a new puppy sounds like a lot of fun – and it can be! However, you need to make sure that this is something that you have thought about and that you have planned out. You never want to adopt a puppy on a whim or as a spur of the moment decision when you see one that’s available.
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