Are You Ready for a New Puppy?
So you have been having that discussion for a while now, the one where you are considering getting a dog. You have thought long and hard and think that this would be a great addition to your family.
Whether your family is just you, you and your partner or you your partner and your children, it’s a big step. An additional responsibility, another life to care for and depending on the breed you choose, they could be with you for 13 or 14 years or even more.
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Puppies Are Hard Work
The decision to get a dog should not be made on a whim because all of a sudden you have more spare time for a few months, “the children need a play mate”, “well puppies are so cute” or “how much work can a puppy be?”
Puppies are hard work whatever breed you choose. They are never still, if you are lucky they may sleep for short periods to recharge, then they are off again.
My last pup hardly slept till she was over a year old. I would be standing at the patio door at 11 o’clock at night whilst she was racing around the garden. Calls would fall on deaf ears and in the end it would take my husband and I to get her into a position where she could be directed towards an open door back into the house. She would be going that fast she would leap through the door and keep going until she hit the kitchen mat sending her across the floor leaving her in a heap resting against whatever object she had hit that stopped the projection! How she made it to adulthood without serious injury we often question.
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Do You Have the Time for a Puppy?
Whether you are thinking about getting a puppy or a dog from rescue, think about whether your current lifestyle, or your future lifestyle fits in with having a dog.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Are you out at work all day?
- Do you holiday often?
- Who will look after your pup or dog whilst you are at work or on holiday if they cannot come with you?
- Maybe you will need to engage a dogwalker?
- Will your puppy need to go to doggy creche or kennels. Is this affordable?
Getting a dog must be a decision that the whole family are committed to. You need to know that you will be able to provide for its well being; food, walks, training, vet costs when needed and this is for its lifetime. A dog will love you unconditionally from the moment you become 'their humans' until they leave this world and you need to be able to provide for their needs and love them back unconditionally until that time.
Dog Training Is Paramount
I have heard many reasons why people give up on their canine family members; "it chewed my rug”, “he messed on the floor” “the dog stole food off the counter”. These are not reasons for giving up on your dog. They are not the fault of the dog, but the fault of the care giver.
The puppy might be bored or doesn’t understand what is theirs and what isn’t. If they are not given enough opportunities to toilet and a lack of training, exercise and play, these are all reasons why problems might occur.
There are of course occasions where things can go wrong and a family might have found themselves with a dog that has problems that cannot be overcome, regardless of efforts put in and in these cases for safety sake, that dog may need to be re-homed. But in the big scheme of things these cases are small in comparison and there are good professional trainers and behaviourists that can be called upon to help and give advice if you are struggling with training or a behavioural problems.
Conclusion
So are you ready for a new puppy? Make sure that you want and are able to put in the time, effort and commitment that comes with bringing a puppy or dog to into your family, because if and when you are, having a dog is one of the most rewarding experiences in life you can have.
The saying 'you get back what you put in' could never be more appropriate than when you talk about the training and efforts you put into dog ownership.
Hopefully we have given you a few things to consider before you make that big step. Check back to the blog soon and we will help you along the way to finding the breed that might best suit your lifestyle.
