STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING!
I've seen this over and over again. People get lost in the thought of owning an adorable little puppy and having that bond with your significant other. I get it. But there is SO MUCH MORE to consider before you should even talk about getting a puppy.
1. Are you ready to have a baby?
Puppies are as much work as a baby. It's a fact.If you are at a point in your life where you're not ready for the responsibility and time commitment of a child, then you are not ready for a puppy. Everyone underestimates the work of owning a puppy.
Sure they're cute, but they need 100% of your supervision. They're clumsy. My friends puppy took a tumble down their stairs and got hurt.
They get into everything! Be prepared for anything you own to be destroyed. And I mean ANYTHING. They are going to have A LOT of accidents. You're going to be cleaning up poop and pee for MONTHS. You'll need to spend your lunch breaks running home to let the puppy out to potty.
2. Research
If you were getting ready to have a baby, you would be baby proofing your house and reading parenting books and going to classes. Puppies are the exact same thing. There should be a LOT of research and thought put into this huge decision.Each breed has different traits. Read up on them. Not every dog will follow their breeds traits but it is good to look into it. My dog is half Basset Hound and they're known for being very vocal and stubborn. My dog isn't vocal but BOY is he stubborn.
You need to be researching:
- Training techniques
- Things Dogs CAN'T eat
- The best food brands
- Items you need to purchase before you bring home the puppy
- How to potty train
- How old should your puppy be before you spay/neuter (***ALWAYS do this! Male dogs tend to get very aggressive/protective of their owners and female dogs get periods. Seriously you have to buy dog diapers for them.)
- What vet should you choose
- Should you take your puppy to training classes? If so, where?
- Can you have a dog in your apartment? Is there a weight limit, breed restrictions, or age minimum?
- Who will take the puppy out at what time?
- Do we want an active dog or a lazy one?
- Who watches the puppy when you're on vacation or gone for the weekend?
- What shots do they need?
3. Training and Discipline
My friend called me 5 days after getting a puppy crying because she was so overwhelmed with the stress and work. I told her she needs to be strict, dominate, and repetitive with her. She replied saying her boyfriend told her his job was to train the puppy and her job was just to love the puppy. I almost dropped the phone. This is the WORST way to train. Your puppy needs to understand that you (and your significant other) are the alpha. You're the pack leader and the puppy is the follower. You will not be able to handle your dog if they don't listen to you or respect you.Imagine taking your dog for a walk and you don't have control over him. The dog can pull you anywhere and won't listen to you when you tell them NO or STOP. This is just a small reason why it's so essential to train your dog.
4. Housing and Relationships
Living in an apartment with a puppy is tough. It's expensive. It's difficult to move or find a different apartment that allows your puppy. Your puppy can't be loud or bark because it will upset your neighbors. I highly recommend waiting until you have a permanent residence. Moving stresses out your dog. My dog is super relaxed and nothing stirs him up; until I moved to a new apartment. He would SCREAM when I left the apartment. He was losing his fur from anxiety. If you switch apartment every year, that's a lot of unecessary stress you're putting on your dog.You also need to have a backup plan. I know when you're in the relationship you don't think you'll ever split up. Especially when things are going so well that you're ready to get a puppy together. But you NEED to have a plan set for this puppy if you broke up. Who gets to keep the puppy? Mutually agree on that decision first.
5. Responsibility
One of the biggest things people overlook is where the puppy will go if you're on vacation? Will the puppy go to a family member? Do they want a puppy that may have an accident in their house? Do they live in an apartment that doesn't allow dogs? Would you bring your puppy to a kennel? If you're very busy people, then you need to understand the expense of bringing your dog somewhere.The time commitment to taking your puppy out on walks is very important. People often get frustrated with how much energy puppies have. If you take your puppy on a couple of walks a day that will help ware them out.
6. Money
If your puppy gets hurt or gets sick can you drop everything you're doing to bring him into the vet? Can you financially stable enough to cover an emergency vet bill? My first dog had a severe food allergy. I came home and he had pooped all over my house. I had to call in to BOTH of my jobs to bring him to the vet and pay for a very expensive bill. We didn't find out what his illness was until about 5 trips to the vet and the solution was $80 dog food that wouldn't hurt his tummy.
The dog at my office, Toby, tore his ACL as a puppy and needed surgery. He now currently has frequent seizures (which is why he is in the office a lot so we can monitor him.) But that's another expense of paying for medications for him.
Copper has bad allergies and needs ear medicine twice a year. Once in the spring and once in the fall.
Are you considering a dog that needs frequent grooming? Fur, nails, and getting their anal glands expressed (if your puppy starts butt-surfing on your floor, then you need to get that done.)
Puppies also destroy everything. Copper has chewed up about 12 pairs of shoes, tupperware, DVDs, 3 dog beds, and much more. That's a lot of money that has gone to his destruction.
Are you going to buy an expensive purebred dog from a breeder? PLEASE don't do that. There are TONS of dogs in need of adoption at your local humane society. Purebreds also have a lot of health issues. If you buy a mutt they statistically live longer AND have fewer health problems. #AdoptDontShop
Anyone who knows me, knows how much I LOVE dogs. I love my dog more than I love most humans. I know this list makes me sound like I think dogs are awful, but my dog means everything to me. I highly encourage people to adopt a dog. But PLEASE think through these things on my list because your puppy doesn't choose to be in your life, you choose to have him in your life. If you still have your heart set on getting a puppy, consider adopting a dog. They're easier to manage, they're past their chewing phase, and potty trained.
Make sure you're prepared for the destruction, responsibility, and endless love and affection they offer.
