Considerations Before Buying a Puppy - A Guide to Making the Right Decision
Bringing home a new puppy can be one of the best moments in family life.
There are however a few really important things to consider before you make that decision.
Here is a simple, straightforward guide to help you cover all the main questions and considerations to ensure the best decision is made for you, your family and the new addition to your household.
Getting a new pet, in particular a new puppy can be one of the best moments of a family'slife.
There are many important things to keep in mind before deciding to get a puppy, as unfortunately too many dogs end up in dog rescue shelters as not enough thought was given to the reality and implications.
You need to be clear on your puppy facts!.
It is important to realise that a puppy is indeed for life, or a good part of it.
You will be looking a around 12 to 15 years commitment, can you really commit yourself and family for that level of responsibility for that length of time?.
It is important not to hurry in making a decision.
It is vital that all the family agree that a dog will be welcomed into the household.
If even one person is reluctant to commit them it maybe is not the right time to buy that puppy.
OK, so everyone agrees they are committed to taking care of the new addition so what next?.
A good place to start is the type of dog you want and that will fit in with your lifestyle and situation.
Do you live in a one bedroom apartment, or a house with a large garden?.
Do you want a dog to go on long walks in the country with or one to snuggle up on the sofa with you.
It is often good to write a list of the key characteristics of what you want out of a breed of dog, for example, I know I wanted a dog that did not shed much hair, that was small, not yappy or barked that much (I have neighbours!) like to cuddle but could be independent at the same time.
I had time to groom and walk a dog often.
I considered or Yorkshire Terrier, but they are known to yap, so then I decided I would look more into a quieter type of small dog.
All dog breeds are bred for a purpose, be sure to know what the characteristics of that breed are.
So once you have decided on the breed then look to research more into the key behaviour patterns known to belong to that particular breed of dog.
There are lots of resources available to help you research and decide the type of puppy that would suit your circumstances.
Read books on the breed you are looking at, there are also some really good websites and forums out there with breeders and experts more than willing to help and advise you.
Listen and read other people experiences on how they decided on a puppy and learn from their mistakes.
There are however a few really important things to consider before you make that decision.
Here is a simple, straightforward guide to help you cover all the main questions and considerations to ensure the best decision is made for you, your family and the new addition to your household.
Getting a new pet, in particular a new puppy can be one of the best moments of a family'slife.
There are many important things to keep in mind before deciding to get a puppy, as unfortunately too many dogs end up in dog rescue shelters as not enough thought was given to the reality and implications.
You need to be clear on your puppy facts!.
It is important to realise that a puppy is indeed for life, or a good part of it.
You will be looking a around 12 to 15 years commitment, can you really commit yourself and family for that level of responsibility for that length of time?.
It is important not to hurry in making a decision.
It is vital that all the family agree that a dog will be welcomed into the household.
If even one person is reluctant to commit them it maybe is not the right time to buy that puppy.
OK, so everyone agrees they are committed to taking care of the new addition so what next?.
A good place to start is the type of dog you want and that will fit in with your lifestyle and situation.
Do you live in a one bedroom apartment, or a house with a large garden?.
Do you want a dog to go on long walks in the country with or one to snuggle up on the sofa with you.
It is often good to write a list of the key characteristics of what you want out of a breed of dog, for example, I know I wanted a dog that did not shed much hair, that was small, not yappy or barked that much (I have neighbours!) like to cuddle but could be independent at the same time.
I had time to groom and walk a dog often.
I considered or Yorkshire Terrier, but they are known to yap, so then I decided I would look more into a quieter type of small dog.
All dog breeds are bred for a purpose, be sure to know what the characteristics of that breed are.
So once you have decided on the breed then look to research more into the key behaviour patterns known to belong to that particular breed of dog.
There are lots of resources available to help you research and decide the type of puppy that would suit your circumstances.
Read books on the breed you are looking at, there are also some really good websites and forums out there with breeders and experts more than willing to help and advise you.
Listen and read other people experiences on how they decided on a puppy and learn from their mistakes.