The three most awesome things about joining the adult world are 1) you can eat pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner if you so want, 2) you can binge watch all of favorite series in one sitting if you so please and 3) you know longer have to plead with your parents in order to get a puppy. You’re a big person now - you can do as you please. And seriously, who doesn’t want a puppy in their lives? A constantly happy furball that can turn even the most steadfast frown upside down. Exactly, right.
But before you get a rush of blood to the head and hurry of to the puppy store, take a deep breath because there are some home truths you really want to know about and consider before you take the puppy plunge.
They Cost A Bunch To Keep
It isn’t just the purchase of a puppy you need to weigh into this month’s budget, it is everything that follows, vet bills, food, paying extra on your rent as per the contract you never read, family dog training, kennels for when you go on holiday, immunizations and a dog walker-slash-sitter. All these things add up. We’re not saying this to put you off. We’re saying this so that you can start looking for each of these services and start the preparation period.
They Take Up A Chunk Of Time
Believe it or not, puppies are pretty demanding on the time front, which can be a tough pill to swallow since most people don’t have enough time in their days as it stands. It’s the house training, taking them for walks and teaching them tricks (you’re gonna want to teach them tricks) and knowing what you are going to do with them the nine hours you are at work each day. One solution is to have a sitter-slash-walker come in, or maybe your parent could pop over at lunch-times. Just some things to think about.
Puppy-Proofing Your Home
Puppy-proofing is partly to do with their health and mainly to do with your sanity. To give it to you straight, anyone that is proud of their home’s cleanliness should probably forget about getting a dog. The same goes for those that home a lot of expensive and breakable objects. In the same ways babies put everything in their mouths, so do puppies - the big difference is the sharp teeth and claws thing. Then there is the whole peeing wherever they want thing, which can take some time to overcome.
Make Sure You Know Your Breeder
We’re not going to tell you to go down the breeder route or urge you to shelter a rescue dog because there are amazing benefits to both. However, if you do go down the breeder route, then you really need to do your due diligence to make sure the breeder you are going to is part of an ethical breeding program. Puppy mills are one of the most horrendous facilities society has ever dreamt up, so it is imperative you avoid these at all costs. That means talking to your breeder and asking them twenty-one (thousand) questions, see the breeder’s home and meet the puppies mum. Basically, don’t buy from pet stores, flea markets or people in parking lots. It is part of your responsibility as a dog owner.
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