Thinking of Getting a Puppy?

There’s no denying a cute puppy can melt any heart, but are you ready for the mayhem that you're about to sign up for? The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown caused many people to venture into new things they weren’t accustomed to doing. Some started their own business, others found remote jobs, and some decided to get a puppy because of the extra time they now spent at home! While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, a lot of first-time dog owners found themselves in uncharted territory. Puppies are a lot of work. Anyone that tells you otherwise is either lying to you or isn’t fulfilling their puppy’s needs. Puppies require a lot of time, patience, and money! The goal of this particular blog is to help those individuals who are pondering the idea of adding a puppy to their household but are still diligently doing their research prior to taking the next step.

1 Research different breeds

There are far too any people out in the world buying or adopting dog breeds that simply aren’t a good match for them! If you’re busy and work 8+ hours a day, a working breed probably isn’t your best choice initially. We receive numerous inquiries having to do with dogs who are destructive or just plain “bad” in the words of their owners. My follow up question is always: What type of breed do you have & what’s their daily routine? As an owner, you cannot expect to have a dog with a pregenetic disposition to work but expect them to lounge around all day. If you decide to get a Malinois puppy for example, EXPECT to be working, playing, training, and teaching your puppy at 80% of the day. Conduct research on your breed of choice as it plays a tremendous role for the type of life you are about to endure.

2 Do you have the time?

One obvious issue when bringing a puppy into a home is the time commitment that will be necessary. Puppies are new to this world and they NEED their owners to help them succeed. We stress the importance of crate training to ALL our owners, however this doesn’t mean you should leave your young puppy in the crate all day while you work. On average, puppies can hold their pee 1 hour for every month of age. Example) If your puppy is 3 months old, they can probably hold their pee for about 3 hours (these numbers due vary). Using this formula is key to knowing how long you should be leaving your puppy in the crate before needing to take them out. The last thing you want is your puppy to get used to going potty in their crate. Although you may be tired from work when you come home, you NEED to dedicate time to your puppy if you want them to thrive. It all sounds like a lot because it is! Consider the time commitment before you add a puppy to your life.

3 Money, money, money

Puppies are expensive. Before even considering a puppy, I recommend creating a list of ALL the things you need to buy for them. This can be a real eye opener to those who haven’t factored the cost of ownership into their decision. If all the added costs are manageable, the next thing to factor in is the cost of ongoing vet visits, shots, deworming, and food. As if this wasn’t enough, most people never even consider the thought of pet insurance. Puppies swallow a lot of things! There’s a possibility of them swallowing something that could be harmful which may require surgery. If an owner isn’t prepared with pet insurance, they could potentially be responsible for a bill that could easily pass $1000-$2000, if not more. Then there’s something called training. Everyone wants a smart breed until the breed outsmarts them. There’s a good chance you’ll eventually want to hire the help of a trainer, and I can speak from experience that it isn’t cheap, so this is also something to take into consideration. Puppies are beyond cute, but the cost of owning one should never be overlooked.

4 Lifestyle Change

In all honesty, bringing a puppy into your home will change your life. If it doesn’t, you’re probably doing something wrong. The days of leaving your home for 5-6+ hours at a time becomes a thing of the past early in your pup's due to you having to rush home to make sure they don't pee/poop in their crate, destroy the house, or swallow something that can potentially harm them. Any vacation trips you used to take will now require extra planning as you have to find someone to care for your puppy while you're gone. If you’re working full time, you’ll need to plan for someone to come home and give your pup a crate break to pee, poop, play, and train. All these changes can add up extremely quickly but it’s important to remember, you made the decision for that pup, it’s your responsibility to help them thrive!

All the scenarios and items listed above are key when deciding whether it’s the right time to bring a puppy into your home. When you add a puppy, you’re adding an animal that is learning to live and please YOU. As an owner, you owe it to them to do the same.

-Jeff