Preparing to Purchase a Puppy
If you have finally made the decision to purchase a puppy, your work has just begun! Puppies turn into dogs.
Considering the right criteria for your choice will determine if that perfect dog for you will be a happy or difficult relationship.
Let's face it, your personality and lifestyle are going to need to be paired with a puppies personality.
The up side of this is there are many consistent and bankable traits within a dog, based on breed.
Assessing the Owner to Choose the Puppy When I speak of assessing the Owner, I am not talking about whomever the dog came from...
I am talking about you! What is your lifestyle? Are you at home during the day, can you make stops home during the day, or are you generally not home until the late night hours.
All of these affect your choice of puppy.
Like babies, puppies need a LOT of attention.
They do not generally deal well with isolation and will develop not so savory habits if the attention they need is not given them.
I would even go as far to say that if you are the person who is gone all day until late night, you may need to wait on that perfect companion until you are able to actually work it into the schedule.
Even a low maintenance puppy is a time and nurture commitment much as any work, event, or activity is.
A well matured dog can offer companionship to a very active Owner.
Now as I stated earlier, different breeds tend to have higher or lower tolerance to isolation.
Assessing your lifestyle first will allow you to choose from the right breed for a happy pet.
Next item to consider is your living arrangements.
While a small puppy is fine for an apartment, does this breed bark a lot? You absolutely need to consider your neighbors! Big dogs need big exercise.
If you have a large home, are you also able to provide an outdoor playground? If not, you need to consider on whether your large home can tolerate the exercise a large dog will need.
Is your house the one with people in and out all of the time? You may want to steer clear of any guard dog breeds, the traffic could send them literally into a panic attack.
In summary, you want to consider the dogs spacial and exercise needs as well as the ability you will have to control impact to your neighbors.
Another consideration for assessing the Owner...
can you financially provide this puppy with the proper housing, food, and accessories needed? If the answer was not immediately yes, than give consideration to postponing your decision to purchase a puppy until it is.
Many a deserving puppy has been subjected to banishment to a animal shelter because the Owner did not properly assess the costs associated with having a puppy.
One final consideration is that which concerns the longevity of a dog's life and your ability to make a commitment of being there until the end.
If you are a college student, can you afford it and know that in 5 years when you are starting to build a lifestyle and career that you will still be able to provide care for your dog? What about if you are single, can you fit this puppy into your lifestyle and consider that in 5 years you may be married and/or have kids? Would this breed get along with a new baby? Would this toddler and the activity it has be offensive to this breed of dog? Are you retired and now want to explore the world? What will this puppy/dog do when you are gone? Is this a breed that can handle being "handled" by a kennel or a friend? All of these scenarios are where you need to bring your thoughts..
..
a puppy is a commitment generally of 10+ years.
Your goals and lifestyle choices will affect what breed of puppy will allow for a successful partnership.
If you have read through all of this and still feel the excitement, energy, and desire to get a puppy - congratulations! If not, congratulations as well.
While timing might not be right now, you are prepared with the right information to make this decision at a later time.
Considering the right criteria for your choice will determine if that perfect dog for you will be a happy or difficult relationship.
Let's face it, your personality and lifestyle are going to need to be paired with a puppies personality.
The up side of this is there are many consistent and bankable traits within a dog, based on breed.
Assessing the Owner to Choose the Puppy When I speak of assessing the Owner, I am not talking about whomever the dog came from...
I am talking about you! What is your lifestyle? Are you at home during the day, can you make stops home during the day, or are you generally not home until the late night hours.
All of these affect your choice of puppy.
Like babies, puppies need a LOT of attention.
They do not generally deal well with isolation and will develop not so savory habits if the attention they need is not given them.
I would even go as far to say that if you are the person who is gone all day until late night, you may need to wait on that perfect companion until you are able to actually work it into the schedule.
Even a low maintenance puppy is a time and nurture commitment much as any work, event, or activity is.
A well matured dog can offer companionship to a very active Owner.
Now as I stated earlier, different breeds tend to have higher or lower tolerance to isolation.
Assessing your lifestyle first will allow you to choose from the right breed for a happy pet.
Next item to consider is your living arrangements.
While a small puppy is fine for an apartment, does this breed bark a lot? You absolutely need to consider your neighbors! Big dogs need big exercise.
If you have a large home, are you also able to provide an outdoor playground? If not, you need to consider on whether your large home can tolerate the exercise a large dog will need.
Is your house the one with people in and out all of the time? You may want to steer clear of any guard dog breeds, the traffic could send them literally into a panic attack.
In summary, you want to consider the dogs spacial and exercise needs as well as the ability you will have to control impact to your neighbors.
Another consideration for assessing the Owner...
can you financially provide this puppy with the proper housing, food, and accessories needed? If the answer was not immediately yes, than give consideration to postponing your decision to purchase a puppy until it is.
Many a deserving puppy has been subjected to banishment to a animal shelter because the Owner did not properly assess the costs associated with having a puppy.
One final consideration is that which concerns the longevity of a dog's life and your ability to make a commitment of being there until the end.
If you are a college student, can you afford it and know that in 5 years when you are starting to build a lifestyle and career that you will still be able to provide care for your dog? What about if you are single, can you fit this puppy into your lifestyle and consider that in 5 years you may be married and/or have kids? Would this breed get along with a new baby? Would this toddler and the activity it has be offensive to this breed of dog? Are you retired and now want to explore the world? What will this puppy/dog do when you are gone? Is this a breed that can handle being "handled" by a kennel or a friend? All of these scenarios are where you need to bring your thoughts..
..
a puppy is a commitment generally of 10+ years.
Your goals and lifestyle choices will affect what breed of puppy will allow for a successful partnership.
If you have read through all of this and still feel the excitement, energy, and desire to get a puppy - congratulations! If not, congratulations as well.
While timing might not be right now, you are prepared with the right information to make this decision at a later time.