They are adorable, fun and ever so cute. And you just have to have one. But are you ready for a puppy?

Puppy ownership requires a lot of hard work and dedication. This guide and the website has been prepared to educate you in every aspect of puppy ownership, from purchasing your pup to general care and training. Too many people purchase a puppy on impulse thinking it will be a wonderful thing, only to find out the hard way how much time and effort they require. Essentially, puppies are as much work as a newborn baby. If you are not prepared and committed to put in this work and you still want a dog, adult dogs make equally wonderful companions and many of them are already house broken and at least have some basic training. A dog at one year is much easier to deal with than a new puppy. Consider your lifestyle carefully before making the commitment. Read through our guides and articles before making your decision.

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First and most importantly, DO NOT BUY YOUR PUPPY FROM A PET STORE. Yes, we understand that they are cute and they look sad being locked up behind that cage and their eyes practically beg you to take them home. There are numerous reasons not to buy your puppy from a pet store, but most importantly, all pet store puppies come from puppy mills. Puppy mills are commercial breeders who have little regard for the health and well-being of the animals themselves, but are concerned only with making the largest profit. Animals are kept in substandard conditions and face incredible abuse. They result in pups that have health problems, temperament issues and genetic problems.

Secondly, beware of backyard breeders. Generally speaking, these are the ones who place ads for pups in your local paper. Backyard breeders may seem okay, but more often than not, they have simply taken two dogs and thrown them together without regard for health issues and genetics. Possibly, these pups are the result of an accidental pregnancy where a female has gone into heat, escaped and mated with a dog of unknown origin.

Also on the watch list are places such as flea markets or any other temporary type market or show or fair or even at the side of the road (believe it or not, it actually happens!) The puppies that are sold in such places are often of unknown origin which potentially means dogs with health problems and diseases. And again, they are either from a backyard breeder or worse, a puppy mill.

The bottom line is that all of these places will more than likely result in a puppy with health problems, diseases, genetic problems and temperament issues. Temperament issues will make training difficult and produce unwanted behaviors such as aggression. The other issues will cost you money in medication and vet bills. Not to mention shortened life expectancy, which will cause you heartache and disappointment.

So where exactly are you supposed to get your puppy? Every year millions of dogs are euthanized simply because they are not wanted. There is absolutely nothing wrong with them other than they don’t have a home. Consider adopting your puppy from the humane society, animal rescue or local animal shelter. There are also many websites that assist with finding homes for animals that are in danger of being destroyed. Ideally, this is the best solution to obtaining your new best friend. You will be able to find almost any breed you are looking for and more often than not, you’ll be able to find a purebred dog in your chosen breed. And yes, they do have puppies. Adopting in this manner is also the least expensive method of getting your puppy and you’ll be saving a life.

If you decide to go the breeder route, make sure you find yourself a reputable breeder. Your breeder should have been in the breeding business many years and be completely familiar with the breed they are working with. Ideally, a good breeder should be working with no more than two different breeds. If you find a breeder that carries many different breeds of pups, be very careful and make sure you do your homework and check out the breeder. A good breeder does not breed animals for the money, but for the betterment of the breed. They will have spent time researching bloodlines and on genetic testing. They will only breed animals that exemplify the breed standard. You will end up paying more, but a good breeder will stand behind their animals for health and temperament and most will, if you are unable to keep your dog, take the animal back. Many will insist that if for whatever reason you need to give up your dog, you must give it back to them or they must have a say in where it is being placed.

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