Are You Ready for a Puppy? - Part Two

Daily Walks
Along with proper training, you must take your dog on daily walks. A large backyard to run around in is not sufficient. Dogs are wanderers by nature and you need to allow them to walk in order to fulfill this instinct. A dog that does not have its needs fulfilled will not be a well-behaved dog and you will find your dog getting into mischief. Some breeds even need to be walked two or more times per day. If you don’t have the time to take your dog on a daily walk, don’t get one.

Leaving Your Puppy Alone
A puppy cannot be locked away all day in its crate. If you work during the day and there is no one home or around to let your puppy out, housetraining is going to be an incredible challenge. A young puppy can only hold its bladder for a couple of hours at most. Not to mention they require feeding at least three times per day and water throughout the day. They also need attention and companionship. Puppies will not do well on their own, especially when transitioning from a situation where they had Mom around and littermates to play with and keep them company. Ideally, you should take off at least a couple of weeks to let your puppy settle into his new home and to grow up a little more.

In short, when you get a new puppy, you must be prepared to have your life revolve around your new puppy. The constant care and attention required will greatly cut into your time for other things. However, it is not forever and puppies quickly grow up. But you do have to be prepared and willing to make the initial sacrifice and to do the work to have your pup grow up balanced and well adjusted. If you do not have the time required to raise a puppy, but still want to have a canine companion, look into getting an older dog that will at least be housebroken and has its basic commands. Even getting a puppy that is six months old versus an eight week old puppy will make a tremendous difference in energy level, need to chew and the length of time he can hold his bladder.

Evaluate Your Lifestyle
Honestly evaluate your lifestyle and family situation. If you have very young children or babies, a puppy may not be for you. The care requirements of a puppy together with the demands of young children may prove to be overwhelming. You should wait until your children are older before taking on the responsibility of a puppy. On top of that, puppies will nip and chew and can engage in rough play. A puppy can easily unwittingly injure a small child. As well, some breeds do not do well with small children and can be aggressive towards them.

If you have older children who are busy and involved in many activities such as clubs and sports and socializing with friends, a puppy may not be for you. If you are rarely home, a puppy is definitely not for you and an adult dog may not be a good idea either. Dogs are people animals and they crave human attention. They need you to play with them, train them and walk them daily. You can’t leave them locked up in a house or a yard for the day, then go out and leave them alone as well at night. Having a dog is not just about putting down a bowl of food and water and letting them outside. If you go out and socialize a lot, you will find yourself having to run home to let the dog out until it is old enough to hold its bladder for longer periods of time. This can mean having to leave in the middle of a dinner party to rush home or not being able to go to a ballgame in the city, unless you have someone who can help you out with the pup or you put it in doggie daycare. If you don’t have the time to properly look after a dog, don’t get one. If you aren’t prepared to fully accept everything involved with the responsibility of dog ownership, don’t get one. A dog is a member of your family and needs to be treated as such. It’s not just your needs and desires you need to look after, you also have to take care of your dog’s needs as well. Wait until your circumstances change so that you both will be able to enjoy your time together to its fullest.

A Day and a Life with Bruno
For the full experience of raising a puppy without actually having a puppy, Dog Breed Info has a wonderful section which is essentially a diary about Bruno the Boxer’s first year. It is informative and entertaining as well as providing many puppy training tips. It will give you a better idea about what is involved in raising a puppy.