It is important to me that my puppies go to good homes so
there are a few things I would like you to think about before you adopt a pet
whether it be from me or someone else. To begin, analyze your life style and
ask yourself if you have the time, patience, money, and ability to properly
care for an animal. Ask yourself if you would be willing and able to take care
of a 2 year old child at this point in your life because they would be very
similar to what you would be dealing with if you brought a puppy into your
family- If that answer is ‘no,’ then it’s not the proper time to get a pet.
Puppies and animals take a lot of work!! No matter how much
time and attention a breeder has given a puppy when they raise them you, as the
owner, still have a ton of work to do once you get them home. Ask yourself if
you can deal with potty training. How will you react when your puppy goes to
the bathroom on your brand new white rug? How will you handle getting up in the
middle of the night to let your puppy out for a potty break? What will you do
with your puppy during the day when you are at work and they need to go
outside? Do you have what it takes to put in the time and effort to get them
properly potty trained?
Ask yourself if you can afford proper care and vet bills.
Generally the first year is the most expensive when adopting a new pet. My
Cockapoos come home up to date on their vaccines and de-wormings but they still
require additional vaccines as they grow, additional de-wormings, additional
vet checks, getting spayed/neutered, their rabies vaccine, and any other
preventative care you or your vet desire.
Can you afford it if there is an accident and your dog needs to have
emergency surgery? Can you afford it if an unexpected health issues appears?
Also ask yourself if you are willing to pay for extra, unexpected expenses that
could occur at any time.
On top of medical care animals require healthy food, toys,
beds, grooming, supplies, treats, and most of all lots and lots of attention.
Ask yourself if you are financially able to provide what is necessary to keep
them healthy and happy and if you have the time to reciprocate that
unconditional love they will endlessly supply you with.
Ask yourself if you have what it takes to put in the time
and effort to properly train a puppy. Can you afford puppy classes and do you
have time for them? Animals need to be molded into the type of animal you want
them to be. If you want a fun loving, outgoing, and friendly animal you need to
make them that way. Take your puppy for walks, take them to social events,
expose them to kids, have friends over to visit, take them for car rides to mold
them into what you want them to be. If you leave a puppy in the house all day
and don’t put in any effort to train or expose them to things don’t expect them
to just become the puppy of your dreams on their own. Ask yourself if you have
what it takes to change an unexpected or undesirable character trait. What if
your puppy doesn’t like your husband? What if your puppy chews on the table?
What if your puppy develops toy aggression? Are you willing to put in the extra
time and work that it will take to change bad behaviors? Are you willing to
potentially pay for a trainer to help you change those issues? Most of all, are
you willing to accept that you may be the reason for certain bad behavior and
not only work on training the animal but also training yourself to be a better
parent to them?
After thinking about all of the questions stated above
finally ask yourself if you are willing to make a 10-15 (average) year
commitment to an animal? I’ve said this before and I am sure I will say it a thousand
times more but an animal is not an object, they are a living, breathing being
with emotions, needs, desires, and unconditional love- they are not to be
disposed of when things are inconvenient to you or if they have not become the
pet of your dreams overnight. If you are currently renting an apartment that
allows pets what will you do if you have to move, will the pet come along or
will you get ‘rid’ of them because it’s too hard to find a new place that
allows pets? What happens if you lose your job, have kids, get a divorce, move
out of state, or decide you want to travel for awhile? It is not fair to bring
an animal into your home if you are not ready and willing to commit to them for
life. I understand that situations do happen but I have seen over and over
again that people simply dump an animal at the shelter because they were too
much work, didn’t turn out as expected, or just got inconvenient for them and
that is not fair to the animal and not what I want to happen to my puppies.
Please be sure that you are able to take on all the
responsibilities, good and bad, of owning a pet and are truly willing to make a
lifelong commitment to them before adopting one.
