Adding a
puppy to your family is a very serious decision that should not be taken lightly
and requires a lot of thought. A puppy is a lot like a small child. They require
constant care and attention. If you are unwilling or unable to provide that, you
may want to wait until you can.
If you have small children now, you may want to consider waiting until your
children are a bit older before adding a puppy. I’ve had both small children and
puppies and I can tell you from experience that I would not want to do both at
the same time. Just like babies diapers are always needing changing, puppies are
always needing to go outside to do their business. Trying to coordinate the two
without losing your mind or cleaning up a lot of accidents is difficult.
Small children and puppies don’t always mix well either. Small children like to
explore and don’t always appreciate that their actions can really hurt a puppy.
And puppies are within their rights to defend themselves from over eager
children. This can result in nips and scratches for your children. Not a good
result. You also don’t want your children to become afraid of dogs which could
happen if the puppy defends himself too strongly.
After you make the decision to add a puppy to your family, you then need to
determine the breed. You should take into consideration the amount of space you
have both inside your house and outside. Do you have a fenced in yard? What is
the activity level of the breed I am interested in? What is my activity level?
Do the two match well? Am I willing to make sure the puppy gets the recommended
amount of exercise? Is there someone home during the day to look after the
puppy? Will the puppy be confined for long periods of time? If you work, can
someone come home during the day to check on the puppy? Are you willing to put
in the time necessary to house train the puppy? You should look at pictures of
both the puppies and the grown up dog. Do you like the looks of both? Always
remember that puppies grow up to be dogs. What size will the grown dog be? Will
it fit in my house comfortably? Dog proofing a house can be a lot like baby
proofing. Am I willing to put in the time and effort in making my home a safe
place for a puppy?
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Puppies can
add a great deal to your family life. They can teach your children about
responsibility as well as help your family stay active. They give unconditional
love. I believe they are an integral part of family life, if you are ready for
them.
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