Canine Consulting | Personalized services to help you find the right breed of dog for your lifestyle/personality. I mentor you through all stages of dog ownership, from puppies to seniors | 30+ years owning, loving dogs.
It's that time of year when the Holidays entail that special gift for you and/or your loved ones. And for many people that means a puppy or adult dog. But do you really know what you're getting into? Are you and/or family really ready for that pup? Find out. Answer yes/no to the following eight questions. 1) Are you ready for a baby? Are your ready for a child? A puppy is a four legged baby, a dog, a four-legged child. If you're not ready for either, then don't get a dog. 2) Does everyone want that puppy/dog? All it takes is for one family member to start complaining, become frustrated, start crying, yelling, etc. and then the puppy ownership situation spirals out of control and goes downhill fast. And the once happy family becomes torn and unhappy. And the puppy will pay the price. 3) Do you know which breed of dog is right for you? Choosing a puppy is a balancing act between your head, your heart, and your instincts. The dog breed of your dreams may not be the right dog for you at this point in your life. 4) Do you have a plan to train your puppy/dog? Ninety-six percent (96%) of dogs who are surrendered to shelters never received any obedience training from their owners. Don't be a statistic. 5) Are you willing to puppy-proof your home and make lifestyle changes? See Question #1, are you ready for a baby, a child? Puppies, dogs are curious creatures. I divide puppy proofing your home into two prevention categories: destructive chewing and item ingestion. Everything can go into their mouths, and can cost you literally thousands of dollars in repair costs or veterinary surgery bills. 6) Are you ready for the time and emotional commitment a puppy/dog takes? One of the major reasons dogs are surrendered to shelters is because people underestimate the amount of time owning a dog takes. Puppies are like teenagers and mobile phones -- they're always "on." 7) Are you ready for the maintenance and potential costly repairs? Puppies chew. In their chewing phase, puppies can chew furniture, stair risers, seat cushions, pillows, deck railing, car seat belts, just to name a few that my puppies have chewed. 8) Can you afford the expense of owning a puppy/dog? Depending on whether you choose shelter, rescue or purebred, your first year costs can be $2350/shelter, $3250/rescue or $4550 minimum/purebred. These costs cover the cost of the dog, veterinary, food and first year setup supplies. It doesn't cover the extras, e.g., day care, dog walkers, grooming. So are you ready? Yes/No. If you would like to explore these questions in more depth, you can get my book, "To Puppy or Not to Puppy" available in multiple formats here via Amazon: https://amzn.to/3DnnkRt If you are certain you'd like a puppy, but don't know where to start or don't have the time you need to search, select, and adopt a puppy, contact me to discuss your needs and expectations. I have several adoption packages available. https://lnkd.in/gbPdKh5q
