Is Your Family Ready For A Puppy?

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 babyproofing. Am I willing to put in the time and effort in making my home a safe place for a puppy?

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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http://www.jenniecrawford.com/