Let's face it, we've all watched thousands of videos showing these cute little scamps romping, snoring, and playing with that one extremely tolerant cat. Of course, while watching these videos the though has probably crossed your mind more than once, "I should get a puppy."
I'm going to stop you right there, because while they look like these cute balls of chubby fluff, they're actually little monsters in disguise. Now, I'm in no way hating on dogs, in fact I'm a proud dog mom of two pups myself and they're the light of my life. I'm the crazy dog lady, but even I stand firmly by this- never get a puppy solely because you think they're cute and it'd be fun. It's not all rainbows and roses when it comes to having a little pup running around, there is a LOT of work and dedication involved with it. Something, I'm dealing with daily since we've adopted my little monster, Denver.
Here are some things to take into consideration before getting a puppy!
1. Do you have the time to properly care for and train a puppy?
If the answer is no, stop reading this now and maybe consider a fish instead. Speaking from experience I can safely tell you that raising a puppy is no walk in the park, they require a lot of time and dedication. I'm not talking about just for playing with your pup or taking them for a walk, but also scheduling appointments constantly supervising their every move in case they squat to make your new rug their new favorite spot to pee.
I luckily don't start back up at school until the middle of August and my boyfriend, bless his soul, works from home and can care for both dogs while I'm away. If you don't have a luxury like that though, things can be more of a challenge whether you work long days or spend a lot of time doing after school activities- if you don't have someone to come take your pup out to go to the bathroom you can come home to a smelly disaster.
Say goodbye sleeping in on your days off, because once you have that puppy you've been slaving end on end to potty train on a schedule you have to stick to it. If that means you take them out at 6AM to do their business on a day before work or school, you better be ready to do that on your day off. This also means, staying out late isn't really an option. That puppy NEEDS to go to the bathroom, and if you're not home to take them out that won't hold them and their small bladders back. If you want a well behaved dog, you have to be diligent with training them as a pup.
Say goodbye to those spontaneous plans for even just the day. You are now responsible for finding someone to watch and let them out because you can't always take them with you.
When can take them with you though it's pretty sweet; I actually have a growing list of my favorite places to go just because I can take Denver and Dallas with me.
2. Do you have the money for a puppy?
Even if you're getting a puppy for free, a puppy is NEVER free. In fact, I haven't even had Denver for a month and at 12 weeks old he's already cost me well over 500 dollars, (I keep all my receipts and I did the math), and he has another vet appointment coming up this Saturday.
If you plan to enroll your puppy in to classes with a trainer, which I recommend to anyone but especially those with no experience, expect to pay A LOT. There's also the cost for vet appointments, treats, toys, leashes, collars, license, a crate, ID tags, ect.
Also keep in mind you'll have monthly expenses too like food, flea and tick medications, heartworm medications, and so on. Puppies aren't cheap, neither are dogs or pets in general, but we're talking about the cute puppies right now. Never adopt an animal without being sure you can handle securely the responsibility. If you can't volunteer at an animal shelter, there are tons of critters that need some love which you could provide to them!
3. Are you ready for a dog for the rest of their life?
Yes, puppies are cute and can be a whole lot of fun, but all puppies grow up to be dogs. They grow up to be man's best friend. They get bigger, they take a portion of your paycheck each month and eat it- literally, quality dog food is pretty expensive.
In my opinion, one of the worst things I've seen from working at an animal shelter were the people who bring in young dogs (or senior dogs) after they've lost their puppy cuteness and leave them there. All because they simply just wanted a puppy while it was a puppy.
If that's what you want is a puppy and only a puppy, try out becoming a foster parent for puppies. They're typically adopted quickly, but you'll get the puppy experience nonetheless.
4. Prepare to have your stuff ruined.
No matter how well you've trained your puppy, or how smart they are puppy training is HARD work. They're just babies and they don't know any better, but that doesn't mean you won't get frustrated and probably lose that those favorite heels (R.I.P), because someone wanted a snack when you weren't looking.
They require a lot more training than a dog would, remember they're babies, whether it's chewing on that heel or eating part of your carpet your puppy will try to do it. It's a good thing they're so darn cute, because they love to ruin your stuff! Everything is a toy, including your precious hands and feet.
5. Are you sure you want that BREED?
This isn't for just purebred dogs, but any dog ever. Expect that Great Dane puppy to grow up to be a big guy, expect the same thing from a Great Dane mix. That little Chihuahua puppy is going to be tiny, again expect the same from a Chihuahua mix! Please, please, please, PLEASE do your research on the breed (or breeds) of the puppies you're looking at. Evaluate your life and compare it.
If you're not very active you might not want a high energy dog, if you live in a tiny apartment maybe that Irish Wolfhound might not be the right choice for you. Bigger dogs eat more, which means buying more food more often which is expensive, smaller dogs don't each as much as a large dog. Just because one breed is cuter than the other to you doesn't mean that breed is right for you!
6. Expect to have the greatest and worst days.
Denver has proven this to me over and over, there is nothing more frustrating than having a bad day and then having your wild puppy literally destroy some of your stuff. If you're like me you like stuff and don't like your stuff destroyed. However, nothing seems to beat having that pup fall asleep on you or next to you while you're watching TV, or taking them out and watching all the training pay off while they're behaving in public. It's in those moments you feel like all this hard work is paying off.
Not every day is easy, but every day has at least one good moment, usually more.
If that doesn't scare you away, and it shouldn't if you truly are prepared and capable of caring for a little hair ball, then prepare yourself for an awesome journey. Through thick and thin know that puppy will love you unconditionally. You are their hero, and to them you're the greatest thing to ever exist. There's a reason they say a dog is the only thing on Earth that can love you more than themselves, because a dog will never see you as anything other than perfect.
Nothing is better than being greeted by happy faces and wagging tail, and there is no better comfort than the love of a dog. Personally, adopting my dogs has been one of the best decisions I've ever made, and every day they find a way to make me smile.
Here are some photos of my babies, just for added cuteness.
