There are so many puppos out there that need loving fur-ever homes. But in order to be the best doggy parent you can be, it's important to make sure you're ready for the responsibility of caring for a pup long term.

Because pups are a forever commitment. They're not a quick cure to fix the things going wrong in your life. Don't get a dog because you just got dumped. Don't get a dog because you're lonely. Don't get a dog because you think it will fix your mental health (it probably will, but that shouldn't be the only reason you get a dog).

Get a dog because you're ready to welcome and love a furry friend for it's whole life. So many people adopt dogs to fill a hole in their lives, only to re-homed them when the pup-parent life gets tough. Because let me tell you, being a dog mom is not easy. Dogs will destroy your home. They will chew your shoes, pee on your carpet, and spew stuffing-fluff all over your house. Dogs, especially those adopted from shelters, can have many behavioral issues and anxiety. Which takes lots of patience, love, and consistency to fix.

Owning a dog can be an experience of a lifetime if you properly prepare and prioritize the welcoming of your pup. Please, for the love of everything furry, do not get a dog if you work 40+ hour work weeks. You're dog needs quality time with you in order to properly adjust to his new life-- whether your brought home a new puppy, or a dog from the shelter. Transitioning a dog into a new lifestyle requires lots of quiet time with plenty of bathroom breaks to ensure your pup is the most comfortable he can be.

You can't really accomplish this if you don't make time for him. There's nothing worse for a new dog than leaving him home for hours on end by himself. That's how destructive behaviors like chewing through walls, pottying in the house, and incessant whining are bred. Even if you plan to crate-train your new pup, that takes time. You can't just shut him in there while you leave for a seven hour work day. You have to start small and slow, working up to leaving him home by himself. In order to give your new pup the best start possible, you. have. to. be. there.

There are so many pups that need homes and deserve the best lives possible. Please don't go out on a whim and adopt a pup that's just going to end back up in a shelter when you can't handle the responsibility. That's traumatizing. Please don't buy dogs as gifts-- because you never know if that family is ready for the commitment either. AND PLEASE. DON'T PURCHASE DOGS. Don't drop hundreds of dollars on a purebred breed from a puppymill. There are THOUSANDS of dogs in shelters near you that desperately want to be loved. (And probably are purebred but their original owners gave up on him.)

Being a dog mom is one of the best things you can do with your time and love. But only if you're ready for the life-long commitment of having that dog in your life. Life will move and change, and your dog deserves to be a part of that.

My precious pup.