(Are you ready for a puppy?)
Before buying a puppy, there are many things to consider. Often, the anticipation and exitement of acquiring a puppy clouds our better judgement. This 'checklist' is to help you - and your children - understand the responsibilities of bringing a puppy into your home.
If not, can you spend "quality" time during the evenings and weekends? We are a busy society. Puppies who are left alone during the day can adapt to that routine. Puppies who are left alone during the evening as well as the day, are being deprived of the social interactions that dogs thrive on. This isolation leads to untold behavioural problems that will, in all likelihood, culminate in the puppy looking for a new home! Puppies take a lot of time and effort. Before bringing a puppy into your home, be positive that you have thought about this. The puppy's mental health depends on it!
Dogs should not be tied out on ground stakes or attached to clotheslines. It is important that your yard be fenced to keep your dog confined to your own property. Dogs who are not confined get into any number of problems. This dog is your responsiblity. Keeping him in your yard is part of that responsibility.
Puppies, and dogs, are an enormous responsibility. Not just when the puppy is "new" but also when the excitement of getting him wears off; when he is difficult to train; when he requires expensive veterinary attention. When you take him from the breeder, he becomes your responsibility.
>This is a "short" list; your breeder will have many more questions for you. Be prepared.
