Am I ready for a new puppy? 11/06/09
A quick guide to help you assess if you are able to give a puppy all the love and attention that they demand.
However you look at it, bringing a puppy into your house is a huge commitment and ultimately a life changing experience. In order to make this a positive impact on your life rather than a hassle, consider the following points…
Can I walk, socialize and train a puppy?
At first walking a puppy may be easy on those short walks whilst you are full of enthusiasm, but picture yourself on a cold rainy day in the middle of January having to get up that hour earlier in order to don your waterproofs in order to take an over excited dog out to the park.
Am I at home enough for a puppy?
Leaving a puppy alone for more than 2 ½ hours at a time for a puppy under six months is not going to fly. This can lead to destruction and house soiling amongst many more serious problems such as separation anxiety and pent up frustration.
Am I overly house proud?
Lets face it your puppy is going to pee and poop all over the show at first, you have to be able to cope with this without chastising your dog. You will have to house train your puppy and destruction is a reality, small puppies like babies are teething and have to chew on everything.
Do I have the patience?
Puppies are cute, cuddly and infuriating. The more you baby a puppy the more it appears to take advantage. Training classes are a must and the only way you are going to get a well balanced happy dog and owner.
Is getting a dog financially viable for me?
Puppies are expensive. The initial cost is not the half of it, you have vet bills, food, grooming costs, insurance and the constant replenishing of toys and equipment. It really is never ending. It is estimated the lifetime cost of a dog is around £20.000 ($32,000).
Is my family in agreement?
The whole family have to be on board. Not so bad if its just you but consider future partners and if you already have a family are they going to feel pushed out, overly protective, spoiling the dog when you are not around? If you are not all on the same page following strict rules puppy ownership will end in disaster.
Can my other pets cope with a new addition?
Other pets can become anxious about new puppies in the household. Be it a cat, another dog or a house rabbit; consider your current pets before getting swept away with a new one. Also it is key to remember just because old Rover is the best behaved dog out there a new pup will not be at first and having the wonderfully behaved Rover around may make you feel more frustrated about a pups antics. A well behaved older dog can help immensely towards the training and behaviour of a new pup but you must ensure the pup gets attached to you and doesn’t just adore the shining star that is Rover, you will have to introduce them carefully.
In conclusion.
Consider all of your options carefully and don’t underestimate the dedication it will take to raise a puppy. Simply put it takes a hell of a lot of effort but you will be paid back by the bucket load! If you feel that you are ready for this commitment then read picking the perfect puppy carefully before you start looking!
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5 Responses to this article
We are planning to get a pup in the new year which we are all looking forward to especially our 3 kids, however my 5 year old is very wary of dogs and can get scared when meeting dogs that are not on a lead or going to a house where there are dogs. He says he wants a dog and I would think that once he is with the dog all the time, particularly from a pup he will get over the anxiety (the same happened with a friends child), obviously the introduction period would have to be supervised at all times but I am keen for him to get as much enjoyment out of dogs as his siblings do and I did as a child (and stilll do)
Do you have any thoughts / advice on this?
thanks
I think you are right. When your youngest gets used to having a puppy from early on he will grow to love it and be comfortable. This is a situation where I would recommend a puppy as opposed to an older dog. Just remember the puppy will nip at your children at first, as, I am sure you are aware all puppies mouth and nip as play. Explain this before the puppy arrives and explain how to deal with this (yelping and walking away). Even doing practise session with you pretending to be the dog so it becomes like second nature.
Supervision (as you mentioned) is key here. Allow the puppy to have a ’safe haven’ where it gets fed and sleeps and teach your children that if the puppy goes into his ’safe place’ then they are not allowed to go near him. This will teach your puppy to remove him or herself from stressful situations and avoid contact. When contacting a breeder ensure that the place you are getting your puppy from is a family home. Pup’s raised indoors with children in the family or at least as regular visitors. It may take you a little longer to find a breeder like this but as you are waiting until the new year (an excellent idea) you can start looking now. Good breeders will want to put you on a waiting list any way. They should also be willing to take the dog back at any point should there be a problem in the home etc.
Right now I would take your children to a puppy class to show them how calm they have to be around dogs. If your youngest gets excitable so will the puppy. Avoid rough and tumble games but allow them to interact in positive ways such as gentle grooming, whilst one gives treats. It’s great to get them involved. A book I recommend highly is ‘the perfect puppy’ by gwen bailey. If you teach your children to only interact the puppy when it is being calm then you will reinforce this behaviour (in both the puppy and children). I would also be very strict about feeding the puppy from their hands (giving the dog a portion of their sandwich for example) as this can quickly lead to a snapping behaviour.
Most of all have tons of fun with it and convey a relaxed attitude to your children. If the puppy nips or knocks one of them over try not to make a big deal out of it and quickly distract the children. I would also look at ‘reading my pup’s body language’ and explain this to them in a simplified way. I find actually acting out some scenarios (as crazy as that sounds is often the best way to go). So you can practise head down, avoiding eye contact etc and explain this means a dog is feeling scared. Also stillness, lip licking, yawing and scratching are all appeasement signals of a dog saying ‘I am not comfortable’. Problems usually arise because people do not read these signals until it is too late so by educating before you even have the puppy home, your children will be informed and able to walk away.
It’s great to hear that you are putting so much thought into this and I am sure you won’t have problems as forward planning is key here
Let me know how you get on. Oh and have you decided on a breed?
Thanks for the response – it is much appreciated. What you are saying makes a lot of sense and I am determined to be consistent with the pup so that we can all enjoy it and it can enjoy us! I will look at the book and other info you have recommended. Good idea ablout the role play – will give that a go, Im sure the kids will find it fun and will no doubt learn from it as well.
We are looking at a goldendoodle, do you have much experience of them? There are some pups available in january that have been born into a family home and will be socialised with children which I felt would be ideal.
I really like your site – sure I will be using it in future!
I know a few labradoodles but not a golden doodle, although I do have a golden retriever myself and always have done. I think this is a good option for you as you need something physically robust when going into a household with young children. I would just ensure there are no signs of nervousness in the parents as both goldens and poodles can be a little edgy in this way. I think goldens bring that little bit of calm whereas the labs can be full of excitement so this should be a good fit from the sound of it. Just remember if you meet the parents and don’t like anything you see it is likely your puppy will display this (not always but better to be safe than sorry). For example if the the father jumps all over you it doesn’t mean your puppy will end up like that but it is likely to be biologically predisposed to excitability so just bear these factors in mind. When you have you puppy send me some pics and let me know if there are any articles you would like written to help you out.
Thanks – I will bear that in mind when meeting the pups, in the meantime I will do a bit more reading up as you suggested and start getting the kids prepared.
Thanks again for your help, will let you know how it all goes