Choosing to add a puppy to your family can be exciting and fun, but it shouldn’t be taken lightly. There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with owning a pet and if you want things to go smoothly, you’ll need to make the right decisions from the beginning. Before choosing a puppy, you should consider your family. How much time do you have? Are you active? Who will be primarily responsible for caring for the puppy? Make sure you have enough time and energy to commit to training and raising a puppy. There’s a lot of work involved, especially at the beginning. But having a well-behaved dog is worth the time and effort involved in caring for them when they’re puppies.
If you’re sure that the timing is right and your family is ready to add a four-legged member, you need to decide where you’ll get your puppy from. You can adopt a puppy from a shelter, or if you have a specific breed in mind, you can look for a responsible breeder. Never buy puppies from questionable sources where you don’t know where they came from or get to meet the parents. They may be offering puppies bred in puppy mills, which are inhumane facilities that breed a large number of dogs for profit and don’t maintain good conditions for the puppies or the mother dogs. Websites like Pawrade.com have a zero-tolerance policy toward puppy mills and can help you connect with experienced breeders that care for their pups.
Here are a few things you should keep in mind when choosing the right puppy for your home.
Choosing the Right Breed
There are so many different breeds of dogs to choose from. From tiny toy-sized poodles to larger-than-life Great Danes, dogs come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. You may have already fallen in love with a particular breed. But don’t be quick to choose a puppy based on looks alone. Dogs are bred with not only different physical characteristics, but also different types of personalities, energy levels, and traits. Do your research before choosing a breed. Some breeds, like border collies, are insanely smart and super cute. But they might not make the best family dogs since they need a lot of exercise and demand a lot of mental stimulation. Some adorable breeds suffer debilitating health problems or tend to live very short lives. Of course, with any breed you choose, you need to find a responsible breeder. But it’s essential to consider a breed’s traits and see if they would be a good match with your family before deciding on a breed.
Picking Your Puppy
Once you’ve found the right breeder, it’s time to choose your puppy. It can be tempting to pick the first puppy that runs up to you and starts playing, but you need to observe the whole litter before deciding on the right pup for you. Try visiting a few times, starting from four weeks, to observe the different temperaments and personalities. Watch how they interact with each other and their mother. You’ll notice some are more energetic and pushy, while others are more relaxed and chill. A puppy that’s boisterous from a young age will probably require more training and exercise than one who likes to nap all day. Handle each of the puppies by picking them up, petting their ears, and touching their paws. You want to pay attention to any signs of fear since a dog that doesn’t like to be handled is probably not a good choice if you have young kids. Of course, there are many factors to consider and it can be difficult to determine how a puppy will behave as they get older. If you’re working with an experienced breeder, they should be able to make a recommendation on a suitable match for your family.
Bringing Your Puppy Home
Once you’ve chosen the perfect pup for you and your family, it’s time to bring them home. If you want everything to go smoothly, make sure you prepare supplies, toys, and accessories before your puppy arrives. You’ll need food bowls, a crate, a collar, a harness, and some toys and chews to keep your pup entertained. You should also plan ahead on a training and potty break schedule for your puppy. To start out, you should take your puppy for frequent potty breaks so that they learn not to do their business in the house. Starting training and socialization from day one is also very important. You should expose your puppy to new things and places safely from a young age. Puppies are incredibly smart and can learn basic commands even when they’re little. Look into some puppy training and socialization classes to get off to a good start with your new puppy.
Bringing home a new puppy is an exciting time for any family. But you need to do the proper research and preparation ahead of time if you want to be successful. Before choosing your puppy, look into the different breeds you like and make sure to choose a puppy with a good temperament that will fit in with your family.