These are questions you should carefully consider before adopting a puppy. Many animals end up in shelters due to owners not thinking through their decision to adopt and what all it entails. Please read through these and be honest with yourself when considering the adoption of one of our babies.
1. Do you have the time to devote to a pet?
Even relatively low-maintenance pets require attention from their humans, so if your life is already very busy or you’re not home much, a pet may not be the best idea. Many animals, especially dogs require lots of daily interaction with their humans.
2. Do you have the energy to dedicate to a pet?
In addition to spending time with you, your pet also deserves to be exercised, played with, trained, groomed, and cuddled. If you come home at night exhausted, you should think seriously about whether you have the energy reserves you’ll need to offer a pet a good quality of life.
3. Can you afford a pet?
Caring properly for a pet can put a dent in your budget. You should think realistically about whether you can afford the cost of a high-quality diet, toys, other supplies, obedience training, wellness visits to the veterinarian, etc.
In addition, your pet could get sick or injured, and you should have a plan in mind for how you’ll pay those vet bills in the event something serious happens to your animal companion.
4. Is everyone in the household sold on the idea of a pet?
It’s ideal if everyone in the family or household is onboard with getting a pet. Otherwise, resentments can build and relationships can suffer.
It’s a good idea to involve all members of the household in the decision-making process, openly discuss concerns, and determine who will have primary responsibility for the pet’s care.
5. Does your prospective new pet come completely trained? NO!
Behavior issues are the number one reason pets are dumped at shelters. Can you trust everyone in your household to participate in positive training to correct behavior issues?
6. Will your existing pet (if you have one) accept a new pet?
You definitely need to plan ahead if you already have a pet and want to add another to the household.
Most animals can learn to get along or at least tolerate each other, but there are situations in which it’s just too dangerous or stressful to keep two poorly matched pets under the same roof.
If possible, introduce your existing pet to your potential adoptee in a neutral setting and see how they interact. If it doesn’t go well, I encourage you to consult with an animal behavior specialist before throwing in the towel on adopting a second pet.
Often it just takes some time and a few helpful tips to put an existing pet and a new one on the road to a harmonious relationship.
7. Are you prepared to prioritize your pet over your belongings?
Pet ownership means there will be the inevitable accidents and other messes in the house, furballs on your furniture and bedding, and the random destroyed slipper or other personal belonging.
If you can’t tolerate the thought of a less than perfectly clean house, you might want to reconsider the idea of pet ownership. Even the most well-behaved, well-trained animal companion makes the occasional mess or forgets his manners.
8. What kind of relationship do you want with your pet?
It’s important to think about how you’d like your new pet to fit into your lifestyle. For example, if you do a lot of traveling and want to take your pet along, a small dog is probably a better choice than a large breed.
It’s also important to think about what you can offer a potential pet. If, for instance, you’re the outdoorsy type who enjoys hiking and camping, those activities have tremendous appeal to certain dog breeds, such as retrievers and retriever mixes.
Ideally, you do plan to include your pet in many of your leisure time pursuits, so it’s important to give the subject some careful thought.
9. What changes do you expect in your life in the next 5, 10, or 15 years?
While we can’t predict the future, most of us have a vision for our lives that extends years down the road.
Regardless of the type of pet you’re considering, you’ll be taking on a multi-year commitment. It’s important to be reasonably sure your lifestyle will be as pet-friendly in 5, 10, or 20 years as it is today.
A Puppy Present ?
Please remember that puppies sometimes seem like a very nice gift for someone you love. They may be wanting a puppy in their life. But many times, puppies that are given as gifts (Christmas, birthdays, wedding, etc.) end up in shelters or rescues. A puppy is cute, fun and cuddly, but once they grow up and no longer that sweet little baby, many times people change their minds and no longer want them. This is not the puppy they picked out, you did! So if you are thinking about buying a puppy as a gift for someone, it is probably best not to make it a surprise, but to involve that person in the whole picking process and make sure they understand what it takes to raise a puppy for LIFE! Everyone will be much happier in the long run and it can be just as much of a surprise if you do it right.
