Before bringing a new puppy home, it’s important to truly consider whether you are ready for a new puppy, how to take care of a new puppy, and how to make sure your home is safe for a new puppy. Getting a puppy is an enormous responsibility, and your new pet will rely on you to protect its health, safety, and happiness. Here are a few things you should consider to determine if you’re ready for the responsibility of a new puppy.
Your Schedule and Lifestyle
A new puppy will demand a lot of care and attention around the clock, especially for the first few months it is home with you. You will need to commit to getting it spayed or neutered, getting it vaccinated and microchipped, feeding it the right food, making sure it gets exercise every day, and scheduling socialization and dog training classes. If you have a very busy schedule or your lifestyle cannot be adjusted to meet the needs of a puppy, you should not get one.
Costs of Medical Care
You will also need to be able to commit to the costs of caring for your puppy. Your puppy will need food, a collar and leash, toys, bedding, treats, and a kennel or crate. You will also need to budget for regular veterinary visits, medication costs, the cost of vaccinations and spaying or neutering your puppy, flea and tick prevention costs, and the cost of emergency medical care if your puppy gets sick. Plus, there is the cost of obedience training, dog sitting or doggy daycare, and other unexpected costs.
Committing to an Adjustment Period
You will have to make a lot of changes in your life when you get a new puppy. Your new puppy may not behave perfectly, and might regularly make messes or be hard to housebreak or train. He may bark or whine a lot, chew on things, scratch up furniture, and act destructive. It could take two or three months for you and your puppy to both adjust to each other. If you can’t commit to that adjustment period, you are probably not ready to have a puppy.
Before getting a puppy, talk to a local veterinarian about what to expect and how to prepare so that you can determine if you are ready for the responsibility.
