Puppies are cute, fun, bundles
of silliness and love. Puppies have individual personalities with complex
thoughts, problems solving skills, emotions, able to feel pain and joy. Puppies
are not a predictable cookie-cutter species that we can guarantee will learn
at the same rate. Puppies are not stuffed toys that come alive when
we’re ready to be entertained and who retreat to the corner when we want
to be left alone. Puppies are living, breathing, thinking, feeling,
independent creatures who deserve our respect.
Puppies don’t understand that you’re tired when you come home from work.
They’re not tired because they’ve been sleeping while you’ve been gone!
They still need your attention – they need you to play with them, teach them,
potty train them, exercise them, feed them, give them mental stimulation,
train them, touch and hold them. Seven days a week!
Puppies need YOU to be consistent and reliable when teaching them where to
potty. Even if it’s 3am or snowing or raining! Even if the kids
need dinner, and your favorite TV show is on, or you’re in the middle of
your book, on the phone or paying bills. No exceptions! You need
to have the patience and commitment to teach them either an indoor area or
an outdoor area, but they can’t learn both at the same time. You can’t
expect a puppy to learn to use the potty pad when you’re not home and the
backyard when you are home and the garage when it’s 3am. One area at
a time, please, which means that YOU have to teach one area at a time.
If your children are under 6 years old, wait to get a puppy or any dog.
Children under 6 years old do not possess the emotional maturity to grasp
safe dog interaction. And your puppy is going to mature into a dog
much faster than your child will mature. Children under 12 should never
be unsupervised with any dog, even your own dog. Again, children are
not as mature as the dogs, and children will act inappropriately or harshly
when communicating with a dog. Children should not be allowed to handle
adult tasks, such as taking away a bone, toy or food. If your time
doesn’t allow for this supervision, wait to get a puppy/dog until you do
have the time.
Dogs are great companions, but they are not responsible to replace a spouse,
job or friend. Make yourself whole on your own and then invite a dog
to share your whole life.Don't give your senior citizen parent a puppy as
a gift unless you are absolutely certain that their health, lifestyle and
living environment is suitable for a puppy. It might be better to get
an older dog or a cat.
If you’re busy with many lunch and dinner dates, travel, tennis, pottery,
motorcycles, shopping, social groups, an internet addiction – why do you
want a dog? Do you really have the time to fit a puppy’s care into
that schedule? Be truthful with this answer because it affects the
life of the dog. That placid dog you envision won’t be that mellow
until 24 months or older. Are you ready for the long-term?
Dogs are not disposable. Every time you re-home a dog YOU contribute
to the emotional instability and trust of that dog, no matter how young.
Be absolutely certain you will hang in there, or wait until you’re really
ready.
This also means that if you bring home a big dog and you really wanted a
small dog –don’t bring home the big dog and then upset his life by returning
him. Or you got a brown dog when you wanted a black and white dog …
or a Cocker Spaniel when you wanted a Lab. Again, dogs are not throwaways
simply because they might be the wrong breed, color or fur length.
Is your home appropriate for the dog? Do you have a yard that will
keep the dog safe and contained? If not, are you going to take steps
to have something installed? If you live in an apartment and the dog
develops noise phobias or crate anxiety, are you willing to work diligently
to resolve the problem? If your dog needed day care to help resolve
the problem, are you willing to spend that money? Do you have to walk
your dog? Are you physically capable of walking your dog, no matter
the weather conditions or time of day/night?
Don’t judge your puppy’s behavior by your last dog’s behavior. The
dog who was 15 years old, quiet, cuddly, and just the best dog ever!
Things have changed and you have a puppy now – with more energy and needs
they rely on you to provide. You’re older now than you were when you
got your last dog, so 3am potty visits are more noticeable. We all
have selective memories, and we don’t remember that the old dog chewed the
table leg at 11 weeks old or pooped on the floor twice a day for a month.
Puppies are hard work. Let me repeat that. Puppies are hard work.
It’s just like having a child, except you don’t have to dress the dog every
day. But it’s the same level of commitment and energy on your part.
Puppies will cry and whine when you bring them into your home. You’ve
just removed them, without their permission, from all things familiar!
They don’t have the accustomed smells or recognizable people around them.
Most of all they miss their puppy friends around them. Your puppy needs
time to acclimate to these many changes and during that time you’re likely
to lose sleep. Expect it. When you bring home your puppy, it
would be best to take two weeks of vacation so you aren’t worrying about
the loss of sleep affecting your work. And this will give you plenty
of time so you can concentrate on the potty training. Before you bring
home your puppy either read, read, read positive reinforcement training books
or hire a trainer to help you get ready. And listen to that trainer.
Do what they recommend for at least one month – and stop talking to every
friend, co-worker, pet store employee and TV show about different approaches
to try. You need to give learning a chance to happen and if you’re
changing techniques every day or so, or you’re mixing methodologies, you
are only going to confuse yourself and your puppy.
If you decide to return your puppy due to your personal issues -- lack of
time, lack of commitment, lack of desire, lack of training -- don’t expect
a refund. A good breeder will take the puppy back but will not return
your money. This is to help you understand that your decision to uproot
a puppy by first bringing them into your home and then by removing them from
your home has to have consequence for you. And that consequence is
no refund.
98 out of 100 puppies are returned or re-homed due to owner personal issues
– lack of time, lack of commitment, lack of desire, lack of training.
Get a puppy only when you’re ready for the commitment. You will be
blessed with a wonderful and loving experience that will last 15, 18 years
or longer!
reprinted with kind permission from Denise Lukacs
The Pet Teacher www.ThePetTeacher.com
Helping You & Your Dog Become A Better Team!
