Do you want to buy a puppy?
Most people spend more time choosing their next car than deciding on the right breed and dog for them.
People keep their cars only a handful of years before trading them in, but a dog can be with you for well over a decade. The dog also sleeps in your house, is a companion to your children, and becomes a close member of your family. As such, buying a puppy should be weighed much more carefully than the decision to buy a car.
An adorable puppy is heartbreakingly cute and cuddly, but requires an incredible investment in time and money for many years. New pet owners commonly underestimate the energy and money needed to socialize and train a dog when they decide they want to buy a puppy.
A new puppy can even increase stress in the family, especially in situations where there are other animals, children, or elderly parents that need to be cared for. An impulsive decision to buy a puppy can end up being disappointing, frustrating, and eventually result in surrendering the dog to a shelter. Millions of dogs are euthanized each year in shelters.
For the most part, dogs are euthanized as a result of their owner’s shortcomings, and through no fault of their own.
Dogs end up in shelters for many reasons, including when the owner:
- made an impulsive purchase without clearly thinking through the time, effort, money needed to raise a puppy
- chose the wrong breed of dog for their lifestyle
- selected a dog based on popularity or looks, rather than temperament
- failed to consider their lifestyle changes over the next 12 years (an average dog’s lifespan)
- was not able (or willing) to effectively socialize their dogs
- was unable to deal with common training problems
- was not able to provide a long-term physical home for their new dog
The most crucial question you should ask yourself when you are thinking about buying a puppy is: Why do I want a dog??
Scratch a dog and you’ll find a permanent job. Franklin P. Jones