Fact of the day: puppies turn into dogs!! I know, shocking! This is going to happen every time and incredibly fast. Please, the next time you have the thought I want a puppy! replace the word puppy with dog. If your excitement goes down, even the slightest amount: dont get a puppy. Average lifespan for a dog is 12 years. Puppy breath and those daggers we call their teeth only last a few months. That means you have way more time owning a dog than a puppy. In the 3 years Ive been with AAA: not one litter of puppies DIDNT have a return. This means an extremely adoptable 8 week old puppy was carried out the gate and a few months later an 8 month old train-wreck walked back in. And if you just honest to God love puppies and wish they never turned into dogs, I have a great option for you! Foster puppies! You get to help a life in need; get all the fun that does come along with puppies; never have to have a dog! Win:win. My next point: puppies dont train themselves. I know, unbelievable! If you arent willing to train a puppy every single day: dont get a puppy! It isnt a one shot deal. You have to be dedicated! And if you arent making progress - find someone who can help; enroll in a puppy training class; hire a trainer! Puppies are going to poop a lot; pee even more; chew on everything; bite everyone; scratch people and furniture; steal things; destroy something at some point; pull on the leash; not move at all on the leash; bark; cry; beg for attention. Youre going to have to walk them, bathe them, pick up everything below waist height, buy new shoes.. But most importantly: TRAIN THE PUPPY TO NOT DO THESE THINGS. Yep, its your responsibility! We have had an astronomical amount of puppies returned for the things they all do. Its a running joke between the volunteers, Oh? A puppy did puppy things?! How dare he! Getting upset because your brand new puppy isnt housebroken, doesnt know when he plays too rough or chewed something up is like abandoning your cat because it had the nerve to meow. Adopting a puppy is like building a house from raw materials: adopting a dog is like buying a house! You can choose if you want a newly renovated home (a dog in foster care who comes potty trained and with a bag of tricks) or get a fixer-upper (dog who just needs a little effort and TLC). If you arent ready to put all youve got into making the perfect dog for you - do yourself and the puppy you would surely return a favor and dont.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 02:27:45 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015