During these coronavirus days, we can begin to reflect on what is truly important in life. For some, the annual summer vacation, having lots of money put aside for a rainy day, and achieving that promotion at work becomes a lot less crucial to our happiness. Instead, we care more about the health of our family, ensuring that we are able to manage our finances astutely, and having the job stability that everyone craves at the moment.
When you consider your brood, you want them to be happy and fulfilled. The Covid-19 threat that is forever lingering in the air is forcing us to adjust to a new normal. This means homeschooling for many, working from home, and spending more time together as a family. As you are staying at home more, it makes sense that now is the right time to consider welcoming the patter of tiny canine paws into your home, doesn’t it? If you have the time and energy to dedicate to a puppy, this could be one of the most wonderful experiences you could offer your children. Dogs can be incredible companions, be playmates for the kids, and give your family something positive and innocent to focus upon.
However, with a dog comes great responsibility. While you may assume that a pooch is ‘just’ a pet, you’d be mistaken. This creature will imprint on you, be endearing and capture your heart. A puppy isn’t like a kitten. Their eyes will draw you in and you will forge a tight and close bond. A puppy really is a new addition to your family. Take a look at whether your family is ready for a puppy.
Time
Even though you are at home at the moment, there’s nothing to say that life will be this way forever. Welcoming a puppy into your home while you are working on your laptop at the dining room table seems ideal. But, what happens when you are having to do the usual nine to five in the office for five days a week? If your work doesn’t offer remote working as standard and you fear that your pup may be home alone, you need to consider whether this is fair. At the very least, you will need to think about those breeds that don’t suffer from as much separation anxiety. Breeds like miniature schnauzers make wonderful family pets, but they become such an integral part of your clan, they will be devastated to be left alone for hours at a time.
If you do have the time to dedicate to a puppy, think about the breed you would like. There are so many to choose from so thin about what you want from a dog. Does he need to be small? Does he need to not shed hair everywhere? Do you want a pooch that is easy to train? And don’t forget to consider suitability around kids.
When considering the time that you need to dedicate to a puppy, think about him as a newborn baby. Yes, you really do need to be on hand twenty four hours a day. A puppy will need to go outside two or three times a night to do his business. He will need feeding small meals four or five times a day. He will need your constant love and attention. Play with him, hold him, and create that bond. The early weeks are important to foster positive behavior and that close bond that you yearn for.
Training
Some mutts are stubborn little things. They may be able to hear you calling them back when they are frolicking in the park, but if they are having too much fun, they will ignore you. This is why training is crucial. Don’t go it alone and head to a site like Puppy Trained Right to take a look at training videos and articles to help get your puppy on the right track. You need to think about dedicating enough time to training your pooch. Being young, they don’t have great attention spans. This is why it is important to do some training in ten or fifteen minute bursts.
To begin training, start with the basic commands of sit, down, stay and come. If you can hone all of these, you will have a well trained dog. Start early and make training sessions fun. Nearly every hound is food motivated so get tiny pieces of their favorite treat. This might be hotdog, chicken or cheese. Keep it to hand and let your pup know that it is there as a reward for excellent behavior. Your dog will be motivated to do well and please you in training sessions.
To make the sessions fun, play games. As your dog sits, give him some chicken. If you are looking for your dog to lie down, get him to follow you around the home before saying down. If you turn around and he is down waiting for the tiny piece of cheese in your pocket, reward him with it.
Commitment
A puppy requires commitment and dedication. However, he will help with your mental health, cheer you up when you are down, and make you laugh. This isn’t a pet that you can discard when times get tough. A puppy will challenge you as much as he pleases you. Sometimes, he may chew an expensive pair of shoes, he may pee on the new rug, or he might become poorly. You need to be there every step of the way. In the same way that all babies have different personalities, your puppy will also have his own sense of self. He might see himself as the leader of the pack, he might be super shy, or he may be fearful of traffic, other dogs or men with beards. There is no accounting for their quirks but they all have them!
Your puppy will grow into a dog that will be your faithful companion for the next ten to fifteen years. This is why you need to consider whether you can commit to that length of time. He will be by your side during family trips, vacations, and memorable events. It’s not unheard of for dogs to help walk people down the aisle, attend graduations, and be important members of a family.
Rescue
Remember, a pedigree puppy is only one route to securing a new member of your brood. You might wish to look into the rescue pups that are abandoned, placed into kennels, or rescued from puppy farms every year. Thousands of puppies are eager to look for new homes. If you can offer this sort of mutt a home, look in your local area and enquire.
Rescue puppies may be slightly older, but they can offer your family something unique. They may be more fearful of human contact and could require extra time and love to help them come out of their shell and become confident again. They don’t have the same price tag as a pedigree hound and can give back so much. If you aren’t fussy about the breed and it is the initial contact that is important, go rescue! If this is something that you could commit to, your whole existence could become more worthwhile and positive.
A puppy will bring love, warmth, happiness and contentment into your life. Your family will have a new member and you will be embarking on brand new adventures. However, a dog requires a wealth of commitment from you. If you feel like you can dedicate time, effort, energy, love and positivity to your mutt, you can enjoy the company of a faithful companion for years to come.
