Is a puppy right for your family?
The quick answer to this question is “yes, puppies are adorable, they must be a good idea.” But puppies are definitely not something you should buy on impulse. Before you dive into this decision and look for puppies for sale, it’s best to make sure that getting a puppy is the right choice for your household.
The Financial Side of Things
First things first, puppies are expensive. At the height of Covid-19, the prices of puppies exploded and, while the purchase price has decreased once more, it can still be a huge investment. Demand for puppies was at an all-time high as people were lonely and families needed cheering up.
Even if you can afford to buy the puppy, you also need to consider other costs. Puppies need plenty of supplies before they arrive so that they can be happy and healthy in their new home. As well as these up-front costs, you will need to think about the ongoing costs of owning a dog.
Puppies need to eat, which means that you will foot the bill for their food. As well as that, you also need to provide good medical care, which may involve insuring your pet and taking them for regular checkups to make sure that they’re growing and developing well.
Caring For a Puppy
Caring for a puppy’s needs involves more than just making sure that it’s fed and watered. You also need to make sure that they’re happy and healthy.
As a dog gets older, they will still need some attention, but puppies are another matter entirely. A bored or neglected puppy will develop behavioral problems and will likely become destructive. You need to engage with your puppy and play with them, as well as teach them how to socialise with people and other dogs.
A puppy isn’t just a financial investment, but they’re an investment in time and energy. One of the main reasons that young dogs get abandoned is because their owner didn’t take all of this into consideration and the dog became a burden. But this isn’t the dog’s fault!
You need to consider how a puppy fits into your lifestyle before taking it on. Will you be able to entertain and exercise it? Are you willing to puppy-proof your house? Do you know how to train a puppy? In the right household, a puppy will grow into a valued and loved member of the family, and they deserve to be appreciated as such.
Other Options
Puppies make wonderful household pets and, as well as being cute, you can train them from a young age. However, they don’t suit every family. If you still want a pet, then other options may suit you better.
Older dogs are usually cheaper and already trained, so they can slot more easily into your family. Other pets are more independent, such as cats. This isn’t to say that you should ignore your cat, but it won’t need the same constant attention to be happy.
