What to Consider Before Purchasing a Puppy

Say hello to pure cuteness when greeting a charming little puppy.

Their faces melt us through and tempt us to give them just about anything.

While it’s easy to fall in love with a puppy and make a hasty decision on a purchase, it may not always be the best choice.

Be warned: small puppers require a tremendous amount of care in a variety of forms.

From the food they eat to their vaccinations and vet visits, you can guarantee you’ll have your hands full when bringing home a puppy.

To ensure each puppy goes to a loving home, we’re sharing the primary things to consider before buying a puppy.

Time

A frequently overlooked factor is time.

Aside from the basic needs of feeding, bathing and letting your puppy out to do his/her business, puppies also require lots of time in training and daily exercise.

Too often, dog lovers leave their pups at home in a crate while the family is at school or work.

While crate training is necessary for some puppies, leaving your dog confined to a crate for an entire day should never be acceptable.

As mentioned early, always prioritize walks and training as an essential element in each day.

In addition, prior to bringing home your first little puppy, be sure to consider your travel schedule and any upcoming events.

If you and your family are prone to lots of traveling or are frequently attending events, whether they are near or far, be sure to also consider what you’ll be doing with your Fido while away.

You might consider getting a dog sitter for while you are gone.

You could also secure a space at a safe doggy day care.

Be warned, however.  Having others care for your little pup can get expensive.

If you are only vacationing to places where you’re puppy can accompany you, then this needn’t be a major concern.

Still, do realize that properly caring for a dog may require you to say “no” to specific events and get-aways.

Space

Regardless how much you adore that cute little puppy size, unless you’ve purchased a small dog breed, no puppy is guaranteed to forever stay small.

Purchase any member of the large or giant dog breed family and you’ll soon have a serious hunk of canine on your hands.

Be sure to consider how much dog your living space can handle.

If a small city apartment is what you’re calling home, considering finding your perfect dog match from the small dog breed family.

French Bulldogs, Pomeranians, Chihuahuas and Miniature Dachshunds, among others, are all great choices for small living spaces.

If you sport a large backyard or lots of countryside acreage, go ahead and browse larger dog families.

Members of the large and giant dog families who thrive on space to roam include German Shepherds, Great Danes, Golden Retrievers and Rottweilers, to name a few.

Specific questions to consider prior to purchasing a puppy include:

• Are you renting? Are pets allowed?
• Do you live near dog parks where your maturing dog can get proper exercise?
• Do you have a lawn?
• Is your living space large enough to keep your canine comfortable?
• Will your growing dog damage anything due to his/her size?
• Do you have the space needed to store your puppy’s accessories (food, collar, toys, treats, etc.)?
• Could you live comfortably with a dog in your current space?

If you don’t have the space needed for a puppy to grow, then it’s not fair to purchase a small little pup and hope for good results.

Your space will be cramped.  Your puppy will be uncomfortable.  Plus, your chances of frustration will only be heightened.

Cost

Perhaps an obvious point for many.

Nonetheless it deserves mentioning here, too.

Crunch a few numbers and you’ll soon discover puppies are expensive.

After your initial puppy purchase, you can expect additional costs in acquiring proper puppy supplies.

Begin starting with an appropriate size puppy collar, a dog tag, a sturdy crate, a comfortable bed, a few leashes, and some fun pupper toys, to name a few.

In addition, nutritious dog food and essential vitamins present a regular expense you’ll want to factor into your monthly budget.

Another cost oft overlooked are those unwanted medical bills.

Plan on routine visits to your vet to ensure your puppy is thriving and leading a healthy lifestyle.

However, combine the cost of an appointment, vaccinations, medication, anesthesia, procedures, and the like, and the resulting figure can soon be staggering.

For this reason, many pet owners opt for a pet insurance to protect against unexpected vet bills.

Consider starting with Trupanion, a company offering medical insurance for the life of your favorite little pet.  .

Depending on your breed of puppy, cosmetic care will present additional costs.

This includes clipping the nails, proper grooming and good dental care.

Due to the plethora of factors involved in purchasing a puppy, we hope you’ll invest careful thought and consideration prior to bringing home your very own puppy.

After you’ve done your calculations and proper head-work, if a puppy is still on your horizon, then go ahead and browse these puppies for sale.

Cheers to being prepared, making wise decisions, and sharing around the puppy love!