If You’re Not Willing To Train Your New Puppy, Do It A Favor, DON'T GET IT!!!
Every week I get no less than two phone calls from people wanting us to rehome their dog because they can’t control it. That cute little fuzzy puppy that you bought last spring is now 100 pounds of “I’ll do whatever I want”.
The time to solve a problem is before it becomes a problem. The training should start before you even decide to get the puppy or dog. Yes you read that right! Before you ever make the decision to get a new pet you should write out a list of rules, and accomplishments that you want with your new pet.
Take the time to figure out exactly how you want your adult dog to behave. If you won’t want that 100 pound adult dog sleeping on the couch, then don’t let the fuzzy little 10 pound puppy get on the furniture. All adult dog rules should be enforced from day one of bringing the puppy home. If you allow it now, you can’t change your mind later on.
Make an inventory list of your lifestyle. If you want a dog that will go hiking and jogging with you, don’t get a Newfoundland. They are extremely lazy. If you want a dog that will lay on the couch and watch tv with you every evening , don’t get a Border Collie. They need an extremely athletic lifestyle. If you're a 90 pound person, maybe a Saint Bernard isn’t your best choice. If you love having parties and lots of people coming to your house, maybe a protective breed of dog will not be a very good fit.
Extensive Breed Research should be your very first step in making this decision. While this does not ring true on every single dog, it will give you a very good idea of how your future dog will be. Consider how this dog will be involved in your life. Read the breed description and then consider how well this breed fits in your lifestyle. If the breed description describes a dog that wouldn’t be a PERFECT fit, then you should pick a different breed.
Now take the time to figure out if you have the patience, time and dedication to deal with raising a puppy. An 8 week old puppy will need to be potty trained. This is going to involve taking it outside every waking hour. If you're not home 24/7, it will also involve cleaning it’s crate and giving it a bath multiple times per day. You’re also going to have to deal with other puppy issues like chewing on furniture and other household items. Teaching the puppy that you're not a chew toy. If you can’t deal with all these things, then maybe you should consider getting an adult dog.
Adult dogs also come with problems. You more than likely won’t know how the dog was raised, what bad habits, health or temperament issues it has. You won’t know if the dog was ever abused. Abuse & bad training techniques can be a nightmare to resolve.
Teaching is ALWAYS easier than correcting. There is nothing funnier than that cute little puppy growling and attacking your hand as you fight with it when you first bring it home. But in a few weeks when your arms look like hamburger and you can’t walk across the living room without him/her latching onto your foot it won’t be so fun. So don’t allow it from day one.
When it’s 3 months out and barking and growling at strangers when you're going for a walk it is absolutely hilarious. But when he is full grown and is lunging at the end of his leash as a child walks past, it’s not so funny. So don’t allow it from day one.
Can you financially afford to own a dog? The initial purchase cost is just a small fraction of the expenses that will need to be covered. Shots, medical bills, grooming, boarding during vacation, feed, leashes all of these add up. If your dog gets seriously ill or injured, Vet bills can run into the thousands. Are you qualified to train your dog? If not you will need to seek the assistance of a qualified trainer.
George Walker
Walker’s K9 Services
