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The good news is that puppies can live almost
anywhere: house or apartment, city or country. However, despite this,
there are a few points to consider before bringing your puppy home. The
following article provides a checklist of questions you should ask
before making the important decision to share your home with a puppy.
Do you rent your home? If so, you should check that your landlord allows
dogs before bringing a puppy home.
Do you live alone? Puppies are companion animals, and will be miserable
if left alone for extended periods. If you work long hours outside of
your home, and there is no one else at home to spend time with the
puppy, you should not get a puppy. However, if you have the time to meet
all of your puppy’s needs on your own then you should not hesitate to
share your home with a puppy.
Do you have children? It’s a proven fact that children who grow up with
a puppy reap many benefits, however while your children and puppy are
getting to know each other you will need to be there to supervise. Your
new puppy will see young children as littermates, and as a result he may
jump up on them or nip at them. Children must also be taught that the
new puppy is not a toy. They may not realize that hugging their new
friend too closely can hurt and scare him, and possibly cause him to
react aggressively. Read more about introducing your children to a new
puppy.
Does everyone in the house want a puppy? If not, don’t bring a puppy
home – even if you think the people sharing your home will be won over
when they see how cute he is. Everyone must agree to share their home
with a puppy, and follow the house rules set for the puppy, or the puppy
will be confused and unhappy.
Do you live in the city or the country? Although puppies can live almost
anywhere, some breeds are more adaptable to city life than others.
Do you have a cat or another dog? This isn’t a problem as long as you
allow time to supervise while they are getting to know each other, and
spend time with each to ensure they get their own quality time with you.
Are you prepared for changes in your home? If your home is normally
spotless it won’t remain so after bringing a puppy home. It is
inevitable that during house-training your puppy will have accidents,
and these may be on your brand new white carpet. Your puppy may also
chew your cushions if he is bored or during teething, and a puppy tail
can be a dangerous object around lamps and china. Much of this can be
prevented by puppy-proofing your home, but you should be prepared for
the fact that your home will change once you invite a puppy to live
there.
Do you have the space? Your puppy may not take up a lot of room now, but
he may need more room as he grows. If you don’t have a lot of room you
may want to consider a breed that is less active and/or smaller.
However, you will still need to make sure that adding a puppy to your
home, along with all the supplies a puppy needs, will not make your home
uncomfortably crowded.
Do you have a yard? This makes house-training your pup a lot easier, but
it is not a prerequisite to raising a puppy. If you don’t have a yard
you will need to commit to a routine and be willing to make the extra
effort when house-training your pup, as well as providing him with
supervised outside exercise throughout his life.
Do you have a pool or a garden? If so, your pool will need secure
fencing and you may want to do the same to your garden. This protects
your garden from your puppy, as most puppies love to dig, and your puppy
from your garden, as many plants are toxic to puppies.
Puppies are adaptable, and if you want a puppy you can make it work
wherever you live. It might take a bit more effort depending on your
living accommodations but, as any puppy owner will tell you, this effort
is well worth the joys of sharing your life with a puppy!
© 2008 Mars,
Incorporated and its Affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
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