11 Things to Consider Before Bringing A New Puppy Home

Yesterday I received my monthly dog rescue magazine. Several stories really caught my attention and that’s why I’m asking you to think before bringing a new puppy home.

So many people are swept away with the romantic idea of getting a dog that they fail to think or plan for life ever after. For most people, buying a puppy takes only moments. They’ve decided to get a puppy, find a litter, buy the first cute thing that appeals and then wonder why it goes wrong.

But then when they get it home reality bites. That’s why 50% of all puppies bought will be abandoned, neglected, given up for rehoming or simply euthanised (killed) every single year. There are stories like the ones above playing out in your neighbourhood right now.

So think before bringing a puppy home. Can you really commit to all of this?

Feeding your puppy 3-4 meals a day to begin with, then 2 meals a day from about 6 months old
3 to 4 short walks a day for the first 3 months and then 2 walks a day (for 1-2 hours or more depending on your dog) from 6 months old
At least 1 hour a day spent in dedicated toilet training – that’s taking the puppy out deliberately, not waiting until it shows signs of peeing on the floor
At least 1 hour a day on general training in the basics – lead walking, sit, stay, come, heel, no, leave it! and so on
Dedicated training in car travel daily until your puppy is used to it
Playtime and snuggle time with you every day
Providing a comfortable, and clean bed in a safe environment
Lost sleep – getting up several times each night to settle the puppy down again because they aren’t used to sleeping alone. This phase can be a few days or several weeks
Being at home most of the day to care for the puppy, or providing proper qualified dog day care
Dog training classes once or twice a week
Socialising your puppy to new environments on an ongoing basis – shopping centres, lifts, stairs, airports

And that’s just some of the time you’ll commit. Add into that the cost of everything, including leads, collars, vaccinations, vet care and more.

Whenever I get a puppy I for the first 3 weeks I wonder what on earth I have done. Even for someone used to dogs, bringing a new puppy home is exhausting.

Puppies are cute but they are very hard work!

And that’s what most people don’t realise. If you want a puppy to grow up to be a lovely dog you’ll adore, you need to put the effort in to finding the right one. Then you need to put the effort in to teaching it what it needs to know. After about 6 months you should be starting to find things easier. But for the first 4-8 weeks it will knock you sideways and your whole life will be upside down.

So think before bringing a new puppy home. Think very hard. Because if you don’t, bringing a new puppy home might go from delightful dream to desperate disaster.