New dog owners can make puppy mistakes when buying a new pet. Having a canine in your life can be life-changing. While it can make you a happier person, there are some responsibilities that come as part of the package.
If the idea of bringing home a puppy excites you, there are a lot of things you need to do to gear up for the new canine arrival. If you live alone,it can mean altering your lifestyle for this new companion, and if you live with a family your family members will need to get involved too. While a new puppy can be a great addition to your family, you need to avoid some common puppy mistakes as a first-timer.
Puppy Mistakes
Not thinking before you buy.
The worst mistake that first-time puppy owners make is not thinking before buying and bringing a puppy home. To start off, you need to talk about your intentions with your family, if you live with them. Make sure that they are all comfortable with the idea of having a new puppy in the family!
Also, your immediate family must be ready to share the responsibilities of having a new puppy in the house. Make sure that your lifestyle allows you to take on this new responsibility too. If you travel a lot for your work, for example, you need to think about alternative arrangements for your puppy while you are away. This could be a house-sitter, a friend who lives in your house while you are away, or a friend who would take your puppy into their home.
Puppy Mistakes
Not choosing the right breed (for you and your circumstances).
If you think that the breed of dog is not important (after all, ALL puppies are small!), you are making a bad puppy mistake. Do not choose a puppy on the basis of looks, but on the basis of how the breed will fit into your lifestyle, and how much time and care you will be able to lavish on the dog.
There are some breeds that enjoy the company of children at home, and you should look at calm dog breeds if you have small children. On the other hand, other breeds need extensive exercise, and are ideal for people with an active lifestyle. Check out our pages on running with your dog and the new sport of canicross.
Puppy Mistakes
Not getting your new puppy health tested.
The big secret of being a happy dog owner is finding the puppy who is cute AD healthy. Not getting your new puppy health tested before you bring it home is a big puppy mistake. Buying from a reputable breeder is important as they look after their dogs very well, and their puppies are mush less likely to suffer from inherited health disorders.
You should always see the puppy in it’s birth environment, with it’s brothers and sisters, and (most importantly) its parents. This shows that the breeder owns both parents and is happy for you to see them. You want to avoid a “puppy farm” where you cannot see the parent dogs.
Not training the puppy.
This is a BIG and a very common mistake. And so easy to avoid. If you only buy a puppy and take it home, you will not be getting the maximum benefits of being a dog owner. Proper training will make your young dog sociable, safe, and will build your bond with the dog. Having a properly trained dog will make your life and the dog’s life so much more enjoyable. Just do it!
We have a great page on the 7 best dog training books, to help you with training your puppy. We recommend that you have a look at that page HERE, to see which book might be the most useful for you.
We hope this list of puppy mistakes is useful in helping you to choose a breed that is appropriate to your circumstances, and blending the new puppy into your life.
