Puppy dogs are excellent life companions. Their capacity for sacrifice and their eagerness to show unconditional love to their owners are endless, but none of these reasons are enough to make you decide to adopt a puppy.
Aspects to take into account when adopting a puppy
Adopting a puppy dog is an important event that will change your daily life for many years, so it is essential that you act responsibly, and suspect the idea taking into account the pros and cons. Think that most of the dogs that are abandoned and taken in by shelters or dog shelters, are the result of an impulsive and ill-considered decision by their owners, who see their lives altered when it is too late.
Dogs, unlike cats, tend to be extremely dependent pets. They seek constant emotional attachment, and require human attention to develop their main routines. If your level of involvement does not match their needs, your dog may feel sad and frustrated, even developing depressive attitudes. When the decision to adopt a dog is associated with the acquisition of a puppy, the consequences can be even worse, since you will have to invest large doses of time and patience during its first months of life.
In order to help you during the decision process before adopting puppies, we are going to expose below the main aspects that you should consider before adopting puppies.
1. Space and lifestyle for the puppy
The size of the dog and the temperament of the breed you choose are the first determining factor. If your pace of life does not allow you excessive time to play and take long walks with your pet, or if you live in a small apartment with no way outdoors, you may be better off going for mini-sized puppies for adoption with a calm temperament. Medium and large sized puppies usually need daily exercise to channel all their energy, and that takes time and effort on your part. In order for you to make the most convenient decision, we recommend that you find out about the existing dog breeds and their characteristics beforehand. Also bear in mind that not all breeds accept the presence of children at home with the same predisposition. If this is your case, consider those that can interact better with them.
2. Education of a puppy
Puppies need to learn continuously, both to do their needs outside the house, to play with you and to socialize with other dogs and people. To achieve this, you must allocate time, perseverance and follow discipline guidelines through positive reinforcement, in order to prevent them from getting used to developing unwanted behaviors in your home, such as destroying personal objects or furniture.
This work also contemplates the possibility that you should use a trainer to help or guide you in the learning process, with what this may entail in economic terms.
3. Caring for a puppy dog
During the first few months, you should accustom the puppy to its care routine, which basically includes bathing, nail trimming (especially in those breeds that do not wear them out playing), brushing and hair cutting (which will vary depending on the amount of hair), and teeth cleaning when it has its definitive set of teeth (around the 7th month).
4. Veterinary visits for your puppy
At the puppy stage, and throughout his life, you should make regular visits to the veterinarian. In the first one, to manage the identification with microchip, the internal and external deworming, and the first vaccinations and subsequent reinforcements. In the second, whenever your dog presents any symptom or reason that makes him uncomfortable or causes him pain.
4. Veterinary visits for your puppy
At the puppy stage, and throughout his life, you should make regular visits to the veterinarian. In the first one, to manage the identification with microchip, the internal and external deworming, and the first vaccinations and subsequent reinforcements. In the second, whenever your dog presents any symptom or reason that makes him uncomfortable or causes him pain.