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Puppies - little Bundles of Joy, hard Work and Commitment

Who has never heard the longing cry: 'I want a puppy, please, please'?! The question is, why should anyone want to get a puppy? Puppies can be noisy, they eat things they shouldn't eat and puppies chew anything from furniture to expensive pairs of designer shoes. On top of that, puppies leave little messes around the house and cost a lot of money.

Reasons to get a Puppy

The thing is, the joy a puppy, or a dog in general, can bring into your life is unbelievable. To start with, a puppy will keep you fit. No matter what breed of puppy you end up with, no matter how small or how large the fully grown dog will be, a puppy will need plenty of exercise.

This means daily walks for the puppy without fail - rain, snow or sunshine. Is this a negative? Not at all - being out for walks with the puppy will get you plenty of fresh air and the exercise your body desperately needs - and it's regular exercise, because you can't get out of walking a puppy.

You will get to enjoy your walks with a puppy tremendously, if for no other reason than to see the puppy bounding along full of the joys of spring even in the middle of a snow storm. You get the oxygen you need, you lose some weight and you have fun with your puppy - what more could anyone possibly ask for?

As it stands, there is more to be gained by having puppies, because puppies keep your mind active, too. A puppy has a lot to learn and it is highly likely that you are the one who has to teach a puppy how to behave, what it shouldn't be doing and what you do want it to do.

Dogs are highly intelligent and puppies will learn fast, whatever it is you are teaching them - including bad habits, so it is vital for you to keep a step ahead and make sure you only teach a puppy the good habits it should develop.

As time goes by, you will have to think of ever new ways to stop a puppy from chewing things, for instance. Someone I know learned the hard way that puppies do think shoes are great for chewing and that just kicking shoes off and leaving them on the floor is not a good idea.

A pair of designer shoes and three pairs of slippers later, she hadn't taught the puppy to stop chewing them, but the puppy had taught her to put them away properly and out of his reach. This goes to show that you can learn from a puppy, too.

Puppies also help you to relax. There is nothing quite as therapeutic as sitting quietly with a puppy on your lap. Just smoothing a puppy, talking to it and generally enjoying each other's company - yes, your puppy will enjoy your company as much as you enjoy it - is incredibly relaxing. Even rolling about on the floor playing with a puppy is relaxing, as active as this may sound.

A puppy will need this kind of play, because puppies learn many of their skills by playing. You can also teach a puppy to be gentle while playing even rough and tumble games. This is particularly important with children about - a puppy has to learn that it can not dig its teeth in, even in play.

Another thing a puppy will do is to make you laugh. Puppies do the funniest things and pull the funniest faces. No, really, puppies do pull faces, especially when something baffles them. A friend's puppy, a border collie-Labrador cross, accidentally blew bubbles in his water bowl when having a drink.

The surprised look on the puppy's face made my friend laugh and from that moment on, whenever my friend was down for some reason, the puppy would march to his bowl and blow bubbles to cheer him up. Although the act in itself was not that funny after a while, the mere fact that the puppy did this never failed to make my friend smile - mission accomplished.

Finally, and this is perhaps the most important reason to get a puppy, the puppy will be a friend for life. Dogs are incredibly loyal and the puppy will repay the love and attention it gets from you by being by your side through thick and thin. Puppies are perfect companions at all times, the puppy will give you as much love as you give it and puppies will defend you and protect you with their life if necessary.

Why get a puppy? Because a puppy will keep you healthy and fit, a puppy will make you laugh and it will be a friend for life. A friend of mine has a T-shirt with the words: 'The more people I get to know, the more I love my dog'. There is some truth in that - if you treat a puppy right, the puppy will never betray you or let you down. A puppy will always be there for you and if you do accidentally step on its tail, the puppy won't bear a grudge.

Considerations before getting a Puppy

There are, however, a few things you should consider before getting a puppy. The phrase 'A puppy is for life, not just for Christmas' sounds like a cliche, but it is more than true. Getting a puppy means taking on a life-long commitment.

This means having time for a puppy to begin with. If it is likely that the puppy will be left alone or the best part of the day, it is not a good idea to get the puppy to start with. All puppies are pack animals and they do not like to be alone, full stop. People tend to say that their puppy is used to being alone, but this simply isn't good enough. The puppy may be used to it, but that does by no means say the puppy likes it.

Having a puppy means spending time with it, giving the puppy the love and attention it deserves and the exercise the puppy needs to remain healthy. Leaving a puppy alone all day does none of this, but is likely to cause the puppy to be depressed or get into mischief. There is nothing quite as destructive as a bored, lonely puppy. The damage a puppy can do to a home if left alone for too long is unbelievable.

A friend had, for example, meant to leave her puppy for just a short time, but got delayed by several hours. On her return home, the puppy - left alone in the kitchen - had chewed the handle off her cooker, pulled the toaster of a worktop and destroyed it, emptied a two litre bottle of cooking oil on the floor and eaten the bottle, scratched its paws bloody on the door and been sick all over the place, because the combination of plastic and cooking oil had upset its tummy.

Could she be angry with the puppy? Of course not. She realised that it was ultimately not the puppy's fault. The puppy was bored, he was lonely and there was no-one there to tell him that what he was doing was wrong. A puppy doesn't know what is right or wrong, it has to be taught. Leave a puppy alone for hours, and it will explore and try new things.

Then, of course, there is the cost of keeping a puppy. The puppy will need a bed, the puppy will need food, it will have to have regular checks and the puppy will need to be vaccinated against all sorts of illnesses. If a puppy gets ill or somehow suffers an injury, there will also be additional vet bills to cope with.

If it will not be possible to deal with the expenses puppies will incur, it is best not to get a puppy. It is better not to have puppies than to have a puppy and not care properly for it.

What type of breed to get is another major consideration when getting a puppy. An elderly person in a small flat would have serious problems dealing with a puppy likely to grow into a large dog, such as an Alsatian, for instance. Even a border collie puppy, which is much smaller, would be a bad choice in this case, because these puppies are bred to work and they need a lot of exercise to keep them active and happy.

Some breeds are naturally much better with small children than others, although getting a puppy while the kids are still quite young will get the puppy used to them as much as it will get the kids used to having and caring for a puppy.

In other words, all the circumstances surrounding the purchase of a puppy will have to be very carefully considered. Getting the puppy socialised with kids as well as other dogs and other animals, too, is vital to prevent unpleasant incidents - for your own sake as well as for the dog's sake.

Someone I know, for instance, failed to socialise his puppy, a Doberman, properly. Now fully grown, this dog has so far killed a cat and injured three smaller dogs. Up to now, the owner has managed to talk his way out of it, although the police was involved in the last incident.

The poor dog is now 'on probation'. The next time something happens, he will have to be put down. This poor animal will have to pay the price for his owner's failure to teach him properly as a puppy. This kind of thing needs to be remembered when getting a puppy - it will take time and effort to train a puppy - any type of breed - properly in order to protect the puppy, yourself and others.

The next question is when, or rather at what age, to get a puppy. As a rule, puppies are just about ready to leave their mother and form a strong bond with its new owner (and his family - its new 'pack') at about eight weeks of age. This will, however, mean that you will have to socialise, house and 'chew toys not furniture' train the puppy - do you have the time and patience to do this, or would it be better to wait a little longer and get a puppy that 'knows the basics'?

Then, of course, there is the vital point of where to get a puppy. While there are many reputable dealers selling puppies on the Internet, this kind of purchase does carry a range of risks. First of all, sad as it is, many of the breeders selling puppies online are not that reputable and getting a puppy from such a dealer is likely to encourage cruelty. Secondly, you will not know how the puppy has been treated, or what state of health the puppy is in.

Going to a local breeder or dog's home and taking a look at some puppies there may be a much better solution to finding a puppy, or perhaps even an older, well trained dog that will be grateful for a new loving home. Puppies are often abandoned as they get bigger and there are many little and not so little puppies looking for good homes.

The other thing to decide on is whether to buy a puppy that is a pedigree breed, or whether to get a crossbreed puppy. Crossbreeds often make much more loving pets, partly because the puppies have not been bred for a specific purpose. Apart from that, many pedigree puppies have a tendency to develop particular ailments as a result of the pure breeding.

Collies, for instance, are prone to spinal problems, while Alsatian puppies often grow into dogs with serious problems relating to both their spines and ears. Other puppies have been bred to fight - a puppy growing into an animal that is meant to fight or hunt may not be a perfect puppy for a household with young children.

In addition, most puppies are far more likely to focus their attention on a single person, rather than the whole family. Although the puppy will love the whole family and be loyal to all of the members of its pack, there will always be one particular person puppies single out. This means deciding who will be mostly responsible for the puppy - mum, dad, or one of the kids?

It is important to ensure that this affection does not grow into obsessive jealousy, as a friend with an Alsatian puppy learned - his puppy was so focused on him alone, it became impossible for him to have a girlfriend because the puppy was jealous and would get quite nasty if anyone came near him.

He, too, failed to socialise the puppy adequately. Both of them eventually paid the price when things got too bad and he had to give her away. It broke his heart to see the puppy go and she pined for him for weeks, but it had to be done to allow him to live a reasonably normal life without fear of someone getting hurt.

Other considerations will include a puppy and holidays - what happens to the puppy when you go away for a few days? Are you able to take a puppy where you wish to go, and if not, do you have someone responsible who can look after the puppy for you, or will you have to find a reputable kennel for the puppy to board in while you are gone?

If you do take a puppy on holiday, you will have to consider the fact that most shops and many restaurants do not welcome puppies. How will you or the puppy deal with this?

Facing the Challenges of owning a Puppy

A puppy will without the shadow of a doubt bring many challenges into your life. The commitment you make the moment you decided to purchase a puppy is the biggest challenge of them all. Getting a puppy is like having a child.

A puppy will need love, a puppy will have much to learn and a puppy will grow into a dog that needs just as much attention and perhaps even more exercise, depending on its size.

Training a puppy can also be extremely challenging. It will require lots of time and effort to train a puppy. There will be times when you feel there is no hope for your table legs. As long as you are firm, but kind, a puppy can and will learn all the things a puppy should learn. Your patience will be tested and you will have to pick up or mop up lots of mess before the puppy gets the right idea of where to go to the toilet, too.

Going out for the daily walk with the puppy even when it pours down with rain will often have you wondering why on earth you had a puppy in the first place. You will also find that you need to learn as much as a puppy - it will communicate with you and you will have to learn to understand what the puppy is trying to tell you.

For instance, if the puppy sits at your feet and whines, does that mean the puppy wants a bit of fuss, does it want food, water a walk or does your puppy have a problem? In time, you will be able to tell if a puppy is happy, sad or in pain just by looking at it. But it can and will take time to learn what a puppy is saying.

Owning a puppy also means being tied down. As already mentioned, holidays may become a problem and even going shopping can present a problem when you have a puppy. While it is fine to leave a puppy at home to do a little shopping (the puppy won't like it much, but as long as you're not gone too long, it will cope), when away on holiday, this may not be a good idea.

Getting a puppy socialised is another challenge. A puppy will have to get used to as many different people of all ages as possible to prevent problems as it grows. You will also do well to get a puppy used to having other dogs, cats, etc around.

One of the biggest challenges facing a dog owner is to see a puppy grow into an old dog, complete with ailments and general signs of old age. The average life span of a puppy is around 15 years, although a well looked after, healthy dog can, of course, live longer than that.

The real challenge here is deciding what to do when your dog, once such a cute puppy, full of vitality and joy, is seriously in pain and nothing even the best vet can do will stop that pain. Seeing your best friend suffer will break your heart and you will have to make a decision as to whether to keep him suffering for your sake or allow him a dignified, pain free end.

What to expect when getting a Puppy

Puppies are little bundles of sheer joy, hard work and lots of challenges. Ultimately, however, puppies are the best purchase anyone with the right amount of time and dedication could ever make.

A puppy will need lots of love and attention, but a puppy will return that love and be a loyal friend right to the end. A puppy will add a new dimension to any person's life, by bringing love and a ray of sunshine even into lonely lives.

A puppy can also be a good way to teach a child a little responsibility and at the same time give it a friend it will have many fun adventures with. In short, having a puppy is simply wonderful, but will require a lot of consideration, commitment and sometimes hard work. Puppies really are for life, rain or shine.