Are you looking to adopt a puppy?
Puppies are great and fun and cute, but they are also a lot of work and we need to be sure you are prepared for PUPPY MAYHEM!
Are you ready for waking up several times a night to let them out to potty?
Are you willing and able to invest in chew toys, Nylabones, Kong balls and hooves for them to chew on? They will chew, they are puppies and they must be taught what they can and cannot chew, are you able to teach them this?
Puppies are notorious for chewing and can be pretty good chewers up to 2 years of age (most will continue to chew for all of their life, it's a dog thing), will you be able to puppy proof your home?
They will need to be taught where it is proper to use the potty and you will need to use positive enforcement to train them. puppies are not pre conditioned to know where to go. Most puppies do best when utilizing a crate to potty train them.
Crate training is a wonderful thing and if done properly and only in a positive aspect it can be your dogs own safe zone and they may go in their crate to relax and take a nap. Crates also keep your puppy out of trouble when you leave the home. Do not expect to ever leave a puppy alone in your home and not come back to mayhem.
Basic training, proper leash walking, exercise and socialization make for a happy pup, will you be able to make sure these things are carried out? Now is the best time to teach them these things.
Puppies will bite (this is how they play) it is up to you to teach them not to bite you and redirect them to a toy, will you be able to do this?
Puppies will dig as most adult dogs will also dig (this is just the nature of the dog). Will you be able to redirect a designated area for your pup to dig or fence off any areas you do not want them to dig or just accept that you will have puppy pot holes in your yard?
Puppies will jump and scratch for attention, puppies just do this and they need to be taught that they will not get attention by doing this and only give attention when they are behaving not when they are jumping on you or other people, nipping this now will ensure when puppy gets bigger he/she is not knocking people over for attention. Will you be able to teach them?
Puppies do grow up and usually will get bigger than they are at the present moment, is your home and budget able to accommodate the puppy fully grown?
Puppies are cute but they all have different personalities and characteristics, will you take into consideration the breed of puppy you will be committing to and be able to provide specifically for that pups needs?
If you answered YES to all of the above then congratulations you are ready for PUPPY MAYHEM!
