A Dog is for Life not Just for Lockdown

We have all heard the saying before, “a dog is for life, not just for Christmas” there seems to be a new one for 2020, and that’s a dog is for life, not just for COVID. After a few months of being in lockdown, the novelty has worn off, and that cute little puppy becomes more and more demanding. Eventually, it gets forgotten about and is shunted off to either a new home or the dog pound; please don’t buy a puppy if you do not intend to keep it.

Commitment

Buying a dog is a huge commitment, which could be for the next 10-15 years of its life and yours. That cute little fluff ball will soon turn into a sharp-toothed little gremlin chewing everything in sight. Including fingers, toes, and anything else he/she can sink their shark teeth into, peeing and pooping its little heart out all over the house until it’s toilet trained. 

Toilet training takes many, many hours of consistency and patience; it doesn’t happen overnight, mainly because puppies can’t control bodily functions, just like babies. I always say having a dog is like having a baby because they do everything a baby does and more!

Puppy blindness

“Puppy blindness” yes, this a real term because once you see that cute little fluff ball, all your common sense goes out the window. I have been guilty of this when we were shopping for our dogs. The cuteness blinded us, and nothing else mattered apart from that cute little ball of fluff. 

I wouldn’t swap them for the world, but if I knew then what I know now about chow chows, things might have been a little bit different, and I maybe would have asked more questions and got a better understanding of the breed and their requirements, health issues, etc—and not just fallen in love with the fluff.

Do your research

Ok, so you have decided you are going to get a puppy. I hope you will wait until you are sure that you can commit to him/her as a dog will be with you for the next 10 to 15 years. When you do get a puppy, it is essential to do lots and lots of research; some of the things to research before deciding on a puppy are;

• Breed
• Characteristics
• Temperament
• Health problems
• Exercise requirements
• Cost of vets fees
• Cost of insurance

Don’t just choose a dog based on how cute it is. One of the main reasons people decide to rehome their dog is behavior issues; that cute little puppy has grown into a massive energy ball who now doesn’t listen to a word you say. This is due to a lack of control or discipline. Researching everything about a specific dog breed will give you the knowledge to not only buy but raise a happy, healthy puppy.

Expenses

A dog will cost a lot of money throughout its lifetime with good quality food, vet fees, vaccinations, de-fleaing, and de-worming, and what about that unexpected bill for an accident or injury? Insurance won’t always cover the full cost of a claim, and some insurance policies can even deem it an existing condition, which means you might not be able to claim again if the issue continues. 

What are you going to do with your dog if you decide to go on holiday? You will need to factor in the cost of boarding kennels. Boarding a dog in some dog kennels while you go on holiday can cost as much as the holiday itself. 

One other thing to think about is the cost of training. If you end up with an unruly puppy, then finding a good dog trainer can help, but this will come at a cost. If you cannot afford all of these things, then getting a dog is just plain irresponsible.

Dog food can cost in the region of 30-50 per month per dog, it could be more if you buy a large breed dog, but something else to factor in is if your dog might require a special diet. If your dog does need a special diet, it can bump the cost of dog food up considerably higher than regular dog food. 

Other costs to factor in when you are thinking of buying a dog are;

• Microchipping
• Vaccinations
• Bedding
• Coat
• Lead
• Collar
• Grooming
• Bowls
• Toys
• Neutering
• Treats 

Choosing a dog that fits in with your lifestyle

You must choose a dog that fits in with your lifestyle. For instance, a husky is a high energy dog who can also be quite dominant, especially the males. For this particular dog, an owner with the breed’s experience is essential, one who can assert dominance, but not aggression, so he doesn’t rule the roost. Huskies can also be a bit temperamental, especially in warm weather, and are not suited to homes with small children who like to pull ears and tails. Huskies need their own space.

As I mentioned before, huskies are a high energy dog who need tons of exercise, or they become destructive. They also escape artists and can quickly jump a fence 6 feet tall or even tunnel under it, so it is essential to do your research and make sure the puppy you intend to buy suits your lifestyle. 

We decided to get chow chows because they require minimal exercise, they are suited to family life, and they are loyal but independent dogs, which worked for us as a family. They do require a fair amount of grooming, but we can cope with this.

Mixed breeds

A responsible breeder will tell you to avoid buying a mixed breed dog; these days, there are many designer dogs for sale “mixed breeds” from lots of irresponsible breeders, some of which haven’t even health tested their dogs and just breed them willy nilly.

Buying a mixed breed dog means you have double the homework to do. 

• Are those two breeds compatible? 
• Do they have any temperament issues? 
• Are they high energy? 

A collie cross husky is just trouble waiting to happen. Two very high energy dogs, and if that puppy doesn’t get enough exercise, then that’s where behavioral issues can occur.

Things to ask your breeder

Are the mum and dad available to view? 

If they show you the mum, look for signs that she is not a sound dog; 

• Is she nervous? 
• Does she cower? 
• Is she clean and well kept? 
• Is she kept in an outbuilding?
• Look at her nails, are they clipped? 

These are all signs of an unbalanced dog being used purely for breeding purposes, and you are looking at a puppy farmer.

If the mum is not available at the time of viewing, stay well clear. You always want to view the puppies at home with mum; if a puppy was taken away from its mum too soon, it might end up with temperament issues. 

From birth until the end of the eight weeks that the puppy is with its mum, he/she will learn how to behave. If the puppy is removed from its mum too early, it will not understand the difference between acceptable behavior and bad behavior. 

Never meet someone to deliver a puppy and never get it delivered to you; these pups may have been imported illegally from puppy farms. If you meet or have a puppy delivered, you have no way of contacting the owner if something goes wrong. Sometimes the dad is not available to view, but this is normal if they used a stud dog to mate.

Are the parent’s health checked?

And I don’t mean just a regular check-up with the vet. 

• Have they been hip and elbow scored? 
• Have they had eye tests? 
• What are the results?

Are the puppy’s health checked?

All puppies should have a check-up with the vet before being re-homed. If your breeder hasn’t taken the puppy for a checkup, it means they do not care about the puppy’s health or temperament and are breeding just for the money.

Have they had vaccinations?

Ask for the name of the vet so that you can check which vaccinations they have had. Some breeders choose to get the first one done, but the vet you use may be using a different brand, and if that’s the case, they may need to be repeated. 

If they have had both, then that’s great; you will be able to walk your puppy as soon as you want. If the puppy hasn’t received any, they will need to be kept off the ground until they have both injections.

Are the puppies microchipped?

The law changed recently, stating that all puppies have to be microchipped before they leave the breeder. If your breeder hasn’t microchipped their puppies, they are breaking the law. If they don’t care about this, they certainly won’t care about providing you with a healthy puppy.

Hopefully, this article has made you think twice about getting a puppy during the lockdown. Still, if not, at least we have armed you with the information you need to be able to choose the right breeder and bring home a happy, healthy puppy that will not only fit in with your family and lifestyle but will stay with you for its entire life.