Okay, so you want a puppy. Yes, you have to consider all the sensible stuff, but it’s also worth bearing in mind that:
- They need the toilet all the time – You’re up and down like a yo-yo because they can’t open doors or congratulate themselves for going outside and not on your carpet. You also have to stand there repeating cue words.
- They may need 4 meals a day – For the smallest breeds, their tummies are so small that you may need to feed them up to 4 times a day. Consider how feeding at, say, 8am, 11am, 2pm and 5pm may fit into your schedule
- Dogs are not like cats. They don’t fall as well – Lap dogs will fall off your lap, where as a cat will happily save itself the embarrassment by embedding its claws in your leg. If you want your puppy to be safe, get a carry pouch.
- They eat everything. Even poo, stones and plastic – Dogs are scavenging carnivores and will eat almost anything. Seemingly innocuous foods can be dangerous, like chocolate, grapes and onions.
- You need to introduce them to loads of things as soon as possible – Try to introduce your puppy to one new, potentially scary thing a day. This process is called “socialisation”. Find a puppy socialisation class so he can play safely with other puppies.
- You can’t walk them outside for weeks – Until your puppy is fully vaccinated, he shouldn’t walk where other animals have been. Instead, you can carry him in a pouch and attend a puppy socialisation class.
- Long walks are for much later on – Too much exercise can damage growing joints. The rule of thumb is 5 minutes of exercise, per month of age, twice daily – so at 3 months old, that’s just 15 minutes, twice daily.
Their teeth are like needles – Teething puppies experience pain and discomfort and chewing makes it feel better. Buy teething toys but be careful if you hold them, as an unintentional bite is very painful.- They change every day – Your puppy’s behaviour will test your limits but being consistent and staying firm will help. Growth spurts can be alarming, but just remember you should see a waist, not ribs.
- They want to lick your face – To a puppy, the best greeting they can give you is a lengthy kissing session. If you like this but visitors don’t, then your puppy can learn to behave differently with you than others.