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"I Want a
Puppy!!"
Hi, all you prospective puppy owners!
I personally think you're crazy -- every
single one. {grin} I enjoy each puppy that comes through my
rescue, but I'm always relieved for that little respite between the
little hellions. They wear me AND my dogs OUT!
Most of the people who call me about
getting a rescued dog start out by specifying that they'd prefer a puppy --
"something under the age of about 4 months." When I ask
them WHY, they invariably say "because I've got young kids, and I
want the dog to grow up with them." There are lots of holes
in this logic, and I'm hoping to use this article to either persuade
many of these owners to re-evaluate their views of puppyhood, or
re-think dog ownership altogether.
Puppies Are A Huge Amount of Work.
Everyone knows this... but they don't
REALLY know it, until it hits them in the face. Puppies chew
things that weren't intended to be chewed (and, when you're dealing with
a giant breed puppy, that's a HUGE amount of damage just looking to
happen!!), and they pee and poop on the floor (again, a HUGE
consideration with a giant breed pup!), and they are bundles of energy
in constant destructive motion. They have to be
taught how to sit on command and walk on-lead without pulling, and they
have to be taught not to chew inappropriate items, and they have to be
taught bite inhibition, and they have to be taught to accept handling,
and they have to be taught house training, and they have to be taught to
accept strangers, and they have to be taught not to jump on or bite the
kids with those little puppy teeth -- no matter HOW excited they get!!
.... they have to be taught ALOT. And, this isn't anything out of
the norm... this is just the BASIC stuff!!
If you've got your heart set on a puppy,
please read these articles so that you'll be better prepared to teach
your puppy what he'll need to know -- this will protect him!
It takes a special sort of person, to be able to cope with a puppy's
needs. You have to be able to:
1) Keep a sense of humor.
Training starts at Day One -- and continues for the life of the dog (AND
YOU!) If you begin to get frustrated, take some time
away from the dog (or better, WITH the dog!) and do something just for
fun.
2) Understand that Saints are PUPPIES until they're about 3
years old -- they're puppies in their heads, where it really counts.
What this means, is that the dog will be an adult on the *outside* --
but a puppy, *emotionally*! Please, let them be puppies...
everything should be fun, including (and especially) learning!
3) If you have any misguided notions of crates as prisons, lose
them NOW. Crating is quite possibly the only thing standing
between your puppy and a slow painful death from intestinal blockage...
or being dumped in a shelter when things become too frustrating.
4) Let me help you. You may have it in your head that what
you really *want* is a puppy... but your lifestyle and standard of
living may not tolerate the "nuisance level" inflicted in
raising a puppy. I have experience in this area: I can guide you
in your decision-making.
Damage That's Been Done to My Home, by
Puppies:
- ate the center cushion on my $1800
sofa.
- ate carpeting in 3 strategic locations
in my home.
- ate the cable wire for the
television. We were without cable for 2 days.
- ate the wallpaper and part of the
drywall in the living room.
- ate the finish off of my hand-finished
antique coffee table.
ALL of the damage listed above was
done by one puppy, in one night... when I dozed off on the sofa and
forgot to crate her for the night.
- ate the telephone lines. Three
times. Over a period of 2 days.
- ate my English roses off at ground
level. Seems to have a special fondness for anything with
thorns.
- pulled the molding off the doggie door
(from outside, where I couldn't see) and ate it.
- ate the footrest on the recliner in
the living room. While hubby was sitting in it.
- ate the cancelled checks files for
Jan-Feb-Mar of this year.
- tp-d my house in a unique fashion...
he unraveled the wedding-ring afghan I knitted. Almost all of
it. It took 12 weeks to knit.
This was a single puppy... over a
period of about 6 weeks. Yes, he's crate-trained. I also
thought he was supervised, for each incident.
Note: all of the above
damage is only that which has been inflicted in my home by the most
recent 2 puppies being fostered for rescue -- every single one performs
in this same manner!
Sources for Dogs and Puppies:
Newspaper ads, back yard breeders, pet
stores. I tell people to stay away from these sources, as
they're feeding the pet overpopulation problem -- they're breeding
indiscriminately, and they're often dishonest (not explaining genetic
history, or not telling about a known bite history). If you simply
MUST have a puppy -- can't take "no" for an answer -- and you
pass all the requirements for adopting, I'll help you find one through
rescue. There is a danger in getting puppies through any of
these sources: any puppy with an unknown genetic history is a
risk -- both physically, and temperamentally. Please don't support back
yard breeders and pet stores by purchasing from them. Help us to
fight back: require that the parents of your puppy be tested for genetic
problems, and *demand* to meet those parents, or adopt
through rescue! If they're not supported by purchases, they'll
cease to exist!
Reputable, responsible breeders.
In some cases I refer prospective adopters to responsible breeders...
often, the people who come to me in seeking either a dog or a puppy are
looking for a dog with temperament or health guarantees... and this is
when I refer them to responsible breeders. If you're looking for a
puppy for possible breeding or showing material, or if you're looking for a pet
with a known genetic history, this is the avenue you need to take.
Backyard breeders don't normally screen for possible genetic problems;
pet stores don't care about these problems; and rescue people can't
afford to have this sort of testing done on the rescued dogs. Don't
hesitate to ask me, if you have questions or concerns!
Breed-specific rescue.
Adopting a dog or puppy through breed-specific rescue can be a very
rewarding experience, if you understand what you're looking for, what
your options and limitations are, and what your lifestyle will
allow. For example, if you have young children, or if you've
never owned a dog this size before, I'll often recommend that you look
at an older dog (and, I've often got a specific dog in mind, when I say
this). Older Saints are most often very calm and docile, and make
wonderful additions to homes with young children (with proper
supervision, of course!) Puppies are
great -- but they can often be entirely too enthusiastic and energetic
for children... this, along with an owner's not understanding the
necessity for constant supervision, can lead to problems in a
hurry! If you've never owned a dog this size, or never trained a
dog before, the older dogs are often your best choice -- because they've
outgrown much of that notorious "puppy enthusiasm" that the
2-year-olds still possess.
I'm here to help you make an informed
decision. If you need help with anything at all, don't hesitate to
ask!
Brenda Rushman,
PAWSitive Solutions! Canine Behavior Counseling, Ltd.
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