Forget baby boomers, there's been a puppy boom lately! And I'm the lucky one who gets to get my paws on them and turn them into zen dogs. ; ) With all of the puppy love in the air, you might be asking yourself if you're ready to bring a fuzzy bundle of joy into your home. Here are 5 questions to ask yourself (and other members of your family!) to see if it's the right timing.
1. Do you have the time? Puppies take up a tremendous amount of time and dedication. If you're working a 50 hour work week, you're gone from 9 to 5 and you have a busy weekend social calendar, you may want to reconsider. Puppies and dogs need a lot of mental stimulation and socialization to be a good calm dog. If you're puppy is in a crate all day waiting for you to come home, his energy is going to be boiling over like a pot with a lid on it by the time you come home. Also, the potty training process requires that a young puppy is taken outside at least every two hours to give them ample opportunities to go outside in order to avoid an accident. A good rule of thumb is that a puppy can reliably 'hold it' for as many hours as they are old in months. For example, a two month old puppy can be expected to hold it for two hours and a four month old puppy should be able to hold it for four hours. Puppies also require a lot of attention. You have to have the time to keep your eyes on your puppy when he's out and about in your house, otherwise he may sneak off to go to the bathroom or go chew on something he's not supposed to. You also have to have the time to take your dog out for regular exercise, not just a potty spin around the block. Do you have time on the weekends to take your dog to the beach? Do you have time after work to take your dog to the park?