Puppy Today, Dog Tomorrow: Will you always have room in your life?
“I screen very carefully,” says Elaine Waldorf Gewirtz, a Dalmatian breeder for more than eighteen years. “But one time I let my guard down.”
Gewirtz gave one of her puppies to a friend’s daughter and her husband. At the time, the husband did not work and stayed home to raise the couple’s two-year old daughter and the dog. However, not long after, a second baby was born and both parents were forced to work extended hours.
The dog was left home alone all day, sometimes from six in the morning until eight at night. “I don’t think they anticipated what was going to happen,” says Gewirtz. “I ended up taking him back when he was three years old.”
Getting a puppy needs to be a deliberate decision, one heavily considered. Thinking about your situation now and whether to bring a puppy into your life today is hard enough. But, as important, and much harder, is thinking about where you and your puppy will be, or want to be, in five, ten, and fifteen years.
Where am I now?
When thinking about getting a puppy, considering your situation today is easy. You know where, and how many hours you work. You know what sort of lifestyle you live, and with whom you live it. You know how your time is spent, and, if you are reading this article right now, you probably feel like you have enough time to consider getting a puppy.
Even in these most current of circumstances, the decision to buy a puppy, and which breed, is hard. Crucial questions are:
- Do I have the time and energy to housetrain, socialize, and care for a high-energy puppy? (A puppy-hood which will last, not one year, but often for three?)
- Do I have enough money to pay for visits to the vet, clips at the groomers, and over-nights at a kennel when I want to go away?
- Have I added up how much dog food, beds, and toys will cost me over the lifetime of my puppy?
If you answered yes to all those questions: Congratulations! You have enough time to raise a new puppy. But, before you load up your cart with a cute new dog bed, the latest and greatest chew toys, and a new collar-leash combination, let’s consider the future.
Where will I be?
Most likely you are not today who you will (or hope to be) in the future. In as much as it’s possible, let’s think about where you might be.
Marriage and Children
Do you hope to be married and have kids? Breeders say that this is one of the most common changes in people’s lives where they are forced to take back dogs that they have sold.
“The dog is a surrogate child for a while,” explains Maryanne Johnson, a Pug breeder for over 25 years. Young newlyweds often want to see what it is like to raise a dog together.
“Then the children come along and the dog goes out of the picture,” she says. With work and family, the time for the dog gets less and less. “The dog gets demoted,” says Johnson.
It is important to consider the future generation since it can lead you to breeds that are known to be good with children. However, there are many breeds that are known to be great with children – if they are raised together. And that is a big “if.” Make sure that when you are doing research, reading books, talking to friends and breeders that you mention you might have kids someday. Some breeds have a tougher time welcoming children in their “pack,” especially since your puppy will be used to all of your attention before the kids arrive.
Relocation
“Her situation changed,” recalls Johnson, of a woman who owned a Pug, a Champion dog at that. The woman and her boyfriend split up and she couldn’t find a place to live that allowed dogs.
“She was forced to put him in a new home,” Johnson says of the woman’s situation. As an active rescuer of Pugs, Johnson took the dog in and, fortunately, found him a new home quickly.
Relocating to a new house – especially when you are planning on renting - or moving to a new city for a new job, are both common reasons breeders get their dogs back and rescuers need to find new homes for dogs. To the best of your knowledge think about where your job or lifestyle might take you, and consider breeds that will fit into it.
Retirement
Retiring from a job frees up a lot of previously taken time, and life-long dog lovers who have resisted owning a dog while working are often tempted to finally get one. It’s a great time for owning a dog since you have more time, but pick your breed wisely. Mobility becomes a factor as people age. If you get a small dog at age 65, it is likely she will still be around when you are 80. If you hope to take an hour-long walk every day, be sure not to pick a breed that needs a five-mile run. Also, consider adopting an older dog, perhaps one past the high-energy puppy phase.
Health Issues
In many cases it is hard to take into account health issues, but as a reason for return or rescue, it is not uncommon. Amy Fernandez, a breeder of Chinese Cresteds for more than 20 years, recalls an example where a woman who had had cancer contacted her for a puppy.
“She had had cancer which was in remission,” says Fernandez. “Then the cancer came back.” Four years later the woman contacted Fernandez, told her that she only had three months to live, and that her family didn’t want the dog after she had passed away.
“She didn’t want to give the dog up until she died,” says Fernandez. Shortly after the woman died her husband shipped the dog back to Fernandez.
“I didn’t have any trouble finding him a new home,” she recalls.
Health issues, both big and small, need to be considered if possible. Although a far cry from cancer, a health issue like allergies is common. There are many non-shedding breeds with hair not fur that make terrific pets. As mentioned above, mobility is another one. Be sure that you can keep up with the energy level of your dog.
Deciding when and which puppy to get is exciting. However, reality often doesn’t measure up with the imaginations of life with our new dog.
Puppies are hard to resist.
“It boils down to people not thinking before they buy a puppy,” says Maryanne Johnson. Dreams of frolicking on the beach with the new puppy turn into the reality of months of paper training and chewed furniture. It is crucial to enter into puppy ownership with a well-balanced idea of what you are getting into. And that goes for now and much later. “Plan ahead and do research,” Johnson says. Then you can reap the rewards.
How to Find Your Dog
Research is crucial. Here are a few places to look for help:
- Read breed books and magazines.
- Find and talk to breeders, groomers, and trainers.
- Visit local dog shows and talk with owners and handlers.
- Check out websites like www.akc.org.
A version of this piece originally published in Dog Fancy, April 2004
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