Nothing can bring more joy to your life than owning a dog. Even better is when you raise the pet from a puppy, as you can spend even longer bonding, playing and training them. Getting a puppy is a massive commitment, and one that isn’t without its pitfalls.
Nobody wants to make mistakes when buying a puppy, as it can lead to the terrible event of you having to give them up for any number of reasons. Making the decision should require you to do a lot of research, think long and hard before making any decisions, and then doing more research just to be safe!
Here are the most common mistakes you will want to avoid when buying a puppy:-
Lack of Research
It cannot be stressed enough how much research should be done before buying a puppy. We are all different, and the care we can provided a young dog will also be different and dependent on a variety of things from your job to where you live.
What breed you want is the most important decision, and should therefore have ample research put into it. Try listing all potential breeds you would like, do research on them, and then edit it to reflect which ones are best suited to your needs.
Health issues, temperament, required training, personality quirks, interaction with children and special grooming requirements are just a few of the notable areas of research that should be conducted.
Choosing the First Puppy You See
Puppies are gorgeous little bundles of joy, it’s the reason we all love them so much, but this can work to your detriment when choosing your own. Seeing the first puppy you seen and immediately buying him on impulse is never a good idea – they could be the wrong breed for you, and realizing this after you have bought them is never easy.
Even if you feel the pup is the perfect one for you, always take a day to go over it more thoughtfully. Should you be unmoved in your decision, then go ahead and get your little guy, but you may realize it’s not the dog for you are more consideration.
Buying the Cheapest Puppy You Find
A pedigree puppy is no cheap purchase, that’s even before thinking about the money needed for care and upkeep throughout their lives. Costing hundreds and potentially thousands of dollars, puppies will cost you a substantial sum which you should be willing to pay.
Shopping around for a good rate is perfectly fine, but when you come across a breed that appear to be substantially lower than the others you have found, there usually is a catch of some sort.
The most common would be that its not a true pedigree, but even worse would be that they are predisposed to certain health problems and the breeder is keeping this knowledge hidden. This could be terrible for any new dog owner that discovers their dog could have serious, even life-threatening health issues.