What mistakes do pet owners make in choosing a new puppy?

1. 87

   midget38posted 11 years ago

   What mistakes do pet owners make in choosing a new puppy?

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2. 0

   JThomp42posted 11 years ago

   They are too spontaneous. They see how cute the puppy is, but do not consider the hard work that goes into rearing the puppy. Such as house training, it keeping you up at night, the attention it will need to thrive. When they fail to realize these things they end up with a puppy they no longer want in a few days or so.

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   1. 87

      midget38posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      It's all about giving in to the Oh So Cute feeling. They cannot resist it, only to find that a puppy can be a handful!!

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      JThomp42posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly midget!!

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3. 74

   Eiddwenposted 11 years ago

   I think one mistake they make is not thinking about it honestly!!When we see a new pup all the what ifs and buts go out through the window.
   "Of course I'll be able to walk him reguarly!!"
   "Of course we've got plenty of room for him!!"
   Another mistake maybe is if we are going to purchase a pedigree that  we don't read up enough on the breed.
   There was as examle of this only just last week as it happens. I was talking to a woman  when I was waiting for the bus home and someone passed with an English Bull Terrier on the lead.
   Don't get me wrong I love this breed and had one for many years but I happened to talk about Tara (my dog) and was saying how strong minded they are and not easy to train!!
   "Oh dear" She said "I was going to have one of those as the peolple who live down the road have a litter of pups!" "They didn't tell me that !!"
   Oh well there we are I thought and now I have rememebred that conversation again I am hoping that she doesn't buy one because from talking to this woman I think she would just bulldoze into it and after  few months there would be a dog looking for a new home!!!An all too common story !!!

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   1. 87

      midget38posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      They don't consider their readiness, Eddy, and just jump into it because they think it's so cute. And they don't realize that different breeds have different temperaments, too!

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   2. 74

      Eiddwenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Do you have a dog Michelle ??For the first time ever I don't and I am so missing having the company of them.They are so like children aren't they!!

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4. 61

   penladyposted 11 years ago

   They don't research the breed they choose. Not all breeds are alike. For instance, some dogs can't stay outside; others can't be kept inside the home. There are even some dogs that aren't suitable for apartments.
   
   Also, they should learn which dogs are good around children, what health problems dogs develop, and their life expectancy.
   
   There's so much to owning a dog than just falling in love with their cute smiles and wiggly tails. And people fail to realize this by not researching.

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5. 77

   Charluposted 11 years ago

   I think one of the biggest mistakes is choosing a puppy instead of a rescue dog that is full grown and here are a few reasons why;
   
   1) Most people forget that cleaning up after a puppy is more work than a baby in the beginning, along with the emotions it brings when they have a loose bowel movement on the new carpet, they chew up one of the legs on your favorite chair when they start teething, they pee all over the bed or couch when you didn't get up to take them out.  This along with a lot of other examples create a multitude of emotions and problems that most people never even consider.
   
   2) They don't consider how big the dog will get once it is full grown and what caging that animal all day while they are at work will do to it's temperament, (big or small, along with the mess they have to clean up when they get home and the smell.
   
   3) They don't look into how that dog was bred for a specific purpose and if that purpose is something that is going to be allowed in their home or if the dog will live like a human in jail for the rest of it's life.
   
   4)  They buy a puppy for a child who promises to take care of the puppy without taking into consideration the age of the child, and that they don't have a clue.  You should see what I tell people to do when their child wants a horse.
   
   5)  Finally they don't realize that getting a full grown rescue dog who is already housebroken, full grown, leash trained, etc., would relieve them of a world of future problems. It also stops puppy mills from making $$$ and lowering the percentage of their existence. Dogs at rescues (not just the pound) are there mostly due to financial issues, or the owner moving, NOT BEHAVIOR ISSUES.
   
   Sorry to ramble but this is a HUGE ISSUE with me just check out my hub
   http://charlu.hubpages.com/hub/Getting- … ce-and-Why
   
   Great question.

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6. 61

   fpherj48posted 11 years ago

   midget...I'm sure there are many mistakes made when choosing a puppy.  I think because people are so excited about adopting a new baby, they don't take enough time and thought beforehand to consider: 1. Their lifestyle and schedule...will someone be able to spend a good deal of time with the new baby, in order to train him/her properly.?2.  How will any other pet in the home react to a newcomer?  3.  Is there enough space in your home and outdoor area for your new pup to be comfortable and have daily activity?
   And, it's very important to be sure that you will have the time, money and concern to keep your pet well cared for by visiting the Vet and keeping immunizations up and guarding against fleas, ticks and heartworm.....BE SURE TO HAVE YOUR PET (DOG OR CAT) SPAYED OR NEUTERED!

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7. 95

   agilitymachposted 11 years ago

   All the responses so far are great.  I agree with all that has been said.  I especially agree that people go with "breeders" without researching their breeder, breed OR, most importantly, looking into rescue instead. 
   
   As a professional dog trainer, one of my pet peeves is people getting dogs and then expecting them to be automatically well trained.  Dog training is a long process, and while some dogs train easily, others do not.  To get a dog and not be prepared for the potential hours upon hours of training it takes to mold that fantastic canine companion is unfair to the dog.
   
   So many wonderful dogs are put into shelter simply because their owners got them without understanding that it takes time and effort to train a dog.  It is so sad to see these great animals and family members thrown away because people refuse to spend some money for a training class and then take the time to train their dogs properly.  Of course, these people blame the dogs for their lack of dedication.  It's very, very frustrating.
   
   In my sport of agility, one of the first things I have to do is teach my students that a dog's training (or lack thereof) is a direct result of the human - not the dog.  If a dog isn't responding to a command, it's not the dog being stubborn - it's the human training wrong or handling wrong.  Dogs will eagerly obey if the correct methods are used.  They are bred to want to obey us....  I see I'm getting off on a tangent here, so I will quit.
   
   The long and short of it, a dog is a time, love and money commitment.  People need to be prepared and do their research before getting (preferably adopting) a dog.

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8. 71

   grumpiornotposted 11 years ago

   I'm with Charlu on this, to a degree. While the ideal from the perspective of the many, poor, abandoned animals would be to adopt adult rescue/ shelter dogs, this is often a scary prospect. Many of us adopt pets because our children are learning to care for a pet, but to take on a fully grown dog with no history can be dangerous to children.
   
   That said, in the circumstances where one cannot adopt an adult dog, there is often the possibility of adopting puppies from shelters too.
   
   This comment is in no way negative about the many caring breeders out there, but it seems that there are more pets than owners and until this situation reaches a healthy balance, first try your local shelter before trying the pet store.

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9. 61

   afirecrackerposted 11 years ago

   Everyone has had great answers on here. In my experience, most people make the mistake of just picking a dog that looks "cute". They do not research the breed they are buying at all. Some dogs require more excercise than others, some are easier to train than others, some are more hyper than others. And when going in search of a new dog/puppy you should research the type of breed that fits your lifestyle the best.
   I believe petfinder.com actually has a test you can take that will help you narrow down the list of breeds that would fit your lifestyle and experience.
   Prime example is my friend who wanted an English Bulldog so bad. However, he is an avid runner and has little experience training dog. English Bulldogs are not active dogs, there is no way he would of been able to take this dog on a 3 mile run. Also, Bulldogs can be difficult to train as they are stubborn. English Bulldogs can also have a lot of health issues that has to be taken into consideration which he knew little of because of lack of research. So after talking with him the type of dog he got that was better suited to his lifestyle and experiance was a retired greyhound.
   I think aspiring owners should also concider older dogs. Concider if you are going to have the patience to potty train your new puppy and go through the terrible teething stage. A lot of rescues and shelter do tempermant training so that way dogs who are potentially dangerous are not adopted out. Of course bringing home an older dog from the shelter you do run the risk of the dog biting family members at first. You have to concider the mental state of the dog. He/she is scared, in a new environment where it doesn't know anyone. Give the older dog some patience and in a few days they will come around and be a happy addition to any family. The bonus of adopting from a shelter is also most animals are already up to date on shots and fixed. Saving you hundreds of dollars.

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10. 58

    LLyonsposted 11 years ago

    I have one rescue, Terrier/ something else and one I got as a puppy, purebred chocolate lab.  If you are getting a puppy I recommend a family vs a breeder, they get handled more and it shows.  I have always owed labs or retrievers and know what medical issues they may have.  The Terrier I love to death, but as a rescue she was unsocialized to either dogs or people and had my children been small we would have had problems. While the movement to rescue dogs is wonderful and one I obviously support, when you have small children it might not be best. Honey (the terrier) also has a slew of special grooming needs and barks like a lunatic at times.  Know your breeds and never expect your children to walk the dog or pick up poop without death threats.

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