We've all done it, fallen in love with a cute little puppy in an advert or in a picture or magazine article. I know I did, I always wanted a Border Collie. They looked so lovely and that was my only decision making criteria. Cuteness.
When we eventually decided that the time was right for buying a puppy, it was a Border Collie for me and only a Border Collie. That was until a close friend sat me down and asked one vital question. "Have you really thought the practicalities through?" She then pointed out to me the many pitfalls of my choice of puppy. Things that hadn't even occurred to me, she then said that the reason there were so many abandoned puppies was because people just hadn't thought things through.
I went away and drew up a list of pros and cons on buying a border collie and soon realised that she was completely correct. A Border Collie just wouldn't be right for me, my family or our lifestyle, no matter how cute. I then used my list to find which puppy would be right. It didn't take me long to find a Border Terrier. The breed ticked all the pro boxes for us and none of the cons. It was the best decision because our Border Terrier is the centre of our world.
If you are making the same decision about which puppy breed to buy then the following points helped me make my decision.
• You - Is the puppy being bought as a family pet or as company or for security? It is important to choose the right breed for how you see the puppy fitting into your lifestyle.
• Carer - Who is going to be the main carer of the puppy i.e. who will be feeding the "little one". If it's going to be a child or women you don't want a massive Great Dane or an aggressive breed. You will need a breed of dog that will not think itself higher in the old "pecking order" than the carer otherwise there will not be any control.
• Walking - Who will be the main person walking the dog. If it's going to be a man then a strong dog will not be a problem to control.
• Time - How much time will be devoted to walking and playing i.e. every day, every couple of days, a long walk once a week and shorter walks in between? If you choose a breed like a Border Collie or Red Setter that needs a lot of exercise and you can only take it for a walk once a week then you are definitely going to give yourself problems.
• Space - How big is your house? If you live in a small two up two down in town then neither you nor the puppy is going to be comfortably if you choose an Old English Sheep Dog or an Irish Wolfhound.
• Training - If you choose a breed that needs a lot of intense training and you are out at work all day and exhausted when you come home then you may come home to find your house is not your home anymore but resembles a demolition site!
• Noise - If you live in an apartment or flat you won't want a dog that constantly barks and causes the neighbours to complain. A lot of this is down to training of course, but some breeds are "yappier" than others and it's worth considering this in your choice.
Answer the following points truthfully then search through the breeds until you find a breed that will fit in with your lifestyle as closely as possible. There will always need to be some changes and compromises, but if you keep them to the minimum then the happier you will all be together.
Good Luck!
And remember, a puppy is for life.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennie_Cook
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