Seriously?!
Yes, isn’t it great?! I’ll get my best friend, a family member and pure, unconditional love! You’ll love it!
Getting a pet is a good decision if you have already considered my suggestions from the previous post. You have time, space and holiday back up and you’re willing to take full responsibility because a dog is not a toy. A dog eats, has to do its needs, requires love, craves attention and time, demands walks and play and above all, it needs you!
Perhaps, up to now, you have decided on a breed, small or big, pure or mixed breed and everything is ready.
Since you have it all checked on your list, you can now start searching for the right pet.
Where Should I Buy a Dog?
It’s difficult to buy a dog. If you consider a pet a family member, it’s a little strange to say that you want to buy a family member. But OK, let’s leave terminology out of our discussion because you somehow have to get a dog you want with all your heart.
From my experience, I have to tell you that most breeders do not treat their dogs right. Their dogs serve them just for reproduction and bring them easy money. Usually kept in small cages or sheds in filthy conditions, these dogs are fed very little and neglected, because they don’t want to invest, they just want the profit. They are forcefully mated each time the dogs are in heat, and when they get old or ill, the owners get rid of them in all possible ways. Puppies are not usually vaccinated but the profiteers always say they are. This is how the new owner is misled and many lose their pets to common diseases against which they should have been vaccinated.
Yet, do not get discouraged, there is still a way for you to get yourself a dog. Let’s find out!
Luckily, There are Humane Humans, too!
Unlikely, there are also people who take good care of their animals. Earning through dog littering is not their primary way of earning money, so they don’t do it so often.
In case, you decide to buy a dog, research and ask around to find a reputable dog breeder. Always ask to see the parents and insist to see where they live. Spend some time at their house and ask questions before you make your final decision.
If you live in a country with animal protection laws, you can always report dog abuse, which is not the case in my country.
In any case, be prepared for mother-baby separation. It is a sad moment especially if the puppy is too young. A puppy shouldn’t be separated from his mother before three months of age. That is the recommended time. By that time, the puppy will have learned a lot from its mother, where to do their needs for example. It’s easier for a mother than for a human being to teach a puppy things.
Also, if the puppy is too young, it will whine for days, longing for its mother and siblings. What helps in such a situation is a bottle of warm water put in a sock. The puppy thinks it’s its mother and crouches next to it.
An Adoption is Also an Option
If you really want a dog and agree with me that you cannot buy a family member or love, or maybe you have changed your mind after reading the first paragraph of this blog, then we’ll have to find another way to get you a dog.
I think that it is obvious that a dog can be adopted instead of bought. It’s definitely a better choice and here’s why.
The dogs for adoption are usually rescued dogs. There is a sad story behind each of them. You cannot change the world, but you can change that dog’s world for sure. That dog will be the happiest to find its family, to have its peace and love. It’ll be thankful to you for saving it. Just make sure not to disappoint it again.
The next reason for adoption is that you will get your unique, special dog for little or no money. That means you do not support the evil breeders but you help the rescue take care of other saved dogs.
Also, adopting a dog brings a whole new perspective of thinking. It doesn’t only change you and your way of looking at such things, but you also start the change in your environment. Many people don’t even know what lies behind it because they only see the nice picture prepared for the public. When one adopts a dog, their friends and family start seeing things behind the curtain.
Should it Affect Your Choice?
Well, I have given you enough information that you might or might not have known. However, I wanted to remind you of these facts, but the decision is all yours, of course.
I know for sure that rescued ones would be happier and more thankful. Moreover, you will get a dog with a fully developed character and you will definitely know if it suits your lifestyle and what to expect from it.
After all these years of rescuing young, old, small and big, I have learnt that puppies are more difficult to take care of than adult dogs. You have to teach puppies where to do their needs, not to chew everything in sight, not to play with you like with their siblings (biting your hands and ears) and you have to teach them to behave. In short, you have a new child and teach it from the beginning. If you don’t have enough time and patience for these activities, definitely don’t get a puppy.
Don’t get me wrong, I love puppies. They are so tiny, fragile and cute. But I don’t have time to spend with them, work with them and give them the attention they need and deserve.
When you get an adult dog, you will be informed about its habits and character, so not much work, just a short period of adaptation to the new environment is needed.
To Sum Up
Anyway, whatever you choose, to buy or adopt, you will definitely save one soul if you are true about it and keep it till the end of their lives. Their lives are pretty short and we can have several pets during our lives, but a pet has only us in theirs.
Be their hero, think well and think twice before you decide. Their love for us is much bigger than our love for them. They are more emotional and they sense our feeling. They are sadder when we are sad and they are happier when we are happy. So be sure not to break their hearts.
They only break our hearts once in our life, and that is when they leave.
