Am I Ready for a Puppy?

Let’s cover the following considerations for owning a puppy:

• Time commitment

• Schedule

• Living arrangements

• Life circumstances

• Personal relationships

• Support system

• Temperament . . . yours and the dog’s

• Financial considerations
  

• Commitment level

  

1. Time Commitment

Our first consideration is the time commitment involved in getting a puppy. Puppies need to go potty, and since they still have small bladders, they need to go out often. They need daily playtime and companionship. They need to go to the vet regularly. Goldendoodles need consistent brushing and frequent visits to a groomer (or home grooming) to keep their coats healthy and mat free. 

Be sure to ask yourself if you are willing to put in the time it’s going to take to finish potty training your dog. Do you have energy and time each day to walk and play with your dog? Consistently playing with and walking your dog daily not only builds a positive relationship with him or her, it also help prevent behavior issues. Dogs need to get their energy out and use their brains. Goldendoodles are very smart and will benefit from problem solving games in addition to chasing a ball or going for a long walk. They are also people oriented, and can become sad and lonely if they have to be alone for many hours of the day. Your puppy will want to be with you as much as possible. 

Dogs will need to be seen by your vet regularly, especially during the puppy months. There are certain vaccinations that he or she will need, spaying or neutering will need to be scheduled, and yearly exams are standard. Does your schedule allow you to get to the vet to administer the care your pup needs? 

One of the many benefits of a Goldendoodle is that they have little to no shedding. Hooray! No tufts of dog fur tumbleweeds floating across the hardwood floors! Dogs that shed are relatively self-grooming (leaving their hair all over your couch, your floors, your bed, your favorite white pants . . .) But, since Goldendoodles don’t shed, they need you to provide the grooming for them. Unless you keep your dog’s fur clipped short, plan on brushing your Goldendoodle weekly, at the very minimum, and daily would be best. Their fur will need to be clipped regularly. Some dogs go to the groomers every 4-6 weeks and some go 4-6 times per year, depending on the length of fur desired for your doodle. 

2. Schedule

Next is your schedule, which is related to the time commitment above. Dogs thrive on routine. Is your schedule somewhat predictable? A dog loves knowing what comes next. If you come home at the same time every day, you can be sure that your furry buddy will be there eagerly anticipating your arrival. If you toss a ball for your dog every night while you watch tv, you can predict your dog will come looking for you, ball in mouth, if you decide to do something different one night. 

At NY Dandy Doodles, we train our puppies to sleep through the night before they go home. Not all breeders do this, so if you get a dog from another breeder, you could be looking at taking your puppy out multiple times each night until you can train it to sleep all night long.

Dogs tend to be early risers. Are you able to get out of bed early to take your pup out every morning? If not, you could be cleaning up many accidents, and dealing with a dog that’s confused on where it is and isn’t ok to potty. This will make finishing potty training much more difficult, as well. (This generally applies to puppies. Older dogs may be able to wait a little longer.)

When a puppy first comes home, he or she will need to go out at least every four hours during the day. If you can’t come home on your lunch break to let him or her out, is there someone who can take the puppy out for you?

Are you gone to work all day, and then away for practices, games, or other events most nights of the week without the ability to bring your dog along? If so, this may not be the best time to get a puppy. If a dog has to be left home alone a lot, it’s not really fair to the dog, and it will be tough to train him or her well. Be honest with yourself, and decide whether you have time for a puppy considering the schedule you live now, rather than the one you dream of someday. 

3. Living Arrangements

The third thing to consider when deciding about a puppy is what your living arrangements are right now. If you are in an apartment, are dogs allowed? Is there plenty of room for your dog to run and play, both inside and out, where you live? Do you have room for a crate, and/or a space you can gate off for your puppy to safely stay when you aren’t home? Do you have fencing or some type of containment system in place? Do you need to have a containment system installed? Will you take your dog out on a leash, in all types of weather, if you don’t have a fenced yard? Are there walking paths or parks nearby where your puppy can work off his energy? 

4. Life Circumstances

Fourth, are your life circumstances a good fit for a puppy? If you’re going to be traveling through Europe for the next six months, it’s probably best that you get on a waiting list for a puppy for when you come back home. Are you planning to switch careers or move in the next year or two? You might want to wait until you feel more settled before taking on a puppy. Is a new baby in your near future? While some folks add a puppy to their lives while having babies, it personally wouldn’t be my first choice. Being a new parent can be exhausting and overwhelming all on its own, without adding a puppy to the mix. It might be better to wait until your children are older and you’ve established good family routines. 

5. Relationships

Fifth is to think about where you are in your relationships. It’s important that everyone in the household is supportive of getting a puppy. We just went through a situation here where we had a nasty stomach bug go through our house. I was so thankful that our kids were willing to help out with taking dogs in and out and doing the feeding and care, as we all had to step up and do other people’s animal and household chores while others were down with the bug. Not having buy-in from the family would have made an awful situation (temporary sickness) so much more stressful. 

In addition to the importance of being on the same page about getting a puppy, are you and your partner in a good place in your relationship? Are you communicating well and supportive of one another? A new puppy, as wonderful as it is, can bring an added layer of challenges. If you’re not in a good spot together, adding a puppy will not make things better. Work on the two of you first, and add a puppy later. 

Do you have kids, and do they know how to treat animals well? Are you willing to train them to be gentle with the puppy? Are you invested in teaching them to read doggy body language, and to respect your dog’s boundaries? Goldendoodles are known for their gentle dispositions, but that does not mean that they are absolute angels that will never bite or lash out if scared or provoked. They are still animals, they have feelings, and they have limits. It’s important to teach this to your kids before problems arise. Dogs and kids are a wonderful combination when they are taught to treat each other with respect.

6. Support System

Sixth is to think through your support system. As I mentioned earlier, if you work away from home all day, is there someone who can drop by and take your dog out for you? There are pet nanny services if you don’t have a friend, neighbor, or relative that could do this. 

How about when you travel? Some places let you bring your dog with you, but not all. Will you place your dog in a kennel while you’re gone, or have him stay with friends or family? Have you talked with them to be sure this is something they are happy to do for you? 

Do you have someone to turn to when you have questions? (We are here providing lifetime support to our puppies’ families.) Do you have a good working relationship with your vet? Have you considered taking your dog for training? If in-person classes don’t work for you, have you thought about taking an online class? As breeders at NY Dandy Doodles, we offer lifetime support to our puppies’ families. We are here if you have questions. 

7. Temperament

Seventh, think about temperament, both yours and your dog’s. Are you high, low, or medium energy? How about your family? It’s best to match your dog to your temperament, which we can help you think through the options as you pick out your puppy. 

Are you a patient person? In addition to sharing puppy kisses, your dog will help you grow in this area. Puppies can be “naughty” at times, but it’s important to not lash out at them in frustration. Be prepared for your puppy to sometimes push your buttons, and plan ahead for how you want to respond. Training classes can help you come up with a proactive plan to minimize puppy naughtiness and the boredom that can cause it. 

Are you a leader? In addition to lots of love and snuggles, dogs need and will respect someone who leads them well. If you are not a leader, a dog can think that he or she needs to lead, which can cause behavior problems. If you baby your pooch, it can result in undesirable behaviors such as your dog not listening or obeying, barking, nipping, growling, and being possessive  over food or toys, or even the bed. Again, a training class early on can help teach you to be an assertive dog leader when needed. 

Do you like to clean, or can you at least tolerate cleaning? Dogs bring in an extra layer of dirt. (Ask our new puppy parents whose dog discovered what fun it was to dig in the mud a couple of weeks ago!) There is a lot you can do to stop mud at the door, but it still gets in the house to a degree. Dogs dribble water on the floor from their drinking bowl, sometimes they eat things they shouldn’t, and vomit, and even well-trained dogs can have the occasional accident, leaving pee or poop for you to clean up. Be prepared for extra messes. See what we recommend for cleaning on our shop for puppy supplies page. 

8. Financial Considerations

Eighth is thinking through financial considerations. In addition to the cost of purchasing your dog, there are veterinary and grooming costs, food, toys, flea, tick, and heartworm prevention, spaying or neutering, treats, leashes, collars, crates, and potentially the cost of fencing in your yard. According to Money.com, pet owners spend between $480-$3470 per year in caring for their dogs, and it is common for new dog shoppers to underestimate how much their pet will cost them each year.

9. Commitment Level

Finally, are you willing to commit to your dog for its whole life? The life expectancy of a Goldendoodle is approximately 10-12 years. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? How will your life be different? How will your needs change? Are you prepared to see your dog through all of the stages of its life, from puppyhood, through its sometimes testy “teenage” stage, young adult life, and finally, the golden senior adult years? He or she will love you and depend on you to make the most of each and every stage. As breeders, we want to know that you are committed to your puppy for the long haul. 

A Goldendoodle will bring immeasurable joy to your life, as long as you are prepared to invest in your dog not only in its puppyhood, but its whole life through. The majority of dogs in shelters are there because their owners were not prepared for the time investment, costs, or did not understand the training and care requirements their dogs needed. We are seeking owners who understand the longterm commitment necessary before purchasing their dogs. 

In conclusion, here are the questions to ask yourself as you make the decision regarding, “Am I ready for a puppy?” When you are ready, we’d love to talk to you more about our puppies. Here is our puppy application. 

• Do I have time for a puppy?

• Will my schedule work for a puppy?

• Are my living arrangements appropriate for a puppy?

• Are my life circumstances a good fit for a puppy?

• Where should I be in my relationships in regards to a puppy?

• Have I thought about the support system

• Temperament…mine and the dog’s

• What are the Financial considerations I should be thinking about in regards to owning a dog?
  

• Commitment level: Am I willing to commit to this dog for it’s whole life?