What a Puppy is...Not!
A PUPPY IS NOT A TOY
A puppy is a living being who has a need for love and proper care for his entire life. A puppy needs to be fed often. A puppy needs play time and rest time. A puppy is
very vulnerable to broken bones and injures from careless treatment. A puppy needs to be inside with people.
A PUPPY IS NOT A TEACHING AID
A puppy should not brought into the home to teach children responsibility. It is unfair to place an animal's life in the hands of a child who can barely be responsible
for him/herself. House training and discipline training are adult jobs. Teach your child to be responsible by doing dishes or taking out the garbage, not by being put
in charge of a helpless animal with basic survival needs.
A PUPPY IS NOT A GIFT OR A SPUR-OF-THE-MOMENT PURCHASE---OR SHOULDN'T BE
Animal shelters and pounds are full of puppies, young adult or adult dogs who were brought home for all the wrong reasons. The owners didn't know about dog
responsibility or personal commitment.
A PUPPY IS NOT A PUPPY FOREVER
Puppies loose their cuteness. They grow up just like humans. But they need love and care their entire lives. If you like "forever cute", go to the mall and
get a stuffed animal.
A PUPPY IS NOT CHEAP
The adoption fee or purchase price of a puppy is nothing compared to the life-long cost of regular veterinarian and emergency care over the course of the dog's life.
There are also licensing fees, equipment and the replacement of personal items which are damaged or destroyed.
A PUPPY IS NOT SELF-CLEANING
Dogs are not able to groom themselves nor clean up after themselves (shedding or accidents). They are an extra household task.
A PUPPY IS NOT AN ADULT DOG
Puppies do not have the mental nor physical abilites of an adult dog. A puppy cannot wait long periods of time to relieve itself. It does not distinguish between a toy
and your couch. A puppy does not distinguish between things that are digestible and things which are dangerously life threatening.
PUPPIES REQUIRE PATIENCE, UNDERSTANDING, AND SUPERVISION JUST LIKE HUMAN INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN. A PUPPY DOES NOT MATURE INTO AN ADULT DOG FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS.
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