Preparing For A Puppy

New puppy arrives at his fur-ever home

Luis Escobar, Miami Dog Trainer speaks about preparing for a puppy.

Babies and puppies are both adorable. Both take patience, guidance and love. With puppies, the more prepared you are for their arrival, the better off you will be. Without a plan, both you and your puppy will be stressed and who wants that?

Bark Busters has trained more than 1M dogs in seven countries of all ages, sizes and breeds. There is no such thing as an untrainable dog … but there is such a thing as an unsuitable dog. When bringing the right puppy into your home, you need to select the right breed, age, size and background of your puppy. It’s important that the puppy fit your lifestyle.

Things to Consider Preparing For a Puppy

Here are some important tips before you bring home a puppy:

• Do you really want a puppy? Puppies are high maintenance and require a lot of attention. Particularly in the beginning you have to be home with them a lot for puppy training. Have you considered an adult dog?
• Puppies can be expensive. Can you afford shots, bowls, food, medical expenses, and training?
• What is the right breed for you? Do you live in an apartment or a house with a large backyard. Certain breeds are better as indoor dogs in small places. Are you a runner? Certain breeds are more active than others.
• What type of climate do you live in and is your dog suited to it? Will your dog be living indoors or outdoors?
• Do you have small children in your home? If you have children under 12, you should never leave your kids and dogs alone. Particularly if you have a newborn baby.
• Is everyone in the family in favor of getting a dog? Who will be feeding him, taking him for walks, etc. Will all family members be consistent in the training?

Where Should You Get a Puppy?

Once you have decided on the breed, you need to decide if you want to contact a breeder or adopt from a shelter. If you are using a breeder, make sure you use a reputable breeder. Do you want a pure bred? Responsible breeders breed for temperament, health and breed conformity and normally succeed via referral business.

Shelter dogs make great pets, and you have the satisfaction of knowing you have saved a dog’s life. I have trained hundreds of shelter puppies and I can honestly tell you there is no difference in terms of training. It is no harder to train a shelter dog versus a pure bred.

A List of Miami Shelter Organizations
Each of these organizations is different in terms of veterinary care and qualifications before adopting a puppy.

Humane Society of South Florida
Miami Dade County Animal Services
Miami Animal Alliance