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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous] Not every dog needs obedience classes. No need for a midday walker for a baby pup who will sleep a lot in the crate. [/quote]

This is so wrong.

Puppies need to be socialized. They also can only hold their bladder for a short amount of time (an hour for every month they are old). Early on you will need a walker 2x a day. Then you can transition to 1 time.

Our 6 month old cocker spaniel could now go about 5 hours, but she would be desperate. We still use a walker 2x a day. [/quote]

Agree!

I have a now 2 year old dog that I adopted at about 4 months. I had sworn I’d never get a puppy again- they are a ton of work- but I had an instant connection with her.  A few key thoughts:

-plan on taking some time off , at least the first few days.  You’ll be taking the dog outside constantly, and you and the dog will be figuring out a routine.

- crate training!  My dog only uses her crate to sleep in at night now but if you use it the right way it will become a safe feeling spot for the dog and keeps them out of trouble when alone. Please don’t overdue the crate though- the puppy has to be around people & will be miserable if kept alone a lot.  I bought a large crate that I could make smaller as needed from amazon.  Don’t bother with an expensive crate mat until it’s potty trained- lots of old towels and blankets will work.

- dogs are not cheap.  Vet care, supplies, food, training.... it adds up and you can’t really skimp on those things. Consider pet insurance

- I love dogs and have always had animals- for the first week or two that I had my current dog I wanted to cry sometimes.  She was anxious all the time & slept much less than most puppies.  She barked at everything.  I love her soo much now but I really had second thoughts at first. I kept her because I had made the commitment & over time things got way easier.

Not trying to scare you, but be prepared.  My other dogs were calmer and easier but ultimately I found they really do get there energy from you- if you’re happy or sad or confident or nervous, it rubs off on them.

Good luck.  Check reddit for posts about dog adoption, I’ve gotten great advice on there [/quote]

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