Am I Ready for a Puppy?

Make Sure You Have the Time – Adopting a new puppy is a huge time commitment! Your sweet little pup is new to the world and will need a lot of guidance to understand how to interact with his or her new environment. That’s why tip #1 on our Getting a New Dog Checklist is to make sure you have the time to devote to training and caring for your new pup. Adopting a puppy in the summertime may be ideal for you and your family – after all, with your kids at home for summer vacation, they’ll be able to supervise the training of your new pup.

Have the Right Supplies on Hand – Time is not the only thing you’ll need on hand when you adopt a puppy – having a new pooch can be a huge financial commitment, too. Since you want your new puppy to be well cared for, you’ll need to purchase a few things before he or she heads home with you. We suggest a small bed, toys, bowls for food and water, and – of course – puppy pads for while your pup is being potty trained. Take a look at our affordable puppies.

Have Recommendations for a Vet before You Adopt – Before you take your new family member home with you, you’ll need to determine where your puppy will be seen for their checkups and in case of emergency. Talking to your friends and family about their veterinarian recommendations can be very helpful – and since your loved ones trust the vets they recommend, you’ll feel confident trusting your own pooch to their care, too.

Find Another Puppy Parent You Can Talk To – There’s no denying it – having a new puppy can be tough! Like babies, puppies are totally nonverbal, so you won’t be able to ask them why they’re howling at 3 A.M. However, if you know another puppy parent, you may be able to ask them for their advice on how to care for your pup – which can make all the difference when trying to calm a scared pooch in the middle of the night!

Have Your Training Plan in Mind – Tip #5 on our Getting a New Dog Checklist is not for the faint of heart. Aside from all your love and devotion, you’ll also have to dole out some tough love to your new pup. Training your puppy to understand the rules of the house – especially potty training – is challenging. Whether you want to tackle all of your puppy’s training yourself, or you want to enroll your pooch in classes, training is important in order to have a happy and well-behaved adult dog.

Make Sure Your Home is Puppy Proofed –Read our full When you’re asking yourself, “Am I ready for a puppy?” you should also be wondering if your home is ready, too. Puppies are naturally inquisitive creatures, and you need to make sure your home is safe for them. First and foremost, you’ll want to keep anything potentially dangerous – like chemicals and electronics – tucked away in storage or in cabinets. However, another important part of puppy proofing your home involves keeping anything valuable out of reach – since puppies tend to impulsively chew and teethe! Read our full guide to puppy proof your home.

Find the Breed that’s Right for You – If you can confidently checkmark steps #1 through #6, then you’re ready for #7! The final step on our Getting a New Dog Checklist is to find your forever friend. At Keystone Puppies, we have a wide range of breeds to select from when you’re ready to take home your sweet new puppy. Even better, when you adopt a Keystone puppy, you know you’re working with a responsible breeder – and a company dedicated to ending puppy mills and scams.