Princess The Puppy: 10 Reasons You Shouldn't Adopt A Puppy

Puppies are adorable. They're soft and fluffy and they fit snugly in your arms. Who doesn't want a puppy? But oftentimes people get puppies and they don't understand just what they're getting themselves into. And that's why a lot of young dogs end up in shelters.

Before you get a puppy let me tell you just what you'll be getting into. You might realize that an older dog would be the better choice for you and your family.

Princess' Dirty Butt (Photo taken by Megan Folse)

10 Reasons Getting A Puppy Is A Terrible Idea

Puppies are not housebroken: Unless you get an older puppy who has had some training, puppies aren't housebroken. No matter how hard you try, you're going to be cleaning up messes. And sometimes, there will be poo on the carpet.
Puppies are babies: Puppies are exactly like human babies, but they grow up faster. You have to teach them everything they'll ever have to know. You are in charge of making sure they get socialized. Loving them is not enough.
They are small: That's part of the puppy appeal. But it's also the cause of many headaches and nightmares. Take Princess for example. She loves small spaces. If you can't find her you should look under the bed, behind the nightstand, between the couch and the wall, behind the tv stand, between the TV stand and the wall, and any other small space she can find. She even got her head stuck in the couch once.

Princess attacks my hair
They take a lot of time: You have to play with them, train them, bathe them, exercise them, teach them wrong from right, feed them, etc. It. Never. Ends.
Two words: "Teething Phase": When the puppy starts to teethe, the nightmare truly begins. Your fingers, ankles, arms, toes, and everything else is fair game. And you can find them the tastiest things to chew on and they will still choose you. Or anything else they can get their mouth on. And that leads me to...
They learn by putting things in their mouths: And they will put EVERYTHING in their mouths. Cigarette butts they find on the street, weeds growing in your yard, metal table legs, wood table legs, other animal's poop, plastic, bugs, and the list is endless. And because they're puppies they haven't mastered "Drop it!" so you have to pry their jaw apart and grab the thing they shouldn't be eating.
They don't understand "No": You have to teach them what "No" means. Dogs aren't wired to understand human. You have to be very patient when training a puppy because frustration is going to be your biggest enemy.
You can't let them out of your sight: I am completely surprised by the number of ways Princess gets herself in trouble. I've done a pretty good job of puppy-proofing the house and training her but she finds trouble in any room.
You can't have nice things anymore: This is self explanatory.

Princess chillin' under the table

They have endless energy: Before we got Nessie, Princess and I would go on at least one walk a day. Sometimes two. I'd also make sure I played with her every two hours or so. And I'd do 5-10 minute training sessions throughout the day. Somehow, she never ran out of energy. I could get in an hour tops of work or chores done before she'd be ready to go at it again. And during the night I could hear her playing with her toys instead of sleeping. You need stamina to keep up with a puppy.

I hope you consider this list before purchasing a puppy. It's okay if you aren't ready. Puppies are a huge responsibility. This doesn't mean you have to forgo a dog altogether. There are so many dogs in animal shelters looking for great homes. Many already have had some training and are housebroken.