Did you get a puppy for Christmas, or maybe a rescue dog? If you did, hooray! Such love and joy and licks and kisses! But this is also right around the time that some problems set in after the euphoria.
My goal, as a dog lover, is to see dogs keep their homes. Our Charlie Bear was abandoned and left to fend for himself on the streets during his formative first year and I can only wonder why. I know there are some things that for some pet owners may be a real challenge. Dogs take a lot more time and money than one may think.
Don’t give up on your pet. Diligently try to make it work. Here are some hints and tips from Dr. Jon at PetPlace:
1. House training – this can be a real challenge. It takes a lot of patience and time to housetrain some puppies to eliminate outside. Remember – puppies at 8 weeks can only hold their bladder 3 hours. So they need to go out often. By the time a puppy is 5 months old – they can hold it closer to 6 hours.
2. Time – it takes time to not only housetrain but they require frequent vet visits. They need to go to the vet every 3 to 4 weeks from the time they are 6 weeks until about 16 weeks. This takes time and also a fair amount of money.
3. Vaccines – I mentioned that puppies need visits to the vet – this is primarily for vaccinations. This is to help protect them from some very deadly diseases.
4. Medications – on top of the vet visits and vaccines – flea control and heartworm prevention medications are recommended. Ideally these should start before the pet is 6 months of age. These can be expensive.
5. Problems – puppies get into everything. They get into things, get into trash and can often suffer from problems as a results. I’m always seeing puppies with vomiting, diarrhea, or other emergencies as a result of them eating stuff they shouldn’t. This can be annoying (to clean the carpet) and expensive to treat (some pet owners just don’t have this kind of budget in mind when they adopt that cute furry ball).
This is one reason that pet insurance is a great idea. There are plans that just cover problems and emergencies and others that cover everything – including wellness. VPI, Veterinary Pet insurance , provides both comprehensive and economical plans. If you have a puppy – get a quote and see if this is right for you. It can really help you deal with puppy ownership.
Until next time,
Dr. Jon
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We had VPI Pet Insurance with Rex and when he had a torn ACL it helped a lot! We have insurance with Charlie Bear now too.
But that’s not why I sent around this post. Most pets are given up to shelters or abandoned when they become a “problem” of some kind…whether that be cost, time, behavior, etc. I’d like all pets to find forever homes. Wouldn’t you?
Charlie Bear joins me with his Woofs & Wiggles and wishes every pet and their family a wonderful bonding experience that lasts forever.
Hugs,
B.J.
I wish more people would rescue instead of going to puppy mills. There are so many beautiful, loving babies out there that need us. Please don’t take this as spam but I have an e-book on Amazon and B&N where the proceeds go to a shelter called Tilly’s Tales. It’s called A Book and A Dish and it’s under my name Martha A. Cheves.
Dogs (and cats) give us so much love. More than any human is capable of. I say Rescue.
Martha,
I totally agree — rescue is the way to go. Our little Charlie Bear was abandoned, rescued, then fostered for four months before he came to live with us. We found him through adoptapet.com where there are hundreds (probably thousands) of loving pets that need homes.
I’ll check out your book! And soon you’ll be able to check out mine: Charlie Bear: What a Headstrong Rescue Dog Taught Me about Life, Love & Second Chances.
Hugs to you,
B.J.
No more homeless pets! Adopt don’t shop! The slogans may sound trite, but they’re heartfelt. I was abandoned at 9 months (or so the people at the shelter thought).and found wandering, scared on a busy road. I was lucky enough to get a forever home the day the 1-month hold period was up. I hope all dogs — and cats, horses, pigs, and birds — are as lucky as me.
Here’s hoping.
Clue
Clue,
I was found on a school playground. I had no one to love me. Now we’re the lucky ones, Clue. We have good homes. I hope and pray that all animals find forever homes and I totally agree: No More Homeless Pets. And Adopt, Don’t Shop.
Thanks for sharing and caring.
Wiggles & woofs,
Charlie Bear
Good tips, B.J. I’ll never forget the pep talk you gave me a few months ago. Clyde turned one this month! Thank you, my friend.
Happy Birthday to Clyde! Did you have a doggie cake with a candle in it? Did you sing the Happy Birthday song? We did all of those for Charlie Bear. Silly, huh?
Thanks for commenting, Julie.
Hugs,
B.J.