Is Your Family Ready for Maltese Puppies?
Making the decision to have a dog in the house is a big one. There is much to consider, but the sad truth is that many people choose to forgo these considerations and instead get a dog without putting much thought into it. This happens often because someone sees a puppy so cute and so sweet they just want to take it home without a second thought as to how that animal is going to affect the life of the entire family. Maltese puppies are these dogs; they’re so small, so beautiful and so perfect that you just can’t help but fall madly in love at first glance. When this happens, you’re going to fight the urge to take that puppy home right away and make it your own. But do the dog – and your family – a favor and do just that; resist the urge. The urge needs to be ignored and common sense needs to come into play here. We are not saying that there aren’t people who make the decision to get a dog on a whim, but for others this is a decision that requires a bit more thought and effort. And we have a few things you should consider before you make the final decision to bring home a maltese puppy for your family to love.
Do You Have the Time?
There is a lot of time required in caring for a dog, especially a puppy. Maltese puppies are pretty much like any other puppy you might decide to make your own. It needs a lot of time and attention, and it cannot be left to its own devices long. What does that mean? This means that you cannot make it a habit to leave the dog by itself for long periods of time. It will require a crate during the day until it’s trained not to use the bathroom in the house, and it will need to be let out every few hours. If you haven’t the time to be home to take care of the dog, it’s not for you.
Do You Have the Patience?
Training a new puppy is a bit of a stressful life occurrence. It’s like having a new baby in the house that wants to jump on you, chew on everything and use the bathroom on your furniture. Okay, so it’s not at all like having a baby. Dogs, however, require a great deal of patience. If you haven’t a great deal of patience, perhaps you should not take on a new puppy. Perhaps an older, more established dog would be a better choice.
Do You Have the Financial Means?
Maltese puppies are not cheap. They’re expensive puppies to purchase and they are not inexpensive to care for. Aside from food and toys, you should ask yourself if your family has the financial means to care for a dog in the context that it requires. This could include medications if your dog requires them, trips to the vet and other extra expenses, such as boarding when you travel.
Does Your Entire Family Want a Dog?
If you want a dog and you are sure of this decision, that’s wonderful. If your entire family is against it, that is not. A dog is not something one person decides they want. It has to be a decision the entire family makes as a whole. If not everyone is on board, perhaps a puppy – even those sweet maltese puppies – is not the best of ideas.
Who Will Care for the Dog?
This is a big one. If you think for a second that your 8-year-old desperate for a dog is going to actually care for the dog because he is empathically agreeing to do so in the heat of the moment, you are sadly mistaken. He or she may take care of the puppy when it’s cute and convenient, but we both know that long walks, trips to the vet and cleaning up after any doggie accidents is going to be your job. You should be aware of this and on board with it before you bring the dog home.
Who is going to Train the Dog?
Will you train the dog yourself? Do you know how to train a dog? Is this something you’ve done in the past and you are comfortable with? Are you willing to learn and to educate yourself along with the dog to ensure that the training process is done correctly and effectively? Do you believe in professional training that will require you to take the dog to a class or perhaps even a lengthy boarding school? These are decisions that should be made prior to bringing home a new animal. Training is essential. An untrained dog is dangerous to your belongings. It will tear them up – and don’t get on me saying that untrained dogs are not dangerous. Maybe not all of them – but many untrained dogs will eat shoes, toys, nip at children and misbehave in general. If you’re not planning on training, you could have issues in the future that affect the entire family; not just the dog you brought home.
Do You Understand the Commitment?
A puppy is not a short term commitment. You don’t decide to have a baby, get pregnant, carry said child around in your body for 9 months and then decide after a few sleepless and stressful weeks that this is not for you, give up the baby and move on, do you? The same goes for a puppy. This is a living, breathing creature that you bring into your home. It should be given the same love and respect and care as the people in your home. It’s not something you bring home and take back with the sweetness and the cute, adorable puppy antics wear off. A dog, a maltese puppy, is a lifetime commitment. This is an animal that will be with you approximately a decade, and it should be something that you understand before you bring the dog home.
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