Should I get a puppy?

Getting a puppy can be incredibly rewarding, but it also brings a major commitment of time, patience and responsibility. Before deciding to bring one home, it's worth thinking realistically about how a puppy will fit into your everyday life — not just during the exciting first few weeks, but as they grow into an adult dog.

There isn't one answer that's right for everyone. Your working hours, family, lifestyle, holidays and the time you can devote to training and caring for a puppy all matter. Here are seven things to consider before deciding whether getting a puppy is right for you.

7 Things to Consider Before Getting a Puppy

Before getting a puppy, think carefully about how they will fit into your life both now and in the years ahead. These seven questions cover some of the practical realities that are easy to underestimate when you're excited about bringing a puppy home.

1. Do you have time for a puppy?

   
   

2. Do you have the patience for a new puppy?

   
   

3. Can you deal with sleepless nights?

   
   

4. Can you give a young puppy the training they require?

   
   

5. What will happen when you go to work?

   
   

6. What happens when you go on holiday?

   
   

7. Is the rest of the family/household on board and supportive in taking on a new puppy?

Do you have time for a puppy?

Young puppies need a lot of time and supervision. When a puppy first leaves their mum and littermates, they don't yet understand the routines or expectations of their new home. Toilet training, settling, learning what they can chew and beginning basic training all require consistency and attention.

Puppies also explore the world with their mouths and have small bladders, so accidents and investigating things they shouldn't are normal parts of puppyhood. In the early weeks, you'll need to supervise them closely, give them frequent opportunities to toilet outside, and spend time helping them learn the routines you want them to follow.

Do you have the patience for a new puppy?

A new puppy can certainly test your patience. Chewing things they shouldn't, toileting in the house, biting and mouthing during play, and repeatedly investigating things you would rather they left alone are all normal parts of puppyhood.

It helps to remember that a young puppy is still learning how to live in our world. Most of these behaviours aren't deliberate misbehaviour — they need patient, consistent guidance to learn what you want instead. Add sleepless nights, children, work and the normal stresses of everyday life, though, and even relatively small puppy problems can sometimes feel overwhelming.

Can you deal with sleepless nights?

When a puppy leaves their mum and littermates to go to a new home, they can be unsettled at first. They may cry, go off their food, have sleepless nights or develop an upset tummy. Our job is to help them feel secure, safe and comfortable in their new surroundings.

During the day this can be relatively straightforward. If they can see you, snuggle into you and know they aren't alone, that can often be enough to help them settle. The challenge can come at night when the house becomes quiet and everyone goes to bed. Some puppies settle after a few minutes, while others may cry and become increasingly unsettled if left alone. This might last only the first night, or it can take longer for some puppies to adjust.

To help puppies settle, I sleep downstairs with them next to me initially. Sometimes simply knowing you're there is enough. Soothing them with your voice or gently reassuring them can help while they adjust. Once they're comfortable sleeping on their own, the next challenge is sleeping through the night. Some puppies manage this very quickly, but young puppies will often still wake because they need to toilet. Broken sleep can therefore be a normal part of the first few weeks of puppy ownership.

Can you give a puppy the training they require?

The early months of a puppy's life are an important period for learning and development. The experiences they have during this time can influence how they respond to people, other dogs, new environments and everyday situations as they grow.

Training can begin from the moment your puppy comes home. We start with puppies from around eight weeks old, using positive reinforcement and incorporating training into normal everyday life. At this age, it isn't about long training sessions or expecting perfect obedience. Simple foundations such as responding to their name, toilet training, settling calmly, getting used to handling, and beginning recall can all be introduced gradually.

Consistency is important. Everyone in the household should try to encourage the same behaviours and routines so the puppy receives clear, predictable guidance. Training should then develop as the puppy grows, gradually introducing new skills and more challenging environments.

If you don't have the time or confidence to do this yourself, getting help from a professional trainer early can make a real difference. It's usually much easier to build good habits from the beginning than to address established unwanted behaviours later.

What happens when you go to work?

Before getting a puppy, think realistically about what will happen when you go to work. Young puppies need regular toilet breaks, feeding, supervision and interaction, and they shouldn't suddenly be expected to cope with being left alone for long periods.

It's a good idea to teach your puppy gradually that being alone is safe and normal. Start with very short periods and build the time up as they become comfortable, rather than going from having someone around all day to suddenly being left for several hours.

If everyone in the household works away from home, you'll need a realistic plan. That might involve coming home during the day, arranging help from a family member or friend, or using a suitable dog walker or puppy-care service as your puppy gets older.

Your working pattern doesn't necessarily mean you can't have a puppy, but their needs have to fit realistically around it. Think about the arrangement you'll have during the first few weeks as well as what will happen once normal work routines resume.

What happens when you go on holiday?

Before getting a puppy, it's worth thinking about what will happen when you go on holiday. You may decide to take your dog with you and choose dog-friendly accommodation, or you'll need to arrange suitable care while you're away.

Options include boarding kennels, home boarding, pet sitters or having a trusted friend or family member care for your dog. Different dogs cope better with different arrangements, so think about what is likely to suit your individual dog and research your options well before you need them. Holiday care can also be a significant ongoing expense, particularly if you travel regularly, so it's worth including this when considering the long-term cost of owning a dog.

Is Everyone in the Household Ready for a Puppy?

Getting a puppy affects everyone in the household, so ideally it should be a decision everyone is comfortable with. Even if one person expects to take most of the responsibility, a puppy will still change routines, require supervision and training, create extra work and occasionally cause disruption.

It's also worth agreeing on some basic rules before the puppy arrives. Who will feed them, take them outside during toilet training, exercise them and handle their everyday care? Will the puppy be allowed on furniture or upstairs? Who will look after them if the main carer is unavailable?

If you have children, make sure they understand how to behave appropriately around the puppy too. Children and puppies can develop fantastic relationships, but interactions should be supervised, and both need space and boundaries.

Thinking through these things beforehand won't remove every challenge, but it can prevent disagreements later and make the transition into life with a puppy much easier for everyone.

Remember most of what I have mentioned refers to untrained puppies brought straight home from their litter. Some of the points do apply to trained puppies too.

Getting a puppy is a big commitment, but that doesn't mean you need to be put off by everything we've discussed. The important thing is to understand what puppy ownership involves and decide whether you have the time, patience and circumstances to meet those needs.

Choosing the right breed and the right individual puppy can make a significant difference too. A puppy whose temperament, exercise requirements, size and other characteristics suit your family and lifestyle is much more likely to be a good fit than one chosen primarily on appearance.

If you'd like help with that process, our Puppy Finding & Training Service starts before a puppy has even been chosen. We help you identify a suitable breed, find a responsible breeder, consider appropriate health testing, and select the puppy before they come to live with us in our family home for their initial training.

By the time your puppy comes home, they will already have started learning important foundations including toilet training, crate training, settling, recall and everyday manners. You'll also have our lifetime support as your puppy grows.

Getting a puppy should never be an impulse decision. Think carefully about the commitment involved, choose a puppy that genuinely suits your life, and make sure you're prepared for the work that comes with raising them. Get those foundations right, and bringing a puppy into your family can be an incredibly rewarding experience.

If you enjoyed this then check out our other blog, The Reality vs expectation of dog ownership .