So you're thinking about getting a puppy
Adding a new puppy to your family should be a joyful experience, but all too often it is not. We hope this guide helps you to find the right pup for your home!
It's As Easy as 1-2-3
STEP ONE: MAKE SURE YOU'RE READY
Puppies are wonderfully busy, active, and energetic little friends. They require teaching when it comes to manners, tricks, toileting, and more. They need regular walks and exercise so that they can develop appropriately. You will also need to puppy-proof your house so that nothing gets destroyed by your new family member. If you have animals in your home already you'll want to learn about introducing them in a safe and gentle manner.
step Two: Learn about your options
With nearly one million shelter animals being euthanized each year in the United States alone, rescuing is the natural choice for animal lovers. Some people might want to go to their local shelter and visit with all of the puppies, whereas others may feel a strong kinship with a certain breed and seek out rescues of that particular breed.
Look at all these Missouri puppies just waiting for their fur-ever homes!
Petfinder will allow you to search by breed. You can also try searches like "German Shepherd rescue." You can even email Humane Society of MO regarding which breed you'd like and they will email you when that dog becomes available. Sign up here.
Step Three: Enjoy
You've ensured that you're able to take care of your new puppy and found the perfect addition. Yay! Make sure to keep puppy up-to-date on veterinary appointments. Enjoy your new family member!
Additional tips
What is a puppy mill and why should I avoid them?
We're so glad you asked! Puppy mills, or commercial dog breeding facilities, mass produce puppies for sale online, at auctions, at pet stores, and more. Because the focus of puppy mills is profit, the needs of the dogs are not prioritized, to say the least. The victims are the breeding dogs and their puppies. Dogs used for breeding are impregnated over and over and over. While the conditions they live in have improved due to the work of the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation, their quarters are far from ideal and these dogs are not beloved by families like they deserve to be. Puppies from mills are often sickly. Learn more about puppy mills here:
If the conditions are so sad, why can't I buy a puppy from a mill to save him/her?
Many compassionate people see the plight of dogs in puppy mills and so they want to rescue them to get them out of the industry. The problem is that these breeders don't care why you buy the puppy, as long as you do. This results in kind people unwittingly supporting this cruel industry and perpetuating it. If everyone stopped buying from puppy mills they would be gone tomorrow.
