Just like young children, puppies thrive on love and attention. They need frequent bathroom breaks, lots of play time, training time to get the basics learned while they are so open to new things, socialization outings, and exercise — both for your sake and theirs. You should only get a pup if you are willing to put in a major time commitment for the first six months and a fair amount of time for the six months after that. After all, you're interested in getting a puppy because you want to spend time together and develop a wonderful bond, right?

Unless your heart is set on a puppy and you are sure you have the time, energy, and proper situation to deal with raising a baby dog, consider bringing home an adult dog. Breeders sometimes have young adults that need new homes if they aren't working out as show dogs. Rescue groups foster and screen dogs carefully, and nice dogs are turned in to shelters for reasons such as divorce. These dogs are often already housetrained. They know how to walk on a leash, may be past the chewing stage, and don't hold as many surprises. You will know their full-grown size, temperament, and activity level for sure, so what you see is what you get.

However, if you still think a puppy is what you want, and as long as you have the time and energy to devote to training a young dog and provide a safe, healthy, loving environment for her to grow up in, all you need to know is how to choose the right puppy.