Free Puppies to Good Home

Many thoughts come to mind when one sees an ad that reads "Free puppies to good home". If you are looking to get a puppy, such an ad makes your heart do a little flutter. Before you respond to a free puppy ad, ask yourself some questions and think things through before you make a likely 14-year commitment to a dog.

The most obvious question is what is a "good home"? The other thing to consider is that there is no such thing as a "free puppy".

Whether you are considering adding a puppy to your home, or you are trying to find homes for puppies, this article should help you determine what is best for all the people and puppies involved.

How Much Do Free Puppies Cost?

A free puppy will need much more than food and love during his average 14-year lifespan. There are many expenses to consider before bringing a dog into your home. Although love and commitment are critical factors in responsible dog ownership, budget is another very important consideration. The average cost for a dog's first year is shown in the table below. The costs are based on the estimated expense for a healthy medium size dog in the Midwest.

A Good Home

Before you answer that "Free Puppies to Good Home" ad, there are a few other things to consider besides love and finances.

What defines a good home for a puppy is variable. A home that is a good place for a Golden Retriever may be too overwhelming and active for a Toy Poodle. Selecting a breed that is appropriate to your home and lifestyle is important.

There are basic needs shared by all dogs regardless of which breed they are. A good home for a dog has resources to address these needs. If you can provide the following things for a dog, you may be well on your way to pet adoption.

• Companionship: Dogs are social animals, and being part of a group is critical to their mental well being. To be relegated to the back yard to live life in solitary confinement is cruel treatment and will result in behavioral issues.

• Shelter: Keeping your dog safe from weather extremes is critical to responsible dog ownership. Your dog should be cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and have his own clean bedding to lie on. Most dogs like to have an area that is just for them, such as a bed or crate.

• Good nutrition: Feeding your dog a healthy dog food that is free of fillers and toxins is important to his overall health. Avoid feeding him too much because obesity can result in serious health problems for your dog. Be sure to have plenty of clean water available for him at all times.

• Exercise and socialization: A tired dog is a manageable dog. Getting your dog out for daily rigorous exercise will keep him fit physically and mentally. Exposing your dog to a variety of places and situations is also good for him and teaches him about the world he lives in.

• Training: Your dog needs you to teach him what is expected of him by humans. Training is critical to your dog's safety and happiness.

• Health care: Taking measures to maintain your dog's health will optimize his quality of life. He will need regular bathing and grooming, dental care, and parasite prevention measures.

• Veterinary care: Even when a dog is being well taken care of with the best food and meticulous health maintenance measures, he will need to see a veterinarian from time to time. Regular check ups and vaccines or titers testing will be necessary. A dog will also need medical care for illness or injury that can occur over the course of its lifetime.

Giving Away Free Puppies to Good Home

If you have a litter of puppies that you are giving away, you should ask questions of their potential adopters to insure each puppy's safety. You can create your own list of questions based on the information in this article, and here are several to help you get started.

• Is there someone at home most of the day?

• Do you have a veterinarian selected?

• What will you do with the puppy if you have to move?

• How will you handle behavioral problems such as housebreaking, digging, chewing, barking and nipping?

• Where will you keep the puppy when you are not at home?

• You may also consider asking for references.

If at all possible, you should not give puppies away for free. Even if you do not want to accept money for your puppies, you could ask for a nominal sum and donate it to an animal charity or use the money to spay the mother of the puppies and prevent another litter. Most people will value a pet more if they have to invest a little money to get one.

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