Just in case you have friends or family that really want a puppy - maybe send them this.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-r...t-a-puppy.html

They say the only cure for wanting a puppy is getting a puppy. Well, the other cure for wanting a puppy could be thinking about what the puppy requires when he is grown up. While it may be cute that a 10 pound puppy is dragging you everywhere on a leash, you won’t think the same of an 80 pound one-year-old dog.
Thousands of young dogs are dropped off at shelters every year who were once purchased as puppies. Commonly, they were either given as a gift or the purchaser didn’t fast forward in their mind what that cute, adorable puppy would be like to take care of as a fully grown dog.
5 Reasons NOT to Get a Puppy!


1. You don’t know what you are getting.
While there are very informative temperament tests for puppies, puppies don’t come with fortune tellers, and you can’t predict everything about who they will be when they grow up. While it’s not easy dealing with anxiety issues or health problems for any age dog, when you adopt a grown-up dog, you are often aware of what health and behavior issues are coming with him.

2. It will be months before you’ll get a full night’s sleep.
Exhausted from a full day’s work? Your new puppy doesn’t care. She’ll be whining all night long to get out of her crate. And if you can sleep through that, try sleeping through barking at 3 am.



3. Puppies relieve in the house

House training is not for the weak of heart. Forget those beautiful white carpets. With a puppy, it’s impossible to keep them clean.




4. Puppies are curious about everything.

Everything is interesting to a puppy, including the skunk who just wandered into the backyard and the paint can that you thought was well sealed. And guess who is responsible for that smell and those colors coming off of him?




5. Everything is edible to a puppy.

You thought that beautiful birthday cake you just made for your dinner party was well out of reach of your new puppy? Guess again. Puppies can be very clever at getting to things that they want.
Honestly, I’ve never purchased or adopted a puppy. I’ve only adopted dogs post-puppy years. And the only puppy I’ve ever had is Sanchez. He came to live with me as a puppy-in-training from Guide Dogs for the Blind when he was four months old, but I didn’t adopt him until he was career changed at 18 months old. Since I was his volunteer puppy raiser, I knew him very well by then. At some point in my life, I may adopt a puppy. But, I’ll only do so when I am prepared to handle all of the above scenarios plus more unexpected ones.