I really really hope so.

Thanks minihaha (great name!) for your post. If the OH and I can go in with as much understanding of how our lives will change, I feel the better it will be for us and the puppy. It's becoming clear that the first few weeks will be quite a shock to the system for us first-time puppy owners!

There's so much to learn and we're a long way off being ready for a puppy yet, but thank-you for helping us along our way.

great to see so much research being done on how much a puppy changes your life....its something every new owner should do

I second Inca's post... it's good to see someone going into getting a dog well prepared

Another thing you can do, if you have any friends that own dogs, is offer to doggy sit for a day, maybe have the dog sleep over and everything Of course your experience will depend on how well trained the dog is, but if you get a badly trained one then it will just encourage you to train your pup well!

Here's a 'typical day'.......

Can't sleep, puppy crying!
Housetraining worked!
...but woodwork chewed!
Training!
....after training
Housework
Kisses
Find poop in house!

More cleaning!!
Puppy asleep!
Relaxing drink
Bedtime!

LOL that's so true AM!!

Ditto to all the above, but once you have put in all the hard work you will be rewarded every day with a happy poopie!!! we, like you, thought long and hard before getting Molly, but I can't believe how much we love her. Wishing you all the best, good luck and come back often for any advice you think you may need.

Excellent advice guys

It's all so very true.

Also I found it useful to plot out what our plans were for the years to come, were we intending on travelling alot, were we going to be overly social and have to leave home often - and if we were how would this impact the puppy, would there be an decent kennels for our dog to stay in when we did travel, who would be able to dog sit when either of us couldn't be home to look after the pup.

Thankfully we only intend on travelling abroad a few times a year for short times, and have a kennel that our local vet and dog trainer works at, we have also found dog friendly pubs in London so that when we visit friends our dog comes too

All the prep work you are doing is fantastic

We've got a GSD pup, he's 6 months old, a real character, keeps us on our toes, he's really great

Wish you well with your research, and hope to learn of your decision when the time comes.

Take care.

Thanks everyone! And love the smilie-work Ozzysmom and glad to see the odd relaxing drink is still allowed

Holidays abroad are a big consideration Maplecottage. Though it was 5 years since our last one so it's not a regular thing but kennels will probably be the only solution and I do worry about that. Cats and catteries have not been a good mix in our experience. We go away at weekends but it's to friends, one couple live on a farm and the other by the sea and both have dogs and already extend their welcome to all 4-legged family members.

my meg is only 5months old, and when We Got her home she was really very good, when to bed @ a 11pm after last Garden Visit, then Got up @ 7am for wee,s and when back to her Keneal till @ Breakfast....We then Trained For 10mins every 3hours,
But now She is Better still Goes To bed @ 11pm but your Lucky if you can get her our her bed Before 9am....But we are Traingin well, And last we we went to look @ fly ball,
And she had a little go But we will be Doing that, and She loved it, Main thing Don,t let ya Dog get Board.
Julie