How much is that doggie in the window?

How many times have you heard this one. "...that dog is so cute. Let's get this one....please...." Ya, I know, dogs are cute, and they tug at our heart strings. We tend to make that impulse buy, it happens to all of us. But with a dog, you just can't return it if you don't want it. Well sometimes you can, but for the most part, it doesn't happen often. I have a friend who purchased a dog, mainly because his girlfriend wanted one. It was the cutest little thing. It would curl up in your lap and snuggle with you while you watch tv. The friendliest dog...until it started to poop all over the place and didn't know what to do. Then came the barking 'cause it was in her crate for 8 hrs a day and the chewing of furniture just pushed them overboard. They had to re-home the dog @16wks. I cannot stress the importance of researching the dog breeds. Not only researching by reading, I mean going out to the shows, doggie daycares, talk to breeders and owners and find out. You're not going to buy a car without knowing it's history, reputation and performance? Would you? Too many good dogs end up on the streets because people just didn't know what to expect. If you're getting a dog, please use common sense and find out what you're getting yourself into. In this way, you and your dog will be happy for it, for the next 10+ years.