5 Great Reasons COVID-19 Quarantine is the Perfect Time for a New Puppy

Written by Samary Birkline, © 2020

If COVID-19 has taught us one thing, it is that chemistry is no respecter of age, citizenship, gender, or ethnicity and that it has the power to force society to grind to a recess. Thus, many of us who aren’t so accustomed to being at home with our entire family, are socially obligated to remain at home with only the other folks we share a roof with. Despite the lengthy prescription of social distancing, many families are making the best of this forced family time with a new puppy. Though some industries are suffering (and we pray wholeheartedly for those affected!), there are some, including grocery stores, gun sellers, and toilet paper makers, who have found themselves with more business than they can handle.

While we are all for stocking our shelves with groceries and toilet paper, Birkline Dobermans suggests a more cuddly form of family protection that will serve your family in several more immediate ways.

#1 Great Way to Spend Extra Time with Family

Thrust into semi-short-termed homeschooling, parents all over the United States are scrambling to find ways to keep their children engaged without exposing them to the virus, which is causing this madness. At the Kennel Birkline, we believe that puppies are innately born with an unmatched ability to promote togetherness.

A new puppy produces opportunities for an otherwise less-companionable family to come together and bond over the new family member. Spending time around a puppy is much like spending time around the dinner table. The simple act of gathering around a new puppy, learning his habits, teaching him the rules of the house, naming and training; these tasks inspire positive memory formation, transforming this uncertain time into a memorable life moment, rather than a potentially frightening time for the family children.

#2 Irresistible Way to Reduce Screen Time for Kids

Most parents with a human child over the age of two can verify that electronics and screen time eats up much, if not all, a child’s free time if given the opportunity. Limits can be hard to enforce, especially now, when even the education of your child depends on a screen. It’s tough to say no to electronics, but a new puppy offers an irresistible alternative to screen-gorping.

Introducing a new puppy during this time at home provides natural incentive to focus on organic forms of entertainment, to get outside in the backyard, and to form a meaningful bond with a new member of the family. The right dog comes with the added bonus of getting the family outside for months and years to come, involving them in fun canine sports, such as agility, obedience, and rally. Even young children can participate in these skill-building and parent-approved, habit-forming sports that can positively influence future decisions and behaviors.

#3 Fantastic Diversion From the Pantry

Many moms are under a great deal of stress trying to keep food in the house during this time of isolation. Those who aren’t bored are likely to be stressed, trying to work from home with the presence of children, who quickly become bored. Many families are experiencing abnormal numbers of snack requests from children who have simply JUST eaten. And it isn’t just the children who are suffering from the reflex to eat when bored or stress. It’s the adults, too!

Bringing an exciting new puppy into the equation creates an environment, in which family members of all ages can be distracted away from boredom snacking. Instead of running to the kitchen for a snack, both young and old will enjoy watching puppy mischief and the most adorable stage of a dog’s life: the first several months.

#4 Reliable Way to Invest Your Tax Return

There are so many ways to use a tax refund, or a stimulus, severance, employment, or equity check. Some folks like to travel with their funds. Others tend to save for a rainy day. The experts are telling us to spend if we can; to support the economy as much as possible, but so many purchases feel like money wasted. So many times when money leaves, it has no potential to return, but if the right dog is purchased, it can sow seeds into the future; investing in ways that might not seem obvious.

A new puppy encourages daily exercise. Most breeds of dogs gain a great deal of satisfaction from a twice-a-day walks of thirty minutes or more. At a steady pace, this is a mile or so each time, and dogs can be the most committed work out buddies, eagerly insisting on a timely workout each and every day, and only in the most pushy, delightfully adorable puppy way.

#5 Family Protection Your Family Can Trust

Protecting the family is the first thing on most parents’ minds. Whether this means getting an electronic home security system or choosing between a sling and a stone or an AR-16 is largely up to the protector. Despite the best efforts of a security company, in a home invasion situation, it is still going to take precious time for the police to arrive on-scene. Using a gun or other weapon can be an effective first line of defense, but pulling a gun can be dangerous, and guns require practice to be effective.

If the right breed is acquired, the family dog can be a more than just a more effective first line of defense. The right dog, with the right presence, can be such a deterrent for crime that it may never have to even have to be that first line of defense at all.

There are several breeds that possess the protection drive, and at the Kennel Birkline, we insist that the best family dog is both good with children and a insurmountable first line of defense. If called upon, a great security dog will spring into action, knowing what to do as if it had been trained for home defense all his life. Such are the individuals of certain breeds, namely the Doberman Pincher.

The right upbringing can produce a well-rounded family member and at the Kennel Birkline, we do everything we can to ensure every puppy is ready to be both cuddle-bug and body-guard appropriately.

So during this time, when COVID-19 has us backed into our houses, and it feels like quarantine may never end, it may just be the perfect time for that new puppy, for new memories and new hope. It’s time for the snuggles, the sweet smell of puppy breath, and positive COVID-19 memories. We deliver…