Ideally we would like for everything in life to be perfect, including the new puppy we buy. Beforehand we have preconceived ideas about how the puppy will look and how it will act and interact and what it will be like when it grows up. Of course, ideally we would also like the perfect spouse and the perfect kids, etc. Unfortunately we live in the real world where virtually nothing is perfect, regardless of preconceived idealisms.

I have been amazed by things some puppy buyers have done, which is why at this point I feel compelled to write this commentary.

A friend of mine has now adopted several puppies who were abandoned because they did not measure up to their new owners' expectations. She has taken in several purebred shelties that were abandoned by their owners because the puppy was growing to be larger than what they wanted. NEWS FLASH - buyers should always do their homework before buying any puppy, to learn about potential sizes, mannerisms, breed-specific traits, etc. Although many people may view purebred shelties as being a small breed of dog, in actuality shelties come in three sizes, and the large-sized shelties may reach an adult weight of close to 40 lbs. Is size a reason to abandon a puppy? I think not!

I am amazed at the lack of commitment some people have to caring for a puppy into its elderly years until it reaches a point where its body is too worn out to continue living. Have you seen the movie "Marley & Me?" That's reality. It isn't always going to be a smooth ride. Health problems will come, sometimes sooner rather than later.

In 2001 our then eight year old chow mix dog Wally developed diabetes and required two shots of insulin a day. Did I abandon him or have him put down? NO! I continued to take responsibility for him, because that's what a responsible pet owner does and because I loved him that much. He lived another five years, and the vet told me it was amazing he lasted that long, because dogs with diabetes usually only last about another two years. Within two years of his diabetes, he increasingly became blind, but got around relatively well. Again, I did not abandon him just because he had become blind. I continued to take care of him. Only after he had a stroke and could no longer get up, THEN was the time to have him put to sleep, the humane thing to do when he was beyond living a quality life.

We had another dog to develop allergies who also later became blind. Did we abandon him or have him put down? NO! We continued to take responsibility for him, because that's what a responsible pet owner does and because we loved him that much.

Recently I learned of a couple who had a dog put down because they were tired of dealing with her allergies. I am appalled.

A former friend had both their dog and cat put down because they were moving to a new house and decided they didn't want pets anymore. Again, I am deeply appalled.

The reality is there is no such thing as a perfect puppy, and I hate to burst your bubble, but that is just plain reality, people. Even if the parent dogs are in seemingly perfect health, recessive genes can always play in and result in abnormalities that may not initially be readily obvious.

Bottom line, if you're not prepared to commit for the long haul, then don't get a puppy at all. Be prepared to commit to the puppy through thick and thin, no matter what. The puppy is depending on you for that, and you owe it that much. Don't let it down.