Perfectly normal! A puppy is a LOT of work and responsibility, and you're just being realistic.

I would be SO MUCH more concerned about the new puppy owner that thought a puppy was going fun, fun, fun (it will be) and all lollipops and rainbows (it won't!).

Also, your maternal instincts are kicking in, a good thing! That hyper-vigilance will come in handy.

Hi Courtney, I am hoping I did not make you feel pressured into answering questions, I just wanted to make sure you have been thinking of those things, often young people see the fun and not realize the work involved. Puppies are work, especially puppies like yorkies because they are prone to be harder to housebreak. There is also the chewing and the barking if crated, which most puppies need to be.

Since you said you live with your parents and for so long your mom said no, I have to ask is she as excited as you are? I hope so because as much as you want to think of this as your dog it really will be more of a family pet. When you are not home with Miley whoever is in the house will be responsible, so if the dog is barking, having accidents and so forth others will be dealing with it as well. Since it's their house it is probably their rules, their furniture, their carpet and so forth that could be getting chewed or stained. When I got my first yorkie I lived alone so it was all up to me. However eventually I married and while my husband loves the dogs he has never been keen on taking care of them and since some were harder to deal with then others he would complain. One of my past yorkies, Kirby, would not settle down unless I was home, my husband needs a lot of sleep, so if I went out with friends and did not come home by his bedtime around 10 PM he would be upset because the dog was up and down off the bed, in and out of the room barking at the front door, barking at the bedroom door if he shut it. So eventually I just had to make sure I never stayed out past 10 and if I traveled without my husband I always took the dog to a yorkie sitter. Kirby was paper trained and my husband did not like dealing with cleaning that area up so if I was gone to long I would often return to pee on the floor. Now Lola is a breeze and we do not have issues like that with her, but each dog is soooooooo different. I have some friends that had a son return home with a min pin, the dog was very badly behaved and they finally said you either get rid of the dog or move out, the dog had to go since the son had no funds to live on his own. LOL I know I sound like a naysayer, but I have gone only one year out of the last 30 without a little furbutt, so you know I love having one, I just want you to understand that at this point in your life any pup you bring in will be a family pet and if your family is not all on board with it, you will have your work cut out to keep peace between pup and mom. I hope your mom is as excited as you are because this could be something wonderful for you both to share, and often if she is not as excited at first the pup will turn her around, so LOL you might have a fight on your hand if and when the time comes for you to take your dog and move out. I really do hope everything works out well because I can tell emotionally you are ready

It's not fair but it does sometimes happen, even if we don't think it will. It's good you are thinking hard about this now and realizing how much your life will change. There will be things you just can't do with a young dog at home and things you'll have to forego. The expense for vet care can be quite staggering - literally and figuratively. I almost fainted over on one-night's ER vet hospital stay quote. Felt myself growing weak in the knees. $750.00 to start and go from there. Wound up at $1200.00 with tests and medications to take with us and that total bill for that particular illness of aspirate pneumonia was $2,000.00! Vet thought he was probably eating something, swallowed "funny", reverse sneezed at the time and aspirated - boom - got pneumonia. Then that blossomed into a flurry of tummy trouble, in part due to his meds and things so it was more money still.

The upside of having a dog is huge and outweighs everything else for most but not for all so it is admirable to give it lots of thought and think through in advance how you'll be handling many things that come up.

I am betting your mom will fall in love with Miley once she is home yorkies are so lovable

The only reason she ever said no to a dog was because I never took care of the other pets I had (a bird and a hamster). I always told her these were not "real" pets and not a pet I could really interact with nor where they pets that I wanted. I dogsit a yorkie named Lily. She is absolutely in LOVE with Lily so I know she'll adore Miley.

well that is great to hear then, glad she is a doggie lover as well. can't wait to see the photos once you get her home

I understand what you're saying.

My daughter is 22. She's been away at university for the past 5 years. Each of those years, she's wanted a dog. Freshman year, she bought & snuck a hamster into her dorm for company, but it just wasn't the same as a dog.

She just graduated last month & has started a new job with great pay & some flexibility in her daily schedule, meaning she can go home for a long lunch if she wants. So, she's buying herself a puppy. She is so beyond excited! But, she questions if she's ready to raise a pup by herself, be completely responsible for it, & train it herself. She's just questioning because she's never done it yet, but I know she has the skills to do it. If she didn't question herself, like you are, then I'd be concerned, because she wouldn't appreciate the gravity of what she's about to take on.

The fact that you're thinking about the impact having a pup will have on your life, shows that you're understanding what's involved in taking care of a pup and are aware of the commitment it takes to be a responsible pet owner.

Congratulations! I'm sure you'll be an awesome mommy :)

THANK YOU! that was very encouraging and I'm so glad to see that not all think i'm crazy haha