A dog makes for a wonderful companion. It can be an amazing addition to your home and your life. However, owning a dog is a serious responsibility. You need to commit yourself to your dog one hundred per cent. There are a number of things that you should consider before you decide to adopt a dog. The tips given below should help you arrive at a well informed decision.
1. Which breed of dog should you opt for?
This primarily depends on your own lifestyle. You should choose a dog that will be able to adapt well to your living conditions; one that you will be able to devote enough time and attention to.
• Smaller dogs are generally more sensitive and delicate and require more careful handling.
• Larger dogs usually require more space, more food, and maintaining them is more expensive.
• Some breeds need more exercise than others.
2. What age group are you looking at?
• If you are planning to adopt a pup, keep in mind that you will have to devote considerable attention to training it properly. The training stage requires a lot of patience and you need to be prepared to handle the mess around your house.
• Trained adult dogs are a better option if you are unsure of training the dog yourself, or if you want to know its temperament straightaway.
• You can also choose to adopt a senior dog, as they are usually overlooked. However, older dogs usually need more frequent medical attention and special care. But if you can adopt one, it is a really beautiful gift for the dog to give it a good home for its last years.
3. What are your responsibilities towards your dog?
Dogs need to be looked after. Not only do they have to be trained, they need regular exercise and medical checkups. They need to be given a proper diet as well. Dogs also require grooming; some breeds shed more hair than others. Some dogs drool a lot, while others require their ears to be cleaned frequently. Vaccinations, de-worming and regular medical check-ups are extremely important. You need to take into account the cost of all this and see if it viable for you to comfortably provide for your dog. Most importantly you need to make sure that you choose one that you can give enough time and attention. Dogs of more active breeds can even develop behavioral problems if they are not given attention.
4. What adjustments will you have to make?
Your choice will depend on your living and family conditions, particularly if you have kids, or other pets in the house. If you or anyone in your family is allergic, you should check out hypoallergenic breeds. If you live alone you need to look for someone to look after your dog when you are not around. Dogs need to be exercised according to their activity level. They need to be fed at regular times. Consider the cost of dog food, medical treatment, grooming etc and calculate if it is affordable for you or not.
Make sure you do a thorough background research on how having a dog will modify your life. If you are up for it though, having a dog is one of the best feelings you could possibly hope for.
Leave a Reply