Getting a new dog can often be like considering when to start a family. Use this list of helpful tips to assure you are ready and choose wisely! A pet dog is often a great addition to your lifestyle, with many added benefits including encouraging you to be more active because a dog needs that daily walk. However, while there might never be an exact right time to add a new “best friend” to your life, there are some considerations that you need to think about. With that in mind, here are some of them.
What Dog is a Good Fit?
One of the first things that you may need to decide upon is what sort of dog would suit your life, the place you live and your current lifestyle. It is all well and good loving a big and energetic dog like a Labrador, for example, but if you live in a tiny apartment in the inner city, it may not be the right sort of dog for you. Think about the size of home and the area to make an informed choice. The New Dog Survival Guide online has the following Dog Breed Selector pdf which can be helpful.
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From New Dog Survival Guide
Financial Considerations
There is, of course, always going to be added pressure to your finances, so you need to ensure that you take that into consideration when it comes to getting a new dog in your life. From the food they eat each day, the bed they sleep in and the toys they have to the treats and chews they will have. This is when websites like healthy-chews.com can come in handy for things such as treats. Knowing the costs will help you to decide whether or not it is affordable to have a dog be part of your life. One thing we’ve never regreted and that has helped to give us piece of mind and save money in the long run is pet insurance. We use the one below.
Time Alone
Another thing to think about would be how long the dog may be left on their own during the day. This has much to do with your work schedule so consider how long you are out of the house, versus what flexibility you have during the day to visit home, walk the dog or let them have some time outside. If you can’t change your schedule then factor in the use of a dog walking service or sitter to give you a helping hand.
We’ve got a great post with printable on How to Potty Train a Dog to use a Bell and How to Make one.
Divide Up Responsible
The one thing you don’t want is all the responsibility… if you have a partner or even children as part of the family. So decide early on if others are going to be part of the general care and the day to day looking after the dog. This could be things such as dog walking or being responsible for ensuring they always have fresh water, for example.
Positive Changes to Your Life
Finally, there are many benefits to having a pet dog and one of the most important and meaningful among them can be the companionship you experience as well as the positive changes it can make to your lifestyle. You may find that you are much more active each day because of regular dog walking, or less likely to be staying out or away because you want to be home.
Let’s hope these tips and suggestions help you to decide if a pet dog is right for you.
