Adopting a dog is a wonderful feeling. For some people, the feeling you get when you introduce your furry little friend into the home is equivalent to that of bringing your newborn into your home for the first time. However, it’s a lot less maintenance and less costly than raising a child, which is why dog ownership is so popular nowadays. It’s a fantastic way to introduce a new member of the family, and children are usually great with pets.
Sadly, you can’t just go to a pet store and then instantly bring home a dog—it doesn’t work like that. You need to ensure that your family are well-prepared and stocked so that your dog has the best chance of fitting in without any issues. So to help you out, here’s a list of things that you should get in order before even heading to the pet store.
Research dogs and breeds
With so many dogs around, you need to ensure that you get one that has a personality that will fit in your family. For instance, Akita dogs are courageous and extremely loyal, while Pugs tend to be more suitable for apartments due to their smaller size and ease of care. Pugs are also friendly towards strangers and are affectionate towards family members, making them perfect for first-time dog owners. Another popular breed (thanks to how often you see them on the internet) is the Shiba Inu. These are bold dogs with fiery personalities. They’re not great around strangers, but they’re fine being home alone which is perfect for owners that regularly have to leave the house.
Find a local veterinarian
You’re going to need to take your canine friend to the vet every now and then for shots, check-ups and for any medical conditions they might develop or have. Because of this, you should find yourself a veterinarian as soon as possible. Connect with them, speak to them about their rates to see if it’s affordable for you and make sure you converse with them about dogs to learn a bit more. You might be able to pick up useful bits of information such as what breeds they specialise in (if any) and how to generally take care of your new dog.
General affordability
You need money to take care of a dog, which is why you also need to consider the financial viability of having a dog. No one wants to have to give up their dog because they simply can’t provide it with enough food and medical care to look after it, so ensure you’re able to afford everything from dog food to paying the medical bills and buying accessories and toys for them. If you want to treat your dog with something like duck jerky dog treats made in the USA, then you need to be prepared financially. If you want your dog to be trained professionally instead of winging it with articles you’ve read on the internet, then again, you need to be prepared financially.