Are you ready to have your first dog?
Keep two things in mind: First and foremost, puppies require your undivided attention. Second, they will be with you for a long time, so expect a long-term commitment.
Welcoming a new puppy into your home is always a delightful experience. Dogs are excellent life companions, and their eagerness to show unconditional love to their owners is endless.
Undoubtedly, puppies are the best addition to your family, but it also requires several commitments. Being a pet parent is not just cuddles and games of fetch. Like any relationship, it takes time, communication, and sacrifices to give your four-legged friend a healthy and happy life.
So here are the top six things you should consider before welcoming a new furry friend into your home.
Table of Contents
1. Choosing the Right Breed
Buying or adopting the right pooch isn’t simple. Every breed has its unique personality. So, take your time and ask yourself questions to decide which dog breed perfectly suits your lifestyle and needs. It is an essential step towards becoming a dog owner because most dogs end up in shelters due to the mismatch between the owner’s lifestyle and the dog.
Small dogs are great for small apartments. The basic needs like food, pet supplies, and vet visits are less expensive. If your pace of life does not allow you to have excessive time to play and take your pet for long walks, it is better that you lean towards the small breed with a quiet character. Medium and large dog breeds often need more exercise to channel all their energy, which takes time and effort on your part, so this is important to keep this in mind before choosing the right breed.
Consider your requirements. Do you need a guard dog that will look after your home or a family dog, a companion that will stay with you and love to be around you all day and remain gentle and patient with your young children? Not all breeds are suitable for everyone, so you should base your choice on several factors.
Another key factor is the hair coat type. Dogs with longer hair require regular grooming; trips to the groomer can be a bit expensive too. If you can take care of their grooming and shedding, then go for it. Otherwise, choose a breed with a smaller hair coat.
2. Time Consuming
Puppies are very much like having kids; they need a lot of care and attention. Ideally, your cute canine is going to take a chunk of your time off of your daily schedule.
Feeding a young puppy is really tricky. You must feed them up four to five times a day, and every time your puppy eats, it needs to poop.
Are you ready to compromise with your sleep? Yes, it’s important to know when getting a puppy, you will lose sleep. Puppies often wake up at night for several reasons, so you will have to sacrifice a lot of your time and energy for your pooch.
Puppies need training, and this is not something that will take effect in a single day, week, or month; you must dedicate your time and be persistent for the best results.
Taking care of your puppy’s grooming and hygiene is your puppy’s basic need to stay clean and healthy. So, consider whether you have the time and patience for your dog’s grooming.
3. Responsibility
A puppy’s life requires an intense commitment. From the moment you adopt a puppy, your travel and vacation plans will be influenced by your pet.
Puppies cannot be left alone for a long time, and they can even harm themselves if left unsupervised, so there should be someone to take care of your dog in your absence.
Puppies can be destructive anytime, so it needs a lot of patience to teach them how to behave, establish boundaries and be socialized. So, buckle up for this ride and be patient to create a memorable and close bond with your pup.
Owning a dog and sharing your life with them is a rewarding experience, but it is also a responsibility to be taken seriously. It has its ups and downs but having a puppy makes your life even better.
4. Training and Exercise Needs
Just like children, puppies don’t naturally know how to cope with an unfamiliar situation. When you finally bring a young puppy home, they leave a mark on your life, scratches on your furniture, and teeth marks on your favourite pair of sneakers.
They might also leave stains on your rug with toilet incidents. Extensive training is the only way to remove these habits from your dogs, and training helps you manage your puppy’s behaviour.
A dog is a social animal and an energetic one. Regular exercise is essential for your puppy’s physical and mental health. Playing games, running, or going for a walk are great exercises for dogs, and it is also an excellent way to keep them active and utilize all their energy inside them. Like humans, dogs also love being familiar, taking your dog for a walk also helps them socialize with other people and dogs.
So, it is recommended to start socializing and training your puppy as soon as you get them home.
5. Cost of Raising a Puppy
Getting a puppy can be rewarding, but it is no walk in the park. The initial cost of raising a puppy can be extremely high, so make sure you have access to enough funds to give your furry friends the most fun experience.
They require healthy food, pet supplies like a bed, collar, leash, pee pads, toys, and other accessories. You will also have frequent vet visits for several reasons like vaccines, complications caused due to change in season, or case of any emergencies.
That said, getting a puppy is a beautiful experience, but you need to take care of everything and should plan your expenses before bringing home a canine companion. You will have to take care of them from the time they are puppies until they get old.
6. From where to get the right puppy type
Once you are sure you and your family are ready to accommodate its first puppy, the next step is to find where you can get puppies. Find an experienced dog breeder with a good reputation and an understanding of several types of dog breeds. They will help you get the breed of puppy you desire and tell you everything important to take care of your canine and will be your guide through the complete process.
Once you have picked up the puppy, the breeder should provide you with some essential documents, such as the registration certificate, the purchase agreement, and a certificate of vet review. If the puppy has been vaccinated, they must also give you the vaccination certificate and deworming schedule.
You should ensure that your puppy is at least eight weeks of age before it comes home. A responsible breeder will not send you home with a puppy that is less than two months old. Many people are now going to adopt a dog instead of buying one, and it is way cheaper than buying a dog from breeders.
You can go to your nearest shelter home and adopt one; you can check online as there are dedicated organizations who regularly work to re-home pooches who were either abandoned or were stray and take care of all their requirements.
They also help you with the dog selection process, and if you have any specific breeds in your mind, they can help you find them. Give shelter to a dog that needs you as much as you need them.
Curb the practise of unethical puppy mills where dogs are forced to breed to sell young puppies.
Dogs have received the title of Man’s Best Friend, and it’s undeniable how much they make our lives better. There have been studies that show that having a dog is beneficial for us humans’ physical and mental health.
But bringing your first dog home is quite a responsibility, and you need to be ready as they will be completely reliant on you for all their needs. They will become a huge part of your daily life and give you all their love.
