How to Prepare Yourself as a New Dog Owner

Welcoming a new pet into your family can be much like welcoming a new person into your family. Pets, for many, are substitute humans, and as such they are revered and treated like a member of the family. Preparing yourself to welcome a new member into your family unit can be a bit of an adjustment but will certainly be worth it. If you are getting a new dog, there is a lot you should know, and a lot you probably don’t know. You should make sure, firstly, that nobody in your family has allergies, and secondly, that you are ready for a dog.

Many people get a dog, find they are too rambunctious and chaotic, then unfortunately have to give the dog away, which is a very cruel and a nasty thing to do. If you cannot handle a dog, then simply do not get one. Weigh it up properly first before you jump into it and get a dog, to spare it the heartache, and spare yourself the heartache. Having to get rid of a pet can be soul destroying and worrying where your fluffy friend will end up can make it even worse. 

Prepare yourself properly and be ready. Here is how you can prepare yourself as a new dog owner.

Pick Your Breed Carefully

When picking a dog, it is important that you pick your breed carefully. You should not purchase a Doberman or an Alsatian if you live in a studio flat, for that is silly, and the dog and you will suffer. You should pick your breed according to your availability to take it out on walks; the size of your home, and what your family genuinely want. Some people are not big dog people, and because of that, will suffer if you bring in a huge dog that will be bouncing around and making a racket. The professionals from Petz have compiled many guides to help advise new dog owners in their selection, be sure to check out theirs, or one similar, to help you to find the dog breed for you. You should also make sure that when buying your dog, that you buy from a respectable and reputable dog breeder, as if you do not, you can find that your breeder has not bred out diseases and illnesses that can prove detrimental to your puppy.

Decide Whether to Adopt or Buy New

When buying a dog, one of the most important things to prepare for is the nature of how you will get your dog. By adopting a dog, you will be giving a dog a second chance at life, as very often dogs who are not adopted will go on to be put down and will not find a new home, nor be given a second chance at life. By rehoming a dog you will be doing the animal a great service, and by choosing a brand-new puppy, a huge disservice. Weigh up the pros and cons and think about it carefully. By buying a new puppy, on the contrary, you will be introducing a friend you will know and grow with intimately. By getting a new puppy, your puppy will grow as you grow, and age with you – many rehomed dogs are already quite aged and set in their ways, but by getting a new puppy you will be giving it a quality of life, it would not have had before and on top of that allowing you to teach it and train it according to how you want to train it and teach it!

Be Prepared for Exercise

When getting a new dog you should be prepared for a lot of exercise. Whether you're-home or take a new puppy, you will have to run around all over the place, from chasing your dog through the fields when it gets off its leash, to chase it down main roads when it escapes through the front door! You can end up chasing your dog everywhere and anywhere, so make sure you are prepared for a whole lot of exercise, as with a new dog, you can be sure that is exactly what you will be doing, all of the time! You will also have to take your dog on daily, sometimes twice daily walks, so you should make sure you are prepared and ready to do that, as it may not seem like much of a requirement, for many it can quickly become a chore.

When you get a dog, make sure you treat it fairly and with compassion. Our animals rely on us for their well being, and without us, they would not be able to survive. We must be fair, loving, and ever-compassionate and forgiving of their shortcomings.