Absolutely yes, dogs are really time consuming. They are a lifelong responsibility and always need constant care and attention and a lot of time and patience, especially in the first months of their training, if you trained well your dog you gonna save much time later, which means a happy life without conflict. And if you can’t give much effort for their training in the beginning, better own an adult dog who is already trained for you.
Dogs really need to go out, explore the city and meet new dogs to socialize with, by taking them to the parks etc. Also they need to exercise everyday or at least a nice calm walk at night if you don’t have much time. They also need feeding, grooming, bathing, playing and more..
This not only costs time but also money, for instance if your dog become sick or feeling unwell, you have to take him to the veterinarian, which can costs a lot of money sometimes.
If you don’t want to do all this or you don’t have no time, then better to not own a dog.
How do you prepare for your new dog?
So you decided to bring a new dog home, congratulation! Now it’s time for the next step, preparing your home for your new coming friend, whether it’s a puppy or an adult dog who needs a loving home. Surely your new dog will be nervous and uncomfortable and that’s why you’ll need to make sure he’s as comfortable as possible. And as we said, owning a dog is time consuming, so it’s better to prepare your home before bringing it in.
If you are adopting an adult dog that is already house trained, your job will be more easier, but you still need to prepare other things anyway, such as the bedding, food (after asking the shelter or the breeder which food he has been eating), and some toys or chewy balls to keep your dog amused. There is also some extra stuff to purchase for your dog if you want, such as the bowls to eat from, treats, a leash and collar, grooming equipments and anything else you think he may need.
This apply to puppies as well, except puppies need other more things such as puppy pads and toilet paper, otherwise your time will be dedicated to cleaning up after your puppy, because puppies can pee and poo anywhere and they have no idea where is the right place to do it. Also puppies are much demanding, and you need to be around them and taking care of them in the first days after they arrived.
Another thing, you have also to dog proof your home and make sure your house is as safe as possible, cause a new dog in a new environment is bound to explore, eat inappropriate things which can be toxic and root through the trash or anything that smells exciting to them.
Should I Get A Puppy or an Adult Dog?
If you are thinking of getting a new dog home, but you don’t know what to get and having troubles making a decision whether to bring a puppy or an adult dog, go ahead and read as we help you specify what’s the best for you.
- On the one hand, Puppies are cute as a bug’s ear, and it’s often the most popular choice for new dog owners, getting a puppy instead of an adult dog gives you the opportunity to train him and build its personality. But getting a puppy requires from you a lot of patience and time by playing with them and taking care of them, also puppies need to be with you most of the time so that they can feel comfortable, that’s why if you have a family and children a puppy will be better for you.
– A quick tip: do not bring home a puppy under 2 months old, which is a big mistake that many new owners make. - On the other hand, an adult dog will be already trained what makes it easy for you and save you some time (there will be no cleaning up carpets from puppy dirt and so). Also an adult dog is already big and stopped growing in contrary to puppies, and there will be no surprises. Also it will save you some cash, for example if you buy a dog house for your puppy, you’ll need to buy another that fits his size when he grows up.
– A quick tip: When you bring an adult dog home, give them love and take care of them and soon they will adore you.
Should You Get A Female or a Male dog?
This is a question that many people who want to own a new dog ask, so we hope you can be able to answer it after reading this!
– There’s really no big differences in the way they look, except their Gonads and Genital Tract of course, and the male dog tends to be larger in size, that’s all.
– But there’s some other differences, a female dog tends to reach maturity faster than the male dog, the thing that makes it easy for both of you when it comes to training. And females are also better at socializing with other pets.
– Also some people think that the male dog is more aggressive while the female is more affectionate, yes this can be true, but only to some dog breeds! Also this can be changed of course because your dog’s behavior or personality depends on how you will raise and train him.
– If you like breeding and you have plans to do it later when your puppy grows up, well a female can be better for you (where the mating can be done with just a friend’s dog for example).
– A quick tip: it’s important for you to choose the gender of your new dog who will adapts with you better and don’t choose according to the availability or the price, otherwise you might be disappointed later.
Should I Get A Purebred dog or a Mutt?
This is another question that confuse many new dog owners.
– Well, dogs come in a variety of breeds and races, with different personalities, history etc.. And many are bred over many years for a specific duty. For example some are bred specifically to be guard dogs like the Doberman, Great Dan and Rottweiler, others are bred for hunting like the Weimaraner, Golden Retriever.. and some are bred for herding like the Border Collie and the Australian Shepherd, and some are bred just to sit, relax and look beautiful like the Siberian Husky, Akita and more..
– Many dog owners don’t know what to choose, a Pedigree (A dog that has purebred parents of the same breed and may be registered with a breed club like the Kennel Club) or a Crossbreed(A mixed breed dog that has purebred parents of 2 different breeds, also called dog hybrids, like the Puggle, a cross between a Beagle and a Pug) or a Mongrel (A dog who has unknown origins as a result of crossbreeding many different dog breeds).
– Choosing a Purebred (Pedigree) give you a chance to understand his real personality and discover some particularly unique breeds. Also Pedigrees can be healthy and smart animals, but there’s some disadvantages, some Pedigrees suffer from genetic health problems because they have been so over-bred, anyway it’s sad and painful to see them suffer not to mention the veterinarian’s costs. Also they often come from specialist breeders and the price can be very expensive.
– Unlike the Crossbreed dogs and the Mongrel dogs who are much healthier and do not require much visits to the veterinarians and don’t carry an expensive price tag. Also they are smarter than many purebred dogs, definitely not all of them.
Only one disadvantage, sometimes it can be very difficult to predict the temperament and the size of them.
Should I Get A dog from an animal shelter or a breeder?
-Another question that confuse many people, so here are some considerations to take before getting your new doggy home.
Many unwanted dogs end up in the animal shelter and sometimes they are euthanized if no new owner came to adopt them. A true fact to take into consideration when deciding what to choose, also if you choose to adopt a dog from the shelter, you are going to save 2 lives, the one of the dog you adopt and the space you open up for a new unwanted dog. Also it’s much less expensive to adopt than buy from a breeder. But there is one disadvantage which is you may not know the exact breed of your dog if it’s a mixed breed dog. Although there are many purebred dogs that end up as well in shelters.
-Some people have reasonable reasons to go to the breeder, for example wanting a specific dog race they like that cannot be found in the shelter. Also people with Asthma that are allergic to many dog breeds, they need to go to the breeder for specific breeds such as Yorkshire Terrier, Coton de Tulear and Shih Tzu.
The pros of getting a dog from a breeder:
- You know exactly the breed of your dog you’re getting and you can see their parents as well.
- The puppy will already come socialized.
- You can train and raise your puppy yourself and form his personality and behavior unlike if you adopt an adult dog from the shelter.
The cons of getting a dog from a breeder:
- Dogs from breeders are much more expensive than from a shelter.
- Finding a reputable breeder that runs his kennel well and looks after his animals can be a little difficult.
Anyway, this is just to help you know the difference between each situation, and it doesn’t mean that the dog you gonna adopt or buy doesn’t worth it, because a great dog can come from anywhere!
Finally, will you adopt a dog from a shelter or buy a puppy from a breeder? Please feel free to tell us in the comments section.
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