Dog ownership is super fun mixed with some serious business, and lotsa responsibilities. Inviting a dog or a puppy into your home and life is a wonderfully compassionate gesture. It’s always an exciting time when you hear those magical words “OK let’s get a Puppy!”
For me it’s almost like winning a super jackpot – but better!!! Just the thought of being a new dog owner always gives me butterflies in my belly. Before we even brought our little 7 pound grey goblin home, we had planned and prepped for her arrival for over 2 years. We always knew we wanted a female, we just took our time and searched for the right dog. In fact, our puppy’s name had already been chosen years ago. Whenever we would say “How about we get her for our future dog?” it was already replaced with the name, Halle. It might sound a little over the top but it’s true. All the puppy essentials were all on stand by: the squeaky toys, plushy blankets, collars and leads, organic treats and doggy bags. Her tiny pink Kong was all set up in the crate awaiting her jaws of death.
Looking back, I give the Home Integration Welcome Package that Mom & Dad prepared an A+! – Halle
Our family, friends and neighbors were all informed and excited to see what kind of little rebel we brought home. Just thinking about bringing home our pet dog still moves me to tears. Dogs are the greatest creatures on earth. Truly! They bring liveliness, positive radiant energy and unconditional love to whoever they meet. They have such innocent souls and they have so much to give and to teach.
“You haven’t experienced life abundantly
until you’ve lived with a dog.” – Asia
Being a new dog owner is one thing, but practicing responsible dog ownership is completely different.
For every happy family that lovingly welcomes home a new dog, there’s another loving family that needs to urgently get rid of one. Scour the Saturday papers or online classifieds such as Craigslist and you’ll immediately find adds that read:
- “Puppy needs a home (FREE)”
- “I don’t want to give this dog away but my new job involves traveling…”
- “I love my new puppy but he’s got to go in 24 hours.”
- “I don’t have time to feed him!”
Being a new dog owner is very different from watering a plant or feeding the neighborhood squirrels. It’s a different kind of caring on a different level. I can’t stress the amount of responsibilities a dog, especially a puppy, requires. Think of how much work a 2 year-old toddler requires. It’s not that different with a pup.
Yet the majority of people who decide on bringing a new dog home simply think of the immediate benefits like the cuddles, licks, playtime, short walks and loving moments. They think in the fun of the now and most don’t ever consider the later. What they should be thinking about are all the variables that encompass responsible dog ownership. What happens when that cutesy 15-pound German Shepherd grows up to become a 100-pound oversized cuddle bear? Do you have enough space in your house or life for him?
I flare up when I hear that someone has to get rid of a perfect dog because of their own mistakes or decisions. Dogs often end up paying the price for human errors. Dog owners need to consider all the variables when it comes to bringing a new dog home.
There are plenty of online lists and common questions that are suggested by breeders, shelters and dog owners or asked by friends and family. I’ve decided to stray as much I could from the obvious and shed some light on some of the alternately important questions before you consider becoming a new dog owner.
We all know the top 3 reasons dogs get dropped off at shelters: a new baby, moving and money problems.
Here is a growing list of some of the not-so-obvious questions, the ‘what ifs’ you need to ask yourself that go beyond picking the right puppy or breed.
Remember there’s no right or wrong answer, I just want you to consider the following before deciding to become dog owners.
01. What if I have to move to a new place that doesn’t allow dogs?
02. What will I do if I’m too busy to take care of him?
03. What if I lose my Job?
04. What will I do with the dog when I have to leave on vacation?
05. What if I become too busy?
06. What if I have an accident?
07. What if we find out that we’re expecting a new baby or another baby?
08. What if I get married?
09. What if I can’t afford a dog anymore?
10. What if I get a new roommate?
11. What if I get a new girlfriend or boyfriend?
12. What if I just don’t want a dog anymore?
13. What if the neighbors are complaining?
14. What if I don’t like this dog?
15. What if I don’t like living with a dog anymore?
16. What if my schedule is booked up?
17. What if I don’t know how to train him?
18. What if he doesn’t listen to me?
19. What if my dog gets very sick and I can’t afford it?
20. What if someone in my family got sick?
21. What if my new dog doesn’t get along with my present dog?
22. What if someone in the household is allergic to dogs?
23. What if he keeps jumping on the kids?
24. What if he develops a disease that requires life long therapy and medications?
25. What if I already have two dogs, would a third be too many?
26. What if he displays aggression towards me, other dogs, children or strangers?
27. What if I don’t know how to potty train?
28. What if I don’t have the time or patience to potty train?
29. What if I don’t want to buy a crate?
30. What if I didn’t know he would get so big so fast?
31. What if I don’t want the dog to ruin my expensive furniture or carpets?
32. What if I can’t afford an operation?
33. What if I never realized how messy dogs could be?
34. What if I don’t want to groom my dog?
35. What if I don’t like all that hair around the house?
36. What if my house is too small for a dog?
37. What if I don’t have a yard?
38. What if I don’t like taking walks?
39. What if the kids move out?
40. What if I come home late at night?
41. What if I love to travel?
42. What if the kids don’t want to take care of the dog?
43. What if I suddenly become ill?
44. What if I didn’t know my dog was a high-energy breed and I can’t keep up?
Again, it’s not about right or wrong. It’s about being aware and having a plan A and of course, a plan B. For example, if you don’t have a backyard that doesn’t mean you cannot have a dog. There are other ways to properly exercise and give your dog some fresh air, like taking your him to the park, the country or to local dog runs.
“With Weimaraners, you actually need a Plan C, D all the way up to W cause we throw curve balls daily. We’re endearing that way!” – Halle
Let’s Not Get Paranoid…
I’m not trying to scare you into NOT getting a dog. I just want you to think about your next 5 and 10 years and assess if your lifestyle is compatible with the love and needs of a furry companion. No doubt, life can be unpredictable. But as long as you have most of the ‘what ifs’ covered then you will be way better off dealing with the ‘unexpecteds’ whenever they pop up.
The most important takeaway I want you to get from this article is that bringing a new dog into your home is a very big decision. It’s not like buying a new LCD Television. For your sake and your dog’s sake, I just want you to ask yourself some of the really hard questions that pertain to YOU and your lifestyle.
Let’s keep building the not so obvious ‘what if’ list together. I want to find as many as we can think of so that we can help keep beautiful dogs and puppies as far away from shelters and potentially irresponsible dog owners as possible. I invite you to share your dog ownership ponderables with all of our beloved HBD readers.
Please leave your Comments below.
|
|
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post! Well written! Definitely some very good things for anyone/everyone to ponder to make sure they are prepared and able to be the best pet parent they can be. It’s a lifetime commitment, a member of the family, not some fad toy or accessory!
Jennifer you said it best!!!
What worries me the most it that Christmas is just around the corner and that means more spontaneous puppy buys :(
You said it! I personally adopted my dog Aspen from a friend who got Aspen as a gift for her kids. I had my reservations when she first adopted Aspen. My friend is not a pet person at all.
Soon after she got Aspen, she went through a lot of personal turmoil. Through this tough time for my friend, she realized she could not take care of three kids and a dog. Poor little Aspen totally suffered for it too.
Every time I would go to my friend’s house, Aspen would be lying in her crate with the door closed craving for attention – which it seemed I was the only one who ever gave her any.
So, to make a long story not so long… my friend one day sent out a mass email looking for a new home for Aspen. She never said anything to me like she wanted to give her away, so I was completely surprised.
I immediately told her not to do anything. I said I would talk to my husband and see if we could take her for a weekend as trial period. Well, needless to say… she never left.
We went through about six months of hard obedience training with her, but in the end it was worth it. Aspen is a much happier dog now. She still has her days… we’ve been working on leash training for a year now… she’s not a polite walker at all. But she listens really well, she’s great with kids, she’s very loving, and most recently, she is working her way up the rungs in agility.
Like Caser Millan says… you don’t get dog you want, you get the dog you need.
Hi Patti welcome to HBD :)
Aspen is a lucky girl – We’re so happy that you guys ended up adopting her.
Is she a an OPP (Obnoxious Persistent Puller) or a Barking Buffoon when you take her on walks?
Keep it up with the positive training and leash walks, she’ll come around!
All that hard work is gonna pay off 100 times.
Wags from Halle :P
This is a subject that really gets me riled up. We have five pets, and this is actually our second round! (Had a beautiful tabby cat for 17 years and a golden retriever for 14) We love our pets like family because they ARE family, and people who get a dog and then run screaming the first time there are footprints on the carpet make me crazy.
There are so many dogs that need great homes, but the things you point out in this article are so important.
Absolutely agree with ya Debbie!!! The questions have to be asked because most new owners don’t commit themselves to addressing or understanding many of the ponderables listed until they find themselves unhappy about the situation… which is unfair to the puppy/dog. :(
Carpets and damaged furniture is generally a space management problem and giving your dog free run of the house without grasping the fundamentals is a responsibility new dog parents should shoulder not the dog!
As Asia pointed out in the article, there’s No right or wrong answer, it’s all about awareness and knowing what you’re getting yourself into…
Great comment Debbie… and great to see ya on HBD! :)
It is a very difficult to take all those potentially reasonable questions in consideration when deciding to get the dog because all those questions fall down when we take a look at those incredible animals.
I believe that every problem that might come along the way can be solved if we are truly loyal to our dogs,even if it means that we will have to make sacrifices.
When we are in bond with our dogs all those questions are fading and in that case our fears begin to lose their power and that creates positive thinking that leads to positive events,a little bit of secret in action,and have such a power to make us forget the bad things.
Thank God for that!