What to Buy Your New Dog for Christmas

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     Adding a dog to your family can bring much joy to your life, but also requires a financial commitment that can really add up! Here are some puppy dog necessities that you will want to consider purchasing that can add to the cost of bringing a new dog into the family.

Dog Toys
Mental exercise is definitely necessary for helping your dog develop and be stimulated. Dog toys are also great for helping train your Christmas pup to listen. Make sure you get a dog toy that your dog loves though! It may be helpful that you have your dog with you in the store to help you pick out the toy! On a side note, dog toys can also really help with seasonal affective disorder.

Dog Beds
When thinking about dog beds and factoring the price, you must also think of how long that bed will last! Make sure to check what the dog bed is filled with as certain fillings become a haven for fleas, mites, and dirt, and tend to be thrown away in less than a year. A memory foam dog bed is excellent because they last a long time, do not tend to collect dirt, are naturally not a desirable place for mites and fleas, and most of all, make your money last longer!

Dog Food
Dog food is a reoccurring cost of owning a dog. If you decide to purchase organic, holistic, or natural dog food, while affordable, they may double or triple the expenditures on dog food for your puppy dog.

Pet Care
Having a veterinarian examine your new dog before you bring your pup home to its new house can help protect any other animals you have already. Getting check-ups, flea and tick medication like Frontline, and yearly or initial shots for your puppy dog can add hundreds onto the cost of owning a dog per year. The regular purchase of flea and tick medications like Frontline are also cost that reoccur monthly.

Pet Insurance
If you want to insure your pets health, there are many pet insurance companies out there that can give you peace of mind that you will be able to take care of the needs of your dog in an emergency. These monthly cost can save you money in the long run if your dog acquires any unfortunate and expensive health emergency.

Dog Collars
Dog collars can last a long time or a very short period depending on the wear and tear it receives! There are all types of dog collars and dog harnesses and a great many materials they use to make dog collars. Neoprene is a great material for dog harnesses, especially when the dog is a retriever or tends to go in the salt water a lot.

Dog Training
It is an odd position to be in, knowing that you love your dog and want to treat him as an equal capable of making choices, but they aren't. Some of us seem to be more capable than others at training a dog to listen and obey our demands. If you are not comfortable training your dog, there are dog boarding schools and behavioral classes that can help train your dog to be obedient and a positive member of your household.

Your pet is a lot like having a baby, they depend 100% on you to take care of them and in return they provide companionship and hopefully love.