Are You Really Ready to Get a Dog?

Dogs are wonderful companions. Having a special four-legged
friend greeting you at the door when you get home every day,
wagging his tail and making his doggy smile at you is an instant
mood-brightener. I even get a greeting when I come back from the
mailbox. But the decision to get a dog or a puppy is not one to
make in haste. Dogs live an average from 10 to 15 years, so you
have over a decade of responsibility. Are you ready to make that
kind of commitment? Let’s look at some important considerations:

Who will be the primary caretaker?

It is nice to think that, since your kids are begging for a dog,
they are ready to take on the responsibility of feeding and
walking him daily. Although it may seem fun to them for a while,
when the excitement fades it will likely seem more like a chore.
The truth is Mom and Dad are usually the primary feeders,
waterers, walkers, and pooper scoopers. Is this something you
are prepared for?

Your puppy will need potty training.

Potty training is crucial, and it does take some time, patience,
and consistency. Puppies have small bladders and will need to go
potty in the night. In the beginning of potty training, you are
likely to be up somewhere between two and four in the morning to
take your puppy out. Luckily, this stage is fairly short, and
soon your dog should be able to hold it through the night. There
will still be accidents to clean up as your dog learns to “tell”
you when he has to go.

Your dog will need house training. He or she needs to know what
appropriate or acceptable behavior is. Your puppy needs to learn
not to chew your shoes, jump on people or the furniture, or bark
excessively, and most of all, to come when called. This takes
time and patience and maybe some outside help with a group dog
training class or private sessions with a professional dog
trainer. You are doing yourself and your dog a huge disservice
if you neglect training him properly.

Do you have kids?

If your children are very young, they may not understand that
your puppy is a living creature and not a stuffed animal. Are
you sure your kids won’t be pulling your dog’s tail, dragging it
around, or picking it up and then dropping it? If your kids are
older, it is not a problem, but it is important that they learn
how to handle your dog and that your dog obeys them just he
obeys you.

Consider the costs involved.

Yearly shots and exams can add up, and your dog will need to be
spayed or neutered. Plus most dogs will need heartworm
prevention medication and flea medication, depending on where
you live. Just like people, when dogs grow older they may
develop age-related conditions such as arthritis that can
require more frequent vet visits, as well as medications. There
are also potential emergency situations. My dog broke her toe
during a scuffle at a dog park (I recommend you avoid those
places, by the way) and it was a bigger ordeal and expense than
you would have imagined. A cast for a broken toe?

What will you do with your dog when you go on vacation?

Ideally you have a family member or friend who can take care of
your dog if you go away for a weekend or on a longer vacation.
But if you don’t, you will likely need to arrange for a
professional pet sitter or a kennel, which can get rather
costly. And dogs hate kennels (at least mine does).
Alternatively, more and more people bring their dogs along on
holiday. There are increasing numbers of hotels and motels and
vacation places that will allow dogs and even offer special “pet
packages” for your pooch.

This discussion is not meant to discourage you from getting a
dog, but you do need to make sure you know what you are getting
into. I am crazy about my dog and can’t imagine life without
her. Dogs can be great fun and bring a lot of pleasure into your
life, but it is not always a walk in the proverbial park
(although my dog would like to think so).