Congratulazioni! Sei finalmente in un posto in cui pensi di essere pronto per adottare un cane. Hai trovato un appartamento che accetta cani, o forse hai appena comprato la tua prima casa e non vedi l'ora di aggiungere un cane in giardino.
O forse i tuoi figli ti hanno infastidito per un cane per anni e tu senti che finalmente sono abbastanza grandi per accettare qualche responsabilità per un cane.
Ma cosa devi sapere prima di prendere un cane ... non può essere così difficile vero? Basta andare al negozio di animali o al rifugio e portare a casa un cucciolo e vivere felici e contenti?
Ero al college quando pensavo di essere pronto per il mio primo cane. Io e un amico avevamo un appartamento insieme e abbiamo pensato che sarebbe stata una grande idea prendere un cucciolo. Wow, come vorrei poter scuotere il mio io più giovane da quell'idea!
Non eravamo in alcun modo pronti a prenderci cura di un cane. Guardando indietro, non ho idea del perché quella persona ci abbia venduto un cucciolo di Siberian Husky. Non potevano vedere che eravamo solo un paio di ragazzi del college, che non guardavano al quadro più ampio? Per farla breve, dopo la laurea sono tornato a casa e ho lasciato il cane con il mio coinquilino. In seguito ho appreso che il cane è scappato per non tornare mai più. Prego che abbia trovato una casa migliore.
Ora molti anni dopo ho adottato 7 cani. Molto più esperto e più pronto ad assumersi la responsabilità di un cane.
Qualunque sia il motivo per cui hai deciso di volere un cane, assicurati di essere preparato in ogni modo.
I cani sono animali sociali, vogliono stare con te. Questo non significa che devi stare insieme 24 ore su 24, 7 giorni su 7, ma devi pianificare di camminare e dare da mangiare al tuo cane prima di andare al lavoro.
E dopo una lunga giornata di lavoro, pianifica che il tuo cane voglia mangiare e giocare con te per il resto della serata.
I cuccioli devono essere lasciati fuori ogni poche ore, puoi essere a casa per farlo? Anche i cani adulti devono uscire ogni 8 ore circa. Se lavori per lunghe ore, chi farà uscire il tuo cane? I dog sitter sono un'ottima opzione, ma possono essere costosi.
Niente più weekend last minute. Le vacanze si complicano, cercando di capire cosa farai con il cane. Dovrai pianificare e trovare un dog sitter o una pensione per cani o magari portare il cane con te.
Anche se non sei un tipo che viaggia, che ne dici delle serate con gli amici? Non puoi aspettarti di lavorare tutto il giorno per poi uscire la sera... chi si prenderà cura del tuo cane?
Non vuole essere lasciato a casa da solo tutto il giorno e la notte. Se lo fai, si divertirà da solo... e credimi, non lo vuoi!
Pensa a lungo termine. Quali sono i tuoi progetti di vita? If you are in college, do you plan on moving back home with your parents? What is your life going to look like after college? 10-hour workdays? Going out with friends every night after work?
Do you see getting married and having kids in the next 10 or so years? Just because you have a new baby, doesn’t mean you can get rid of your dog. Make sure you find a family-friendly dog even if you don’t have kids yet.
If you are renting your home, does your landlord allow dogs? Will you need to move to a home within the next 10-15 years that does not allow dogs? Being a foster home, this is one of the most common excuses I hear for surrendering a dog! That doesn’t mean you can’t adopt a dog if you rent… it just means that you will need to be aware that the options of moving to a new apartment may be more difficult when you have a dog.
Can you afford a dog? I’m not talking just adoption fees. Even if you find a dog for “free”, you will have to pay for food, vet care, training and so much more. Here is a short list of some costs involved in adopting and owning a dog:
And it doesn’t end there. There are so many hidden costs of owning a dog. A few of our extra expenses have been a bigger SUV, agility classes, extra carpets, special cleaning products, dog massage therapy, baby gates, extra crates, allergy medication, dog playpens, and cargo liners for our cars.
Note:I order all our dog food and supplies online at Chewy.com . Their prices are equal and sometimes even cheaper than Amazon. Plus Chewy has awesome customer service with 1-2 day free shipping.
Take a Look at the Dog Food Deals on Chewy !
Shelter dogs need time to adjust to new homes. Don’t expect to bring home a dog that has been tossed from home to shelter to home to immediately be your best friend.
If you join our Facebook group and read the comments and questions for the community you will see many people struggling with their dog transitioning to a new home.
Plan on 3 months before the dog relaxes and trusts you. Not all dogs, will need this much time, but many wills.
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What energy level dog fits your lifestyle? Different breeds have different temperaments and exercise needs. Do a little research before falling in love with that adorable-looking face.
For my family, we have found that Labrador retrievers are the best dogs for our lifestyle. They are energetic yet can curl up next to you at the end of the day. Labs are so popular for families, but it’s also important to realize that yes, they are great dogs… they do require a lot of exercise. Oh, and they shed like crazy!
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Compare your options for adopting a puppy vs. a young dog vs. a senior dog. Puppies require a lot of work when it comes to potty training and obedience. They need to be let outside a lot! They chew and mouth. If you don’t want your things chewed up or don’t have the time or money to train a puppy, highly consider adopting an adult dog.
Young adult dogs (1-6 years old), are usually already potty and sometimes obedience trained. This is a great option if you still want a lot of energy in your dog and are willing to exercise and train as needed.
There are a lot of senior dogs that need homes too! Senior dogs have so many benefits , they are usually already potty and obedience trained and require less exercise.
Yes, even if you adopt an adult dog, puppy-proofing your house is a must. Cords, medicines, chocolate, and plants , all can be deadly in the wrong situation. Check your house, crawl on your hands and knees and what do you see?
Lucky for you we have a Puppy Proofing Checklist .
Is it better to adopt a dog or buy one ? The answer to this question depends on what you are looking for in a dog.
If money is a deciding factor, then adopting a dog will be cheaper than buying a dog from a breeder.
Will your dog need to perform a specific job for you? Do you need this dog’s personality to be predictable? Then buying a dog from a reputable breeder may be the best choice.
There is nothing like the feeling you get from giving a dog a second chance in life. It’s one of the most heart-warming, fulfilling experiences you will ever have.
Adopting a dog may not offer the predictability of buying a dog since you won’t know the dog’s parents or history.
Some adopted dogs have had a terrible life before getting adopted and these dogs require a lot of rehabilitation. This can be good or bad, again, depending on what you are expecting from this dog.
Whether you are adopting a rescue dog or buying a dog, there is never a guarantee this dog will be exactly what you want.
It doesn’t matter if you choose to buy a puppy from a breeder or adopt a puppy from a rescue, the first and most important step is to find a reputable breeder or rescue. And NEVER buy a puppy from a pet store!
If you choose to adopt or buy a dog, do your research, research, and more research before choosing your dog.
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Some rescue dogs indeed have separation anxiety, resource guarding, and potty accidents… but these same issues can occur in a purchased puppy from a breeder.
Are you ready to deal with these issues and seek professional help if needed? Don’t expect your new dog to be perfect, he may be perfect for you, but no one is ever perfect!
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Just like people, dogs aren’t perfect. We all have our faults, and so do dogs. They may have potty accidents, chew your shoes, get sick, and have behavior issues! Are you willing to train your dog? And if necessary, work with a professional trainer or behaviorist?
If your dog gets bored, he will be mischievous! Plan to keep him busy! Also, plan on your dog shedding… unless you find a non-shedding breed, anticipate a house full of hair.
Dogs need to get outside of the confinement of your house and backyard. Even if you do have a yard, most dogs need a daily walk. Can you commit to walking your dog every day before and after work?
Every dog is different but be prepared to take at least a 30-minute walk each day.
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Training your dog is NOT an option. I think a lot of people that get a dog have an idea of how they want that dog to behave. TV shows and movies put this picture-perfect dog in our heads, that runs around off-leash, comes when called, and never gets into trouble! But the fact is those TV dogs have been through many, many hours of training to behave that way. Dogs aren’t born to understand people, it’s our job to train our dogs to understand us.
So please don’t expect to adopt a dog, walk through your front door, and be perfect. This doesn’t mean you have to attend expensive puppy classes. You may decide training your dog at home is a better fit. Even if you do attend dog training classes, the training doesn’t stop after those 6 weeks are done. Training occurs all day every day, with every action you take.
Recommended reading: How to train your dog in just 3 minutes a day.
Dogs need grooming. You may not need to brush your dog daily if he has short hair, but you still need to trim his nails, brush his teeth, give him medicine if he gets sick, and bathe him when he gets muddy.
Trimming a dog’s nails can be one of the most challenging parts of keeping your dog healthy. So many people struggle with nail trimming, and I’m one of them. We have one dog that doesn’t care and another dog that would rather die than have her nails trimmed!
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Sì. Dog hair everywhere. On your clothes, on your floor, couch, bed, food, and in your car. If you are a clean freak, a dog may not be the best choice.
I swear I can spend hours cleaning and the dogs walk across the floor and I wonder why I just cleaned. But I love them despite the balls of fur rolling across the floor.
Is having a green lush lawn important to you? Okay, so part of having a dog is NOT having a pretty backyard. I’ve tried over and over to make our backyard grass grow thick green grass. But with two dogs running around playing, it’s just going to happen.
Spraying chemicals are out of the question now too. I know some companies claim they are pet safe… but do you want your dog eating those chemicals? Because dogs eat grass, and they walk in the grass, come inside and lick their paws.
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There’s no denying it, dogs are our best friends. They have a way of stealing our hearts in a blink of an eye. They love us unconditionally, will listen to your complaints about your bad day, lower your heart rate, lick your face, and curl up next to you when you aren’t feeling well.
With all, that love will eventually come heartache when you have to say goodbye. Dogs don’t live nearly long enough. Letting a dog go when it is his time is the hardest part of having dogs.
Having a dog has so many great benefits, but they also require a lot of preparation and care. It’s a lot like having kids. Dogs need you. You give them everything they need, and they will repay you with all the love in the world. Make sure you are ready to make the 15-year commitment because it wouldn’t be fair to that dog if you aren’t ready.
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