What To Know Before Getting a Dog

It’s the time of year we’re looking for the greatest family gift ever for the tree. Families may be spending more time at home lately with working and schooling from home, and this seems like the perfect opportunity for a new pet. Adopting a dog into your family is a blessing, a challenge, and a lifelong responsibility. There are a few important things you need to consider before getting a dog.

Before Getting a Dog

• Do You Really Want A Dog? – Dogs are cute, fun, playful and wonderful companions. They will completely change your life and your routine. They can be expensive, rambunctious, messy, and noisy. Enjoying a dog for a couple of hours and taking care of one are two completely different things.

• Research What Breed to Get – Consider carefully whether you want a puppy or an older dog. Puppies are cute, but they are a lot more work. An older dog may be more your speed. They don’t require as much training or have as much energy. They also usually are already potty-trained.

Equally important, is what breed to get. Each breed has its own traits and characteristics that will suit your lifestyle better. For example, a large dog that enjoys the outdoors, like a German Shepherd, may not be the best dog for someone in an apartment. Some breeds are more hypo-allergenic than others and better for people with allergies, like a Portuguese Water Dog. While some breeds are not recommended for families with small children, like the Pekingese and Chihuahua. Before getting a dog, decide which breed will be best for your unique situation.

• Get Your House Ready for the Dog – If you’ve decided on a puppy, there is more to do than for an older dog. Puppies can and will get into more trouble than an older dog. Mature dogs will already know most basic rules and will only need to know the rules of your house. Before getting a dog, you may want to consider a dog door. PlexiDor Dog Doors has durable and energy efficient options to choose from that look nice too. You will also need to decide where to put the food bowls and dog bed and whether the furniture is off limits or not.

• Dogs Are Expensive – There are lifetime costs with having a dog. Beyond the initial cost of purchasing the dog and the initial shots and perhaps spaying and neutering your dog, there are regular check ups and additional healthcare needs as they age. Also, your dog will need food, bedding, toys, and other accessories during their life to keep them happy and healthy.

• Walking your dog – Dogs need walks, once, sometimes twice a day to maintain proper health.

• Training – All new dogs into a family will need some kind of training, but puppies especially will need training, whether in-home or at a special school.

Dogs are amazing bundles of love and a wonderful addition to a family or companion animal to anyone. However, it should not be a compulsive decision or taken lightly. It would not be fair to yourself or the dog for the adoption to be temporary because it was not thought through in the first place. Carefully weigh all aspects of ownership before getting a dog and decide if a dog is, in fact, the right dog for you. After all, there is no shame in being a cat person! If you have any questions about sizing dog doors, contact our Customer Service, we are always happy to help or call 888-PETDOOR.