Are You Ready For A Dog?

If you are thinking about getting a pet, a dog is a great choice for many reasons. They can be great companions, wonderful for your kids, and generally an amazing addition to any household. But before you get a dog, you really must make sure that you are actually ready to look after one. Many people go straight into this without really being ready for it, and the result is then often that they are not able to care for the dog properly, or they just don’t feel as ready as they would like. Both of those are to be avoided.

In order to make sure of that, there are some things to think about and check through to make sure that you are ready to have a dog. In this post, we are going to take a look at some of these in particular, so that you can ensure you are going to genuinely be as ready as possible for a dog in your home. Let’s see what might be involved in this right now.

The Issue Of Space

Especially when compared to a lot of other animals and pets, dogs do require quite a bit of space, and this is mostly because they just need so much exercise and space to move around in. If you are keen to make sure that you are looking after a dog well, before you even get them you should consider your home life and whether you have the space for a dog or not. If not, then the kindest thing is probably to avoid getting such an animal until you are in a situation where you can look after them properly.
Of course, it can be hard to know whether you have enough space or not. A lot of this depends on the breed of dog, because some require more space than others. As a general rule, the bigger the dog, the more space they are going to need, so you can balance this out with the kind of breed you are considering getting. That way, you are much more likely to actually be able to provide the necessary space for your new dog as soon as you bring them home.

In general, if you live in a small apartment with no garden, you probably can’t realistically take care of a dog, and it would be a lot wiser to go for some other kind of pet instead, or move home if you really want a dog.

Different Breeds

As we have just seen, the breed of a dog can really affect what it needs and how to care for it, so when you are thinking about getting one you should absolutely make sure that you are thinking about the different breeds and what their needs might be. This way, it’s going to mean that you are much more able to actually help them to be as well cared for as possible, because you can essentially think of each breed as its own kind of animal completely.

At the very least, you will want to take a look at some of the main breeds that there are and consider which of them you might be able to look after. You might of course also have personal preferences in terms of aesthetic appearance and vibe too, so that is something to think about.

Lifestyle Concerns

As a general rule, you have to look at the lifestyle that you have and try to make sure that you are actually in a position to care for a dog as well as you possibly can. If you are not, or there is any doubt at all, then you should wait until you are in a better position, or think about getting another pet if that is something you are keen on. The golden rule is that you should only get a dog when you are certain that you have the lifestyle to meet their needs. If not, don’t do it.

So we have already discussed the matter of space in the home and how different breeds have different needs. Beyond that, you also need to think about your daily life and what it looks like. How much time do you have spare? What is your schedule like? Most of all, do you have the ability, time, and energy to walk your dog at least twice a day, and to be there at home with them as much as possible? You can leave a dog at home for a few hours at most, so you really need to consider this carefully.

It is becoming increasingly common for people to have the right kind of lifestyle for a dog, primarily thanks to the fact that more and more of us are working from home. But you need to make sure that you are thinking about this carefully and not just assuming that you can take a dog in. If you do that, you’re going to be in a much better position and more likely to actually properly care for the pooch as you should.

Feeding & Water

Before you get a dog, you should also make sure that you are well clued up on the matter of feeding them and providing them with water. Again, this might seem like fairly trivial or obvious stuff, but it is really vital to make sure that you are thinking about it and doing your research early on, partly so that you just know what you are getting into, and partly so that you can ensure you can start getting ready for it should you actually decide to buy a dog soon.

So again, there is the issue of breed, because different breeds eat a different amount. But in general, you need to feed your dog twice a day with proper, high-quality dog food, as well as giving them some dry dog food that they can eat as and when they need to as well. There are also lots of other things you can feed them, some which you might not have expected. If you have ever wondered: can dogs eat mussels? The answer is yes, and they are actually quite nutritious for them. Similarly, you can give them most meats and many types of veg.

It’s always best to double check, of course, and there are also some things you should never feed a dog – such as chocolate, because it is toxic to them in even quite small quantities. As long as you can remember those basics, you are going to be well on your way to understanding how to feed them properly.

As for water, this is mostly just about making sure that they have a constant fresh supply at all times. As long as they have that, you will find that you are going to much more easily keep them healthy and happy, and that their coat will remain beautiful as well. But do make sure that you are refreshing the water supply every day, or even a few times a day if necessary. This is vital for their overall well-being, after all.

Walking

We have touched on this briefly, but it’s something that you might need to go into a little more deeply if you are going to appreciate just what you need to do here. The issue of walking is something that is really non-negotiable with dogs, because exercise is so important to their wellbeing. Dogs are by nature very active animals, and you need to make sure that you are doing all you can to keep them that way. This of course means that you need to be fairly fit and active yourself, and if you are not at the moment then walking a dog every day will soon help with that!

As we have seen, you need to walk your dog twice a day, so make sure that you are ready for that and able to do it every day. If you can, you will find that you are going to be a much better dog owner, and that they are going to be so much healthier, happier, and more well in general. It really is hugely important that you are doing this as best as you can.

Love & Care

Above all, a dog really needs a lot of love. This, perhaps more than anything else, is non-negotiable, and you need to make sure that you are doing all you can to care for them properly and loving them as much as they require. Hopefully this will come naturally to you, otherwise you may want to question why you are keen on getting a dog in the first place. But in general, there is no doubt that this is something you will want to bring to the experience of having a dog. The more love there is there, the better it is for both of you.