Having a dog is a great experience , you have someone to give love to and take care of and vice versa. Let's not forget very popular saying ' dog is a mans best friend'. However with all the positives, that we usually focus on there also comes some negatives that we should be aware of before getting a dog.
Make sure you are ready for having a dog . Dog is not a toy you can throw out when you bored or forget of when you don't have time for it, it needs your constant attention and care. You really need to dedicate your free time, certain dogs need attention more than others. Having full time job and leaving a dog on its own for whole days is irresponsible, your dog will howl, whine and cry next to the door for hours, before you get back home . Dogs need to eat, bath , go out ,have their hair brushed, play, they need patience and love . They can get really jealous just like humans, when you are not giving them a proper amount of attention, eventually they can become depressive and irresponsive. You need to teach them everything from the scratch, for example how to interact with other dogs or humans. If its a rescued dog it needs even more care, patience and attention, depending on the way it was treated, it might take time for him to open up to you. You need to take them out at least 3 times a day if you don't want smelly surprises ( that can also occur when you take them out regularly, so be prepared ). You really need to think about all this things beforehand and consider if it's the right time in your life for a dog.
Dogs cost a lot of money . First of all if you have 9-5 job you need to consider getting someone to take care of your dog while you at work. And if you do not have somebody to leave your dog with, you will have to most likely pay for a dog walker. Then you need to provide them with food, everyday. On top of that you need to make sure you feed them carefully , some food that are absolutely fine for you are very bad for the dog. It also depends on the breed for example our shih tzu cannot eat grapes or nuts as its very unhealthy for them, but you wouldn't expect grapes or nuts could be so bad as they are healthy for us. You need to also remember about the health care insurance and vaccinations. Small surgery might cost you a fortune, for example our friends dog had its abscess removed and she had to pay £500 for the drainage.That is not a small money in one go. Also certain dogs especially Shih Tzu need haircut quite frequently, which might also be quite costly. You need to consider if you can afford a dog.
Do the best of your abilities. If you are rescuing dogs and provide them with shelter and love, that is great. However, if you know you cannot provide for them with all the necessities. Do not get one, because it will be hard for you and hard for a dog. Also, do not blame yourself if you cannot provide for a dog at this specific moment of time, you never know what the future holds. Think of what's best for you and best for a dog. If you already have a dog and you know you cannot take care of it properly at the moment find a person , a friend , a family that can.
Comments