When people decide that they want to buy or adopt a dog, their mind is usually filled with images of playing with them, snuggling up on the sofa together, and having them dutifully follow you around all day long. And these are definitely the things that you should be thinking of. There are few things in life better than bringing a furry friend into your family. That being said, there are some things that you do need to think about that aren't quite as delightful. The truth is that owning a dog is a big responsibility and not one that is always fun or easy. With that in mind, here are a few things about owning a dog that you need to think about as carefully as possible.
Pests
Pests and pets go together, and there's nothing you can do to avoid that. Fleas, ticks and other unwanted guests are going to try and piggyback on your furry friend no matter how clean they are. Of course, just because they're able to do that doesn't mean that there aren't ways that you can deal with it. Things like Advecta flea treatment are incredibly effective. However, you need to commit to any treatments as much as possible. The only real way that you can be sure to end up with a total infestation of pests is to try and ignore the problem instead of actually dealing with it.
Mess
Dogs can make a mess. Actually, that's not quite true. Dogs can make all sorts of messes pretty much all over your home. Of course, the most significant is the mess that comes with not being properly house trained. If you get a puppy, then this is something that you're going to have to be constantly aware of and do your best to train out of them as quickly as possible. Of course, even if you have an older dog then the anxiety of being in a new place can cause them to make a mess from time to time as well. Not only that but an overexcited dog can knock things over or chew things if they aren't properly stimulated. You need to make sure that you're providing your dog with plenty of productive things to do with their energy on a daily basis.
Noise
Whether you like it or not, dogs can be loud. Whether it's barking at the postman or howling whenever you leave the house, you've got to be prepared to deal with a lot of noise from your furry friend. Of course, in this case, it's not just yourself that you need to worry about. The last thing you want to end up getting complaints from the neighbours because of the amount of noise that your dog is making. The best way to deal with this is simply to train these habits of your dog. When it comes to you leaving the house, simple things like putting on the radio or giving your dog plenty of treats to chew on as a distraction can make a huge difference. Make sure that you don't yell at your dog for making any noise because they likely won't understand why you're angry and it's just going to increase the tension of those they would start barking anyway.
Kids and dogs can be an amazing combination. They can play together, cuddle together, and generally, they can be the best of friends. But they can also be a pretty dangerous combination as well. You need to make sure that you teach your children to be as responsible with the dog as possible. As much as you might have carefully trained your dog, if your child isn't behaving properly and is poking and prodding and pushing them, then your dog could end up getting a little aggressive, and someone could get hurt. The dog may not intend to hurt anyone, but they often don't know their own strength and end up being a little more rough than a little child can handle. If you're not sure that your child is old enough to have a dog in the house then do some research and maybe hold off until you're sure that they can be responsible with it.
Training
Training is one of those inevitable parts of owning a dog that you simply can't ignore, and yet a lot of people tend to forget about it. They have the image in their head of a dog arriving on the doorstep of their home, absolutely perfect and well behaved right from the start. The only way this could happen is if you got an older dog who had already been trained, and even then you'll probably still have some work to do. If you get a puppy, then you're going to need to put in a huge amount of work in order to keep your home in decent condition as well as making your dog safe around other people and other dogs. You simply can't put enough of a focus on the right kind of training if you want your dog to obey you properly.
Cost
Dogs can be expensive. That's something that you need to know from the start. If you think that the cost of actually buying or adopting the dog is going to be the only or even the biggest cost involved, then you're kidding yourself. Everything from food to toys to vets bills are going to add to your monthly expenses, and you need to think carefully about where or not that's something that you can actually handle.
Now, please don't think that any of this is designed to tell you not to get a dog or to discourage you from adopting one. The truth is that there are thousands of dogs out there that need homes and there's nothing better than bringing a furry friend into your family. However, if you're not ready for the responsibility that comes with owning a dog, then you could end up needing to give them up pretty quickly. This can be incredibly hard for both you and them. It's far better not to adopt them at all if you're not ready than to figure that fact out too late.
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