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Should I Get a Dog? Key Things to Consider 

This article is written by Pet Circle Veterinarian, Dr Samantha Wycherley

Adopting a dog can be an incredibly rewarding experience. It means welcoming a new member into the family, and creating a deep and special bond with another living creature. 

Dogs can encourage us to get active and exercise daily, they provide companionship and can help us socialise. Some studies have even shown that owning a pet can reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, decrease feelings of loneliness, anxiety and symptoms of PTSD. 

Dogs can also have benefits for the whole family! Raising a dog can help to teach kids about responsibility, and they’re a lot of fun too! 

However, with great reward comes great responsibility - welcoming a dog into the family means accepting responsibility for that dog for the rest of their life. A dog might only be a small part of your world - but for your dog you are their whole world!

Check out these articles to find more reasons why getting a dog can be beneficial for you and your family:

Commitment

Owning a dog means taking responsibility for their emotional, physical and financial needs. Dogs require a lot of time - they require plenty of regular attention, daily walks (sometimes multiple times a day), feeding every day, training, vet visits and more.

They can also restrict freedom and limit spontaneity - your dog’s needs will always need to be taken care of regardless of social events or work obligations that might pop up. Holidays will need to be planned around care for your dog - this can be expensive too!

It is also very important to take into account whether owning a dog is financially viable for you and your family. Its not just the initial cost of the dog that needs to be considered but the cost of food, vet care, boarding fees, grooming costs and more. 

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Lifestyle

Another essential step to take before adding to your family is evaluating your lifestyle and assessing how a dog will fit in. Do you work long hours out of the home or travel frequently? Will you be able to exercise your dog daily and provide them with adequate attention and interaction?

Are you planning on expanding your family and bringing a baby into the home in the near future? Will this change the time you currently have available to spend with your dog? Do you already have kids at home and do they know how to interact with dogs appropriately? If you are bringing a new baby home a great resource is this article - 'Introducing Your Dog To Your Baby'.

Do you live in an apartment? Is there enough space for your dog and where will they toilet? If you're renting - are dogs allowed? Check out our guide on 'Renting With Pets' for more information on the legalities.

Consider What Type Of Dog To Get

So - you’ve decided that a dog is the right choice for you! The next step is deciding what sort of dog you are wanting to adopt. 

Do you want a puppy or are you looking for an adult dog who is already toilet trained and knows some basic commands? Perhaps a senior pet is more suited to your lifestyle! 

Adopting a puppy requires a lot of patience and a commitment to training. Puppies will have accidents that need cleaning, they will also inevitably chew something you don’t want them to! Perhaps an adult dog that has already learned the ropes is a better fit for your family. 

Rescuing a dog can be a great way of giving a dog in need a home however, its important to listen to the rescue’s assessment of a dog first. A dog that has a history of being anxious and nervous is not going to be a good fit for a house full of young children. 

If you are looking to adopt a dog through a breeder then ensure that you aren’t just choosing a breed based on looks. Breeds will often have strong genetic traits e.g. Border Collies have a huge amount of energy and a strong drive to ‘work’ - can you meet these requirements? 

Does anyone in your family have allergies? Some dogs will shed more than others. If excess hair is going to be an issue in your home, then stay away from breeds like German Shepherds. 

We have a number of articles to help you make an informed choice.

Where Will You Adopt Your Dog From?

Its generally recommended to adopt a dog from a shelter or a reputable breeder. Try to avoid adopting dogs from ‘backyard’ breeders on sites like Gumtree. 

A reputable breeder or shelter should be happy to let you meet your dog before adoption, they should ensure that your new dog is up to date with all vaccinations and parasite prevention and the dog should have had a vet check. 

The shelter or breeder rehoming the dog or puppy should take the time to ask you plenty of questions to ensure that you will be able to provide a suitable home - it can be a red flag if they don't take much interest in where the dog is going. 

Most Shelters or Rescue Organisations will offer a trial period and be happy to accept the dog back into their care if its not the right fit. 

You can learn more about how to find the right Breeder or Shelter by checking out these articles:

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Financial Investment

Owning a pet can be expensive! Its vital to understand and be prepared for the financial costs of pet ownership.

Financial obligations that need to be factored in include: high quality pet foods, regular parasite prevention, annual vaccinations, council registrations, boarding kennels, regular grooming appointments and more. 

The costs listed above only include the expected costs however unforeseen costs like vet bills also need to be considered. Vet bills can be very expensive - particularly for emergency situations like snake bites, broken bones or foreign body surgeries. Pet Insurance can be a life saver, however the monthly payments are still a significant cost and there are usually still some out of pocket or upfront payments to be need. 

Having a budget in place for the expected costs, and an emergency fund for the unexpected costs can reduce the financial stress of owning a pet, you can read more about budgeting tips here - 'Top Ten Budget Tips For Pet Expenses'.

Getting to Know Each Other 

Now its time for the fun part - getting to know your new best friend! Hopefully its the start of a beautiful relationship however its important to meet and get to know each other a little before diving in. 

Its easy to fall in love with a photo online but arranging a few visits before taking your new pet home is a great way to get an idea of their personality and temperament, and whether or not you are compatible! 

Most breeders and shelters will be happy to arrange a few visits before adoption. 

Compatibility With Other Pets

Perhaps you have another pet at home, its important to try and make the transition as smooth as possible for both pets and be realistic about the choices you make. Rehoming organisations should be able to let you know if the dogs they are rehoming have been tested with other dogs or cats. Most shelters will also allow you to bring your current dog to meet a potential adoption to assess how they interact.

If you do have another pet at home then its important to make the introduction slowly in a controlled environment, you can learn more about this with the following article:

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Be Prepared!


You've picked your dog, you've spent time together, you're confident that a new family member will fit into your lifestyle - the next step is preparing your home for the new arrival. 

Check out our 'New Puppy Guide' which has a shopping list containing all of the new puppy essentials such as a bed, crate, food, collar and more. 

It's also a good idea to puppy proof your home and make anything potentially dangerous inaccessible (or anything you don't want chewed!)

Have Patience

Remember that good things take time! Its very normal for a new dog to be a little anxious for a few days and take a while to settle in so don't expect a bond to form overnight. You only have to adjust to a new dog but your new dog has had to adjust their whole life! 

Patience is key here, however there are some things you can do to ease anxiety and make the adjustment period a little easier for you both - I would recommend reading our article on 'How To Calm An Anxious Pet'.

Waiting For The Right Pet

Once you’ve made the decision to adopt a dog it can be easy to feel frustrated when faced with the prospect of waiting lists for breeders or being declined from shelters. It can be tempting to take the first dog available but its important not to rush - choosing the wrong dog for your lifestyle can be stressful for you and its not fair on the dog who may end up being rehomed again. You can register your interest at multiple breeders or shelters and make sure to check their websites regularly until the right dog for you becomes available.

Satisfaction In Giving A Dog A Home 

There is no better feeling than knowing that you have given a dog a happy, safe home where they feel loved and cared for. Dogs can require a lot of time, work and money however the joy, love and satisfaction they give back makes up for it tenfold! Once you have loved and dog (and been loved back) you'll never look back. 

Conclusion

Adopting a dog is not something that should be done on a whim, its a huge responsibility , the average life expectancy for a dog is 10 - 13 years and many dog breeds will live for much longer! 

Before adopting a dog you need to consider your lifestyle, the commitment involved, financial responsibility, other pets in the home, and whether or not the whole family is on board. If all of these factors are taken into consideration and you still think a dog is right for you - then I'm sure you will have made a friend for life!