Ask yourself these 4 questions before you make the plunge and buy the dog house. They might seem obvious, but taking the time to consider each one is essential if you want to avoid any rash decisions leading to regret and guilt.
1) Do you have the time to devote to a pet?
Even relatively low-maintenance pets require attention from their humans, so if your life is already very busy or you’re not home much, a pet may not be the best idea.
Without social interaction and stimulation, pets tend to develop behavior and emotional problems.
2) Are you prepared to prioritize your pet over your belongings?
Pet ownership means there will be the inevitable accidents and other messes in the house, furballs on your furniture and bedding, and the random destroyed slipper or other personal belonging.
If you can’t tolerate the thought of a less than perfectly clean house, you might want to reconsider the idea of pet ownership. Even the most well-behaved, well-trained animal companion makes the occasional mess or forgets his manners.
3) Can you afford a pet?
Caring properly for a pet can put a dent in your budget. You should think realistically about whether you can afford the cost of a high-quality diet, toys, other supplies, obedience training, wellness visits to the veterinarian, etc.
In addition, your pet could get sick or injured, and you should have a plan in mind for how you’ll pay those vet bills in the event something serious happens to your animal companion.
4) What kind of relationship do you want with your pet?
It’s important to think about how you’d like your new pet to fit into your lifestyle. For example, if you do a lot of traveling and want to take your pet along, a small dog is probably a better choice than a large breed or a cat.
If you plan to take your pet jogging with you, some dogs are better suited to long runs than others.
It’s also important to think about what you can offer a potential pet. If, for instance, you’re the outdoorsy type who enjoys hiking and camping, those activities have tremendous appeal to certain dog breeds, such as retrievers and retriever mixes.
Ideally, you do plan to include your pet in many of your leisure time pursuits, so it’s important to give the subject some careful thought.
Take the time to decide. You might want to jot down some of your concerns about adopting a pet on a sheet of paper, and work through them prior to making your decision. If you're concerned about not being able to travel once you're a pet owner, make sure you figure out a Plan B, C, and D for hypothetical trips in the future! For more tips on how to know if you're ready to adopt your fur ball, visit Healthy Pets!
