Is a Dog the Best Pet For You and Your Family?
Deciding to bring a four legged friend into your home and family is a huge deal, a big responsibility and a 10--15+ year commitment.
Although fun, adorable and impossible to resist -- a puppy or adult dog may not be the best pet for your family and/or lifestyle at the moment, or ever.
If you can ask yourself these questions and answer them honestly, you will know if a dog is the best pet for you.
Do you have enough time for a dog? There is a lot more to being a pet parent than just playing with your dog when you want to or when it is most convenient for you.
There is training involved (after all, you do not want shoes, rugs, etc.
ruined), routine and proper veterinary care, walking, feeding and grooming.
A dog, or any pet for that matter, is not something that can be cast aside when the "novelty" wears off or when you get deeply involved in your busy life and daily activities.
A pet is truly a 10--15+ year commitment.
Dogs are living, feeling, thinking creatures who crave your attention and companionship -- and are totally 100% dependent on you.
If you are not able to give a dog the attention, time and love he or she needs and deserves, then you should not get one.
Do you have enough money for a dog? In addition to the adoption fee which can range from $75--$300, there are daily, monthly and yearly expenses to dog ownership.
In addition to routine and non--routine veterinary visits, you will need food, treats, toys, beds and monthly flea and heart worm medication.
A small pup might consume $5 a week in food, but what if he or she has food allergies or another condition that will require a special or prescription diet? Then you might be looking at upwards of $15--$20 per week in food alone.
You can triple, at a minimum, this weekly food expense for a large dog.
Monthly expenses include flea and heart worm treatments, which are critical for a happy and healthy pup.
These treatments can range from $30--$60 per month, per dog.
Although never "required," obedience classes or some sort of basic training is always recommended to ensure a well behaved pup.
Whether you choose private or group training, this is usually not a small expense and can range from a few hundred, to a few thousand dollars.
You must also budget for seeing your veterinarian at least once a year for routine shots and exams.
You will also have the spay or neuter surgery expense within the first year of ownership.
These visits are never cheap, and at a minimum will cost you $150 or so for just the basics.
If your pet gets sick or becomes injured, non--routine visits are likely to start at around $200.
Some medical treatments and procedures can range in the thousands.
Also, as your dog gets older and requires more specialized care, you will be making more frequent visits to the vet.
Depending on your dog's fur "type," you might have to have him or her groomed regularly, which can range in price from $30 to over $100 per visit.
You can try to groom your pup yourself which will help with the overall expense, but even dogs with easy to care for hair require occasional grooming visits.
Dogs with very thick and/or curly coats are not easy to groom and it would not be likely that that someone without any grooming experience would be able to handle this on their own.
If you are certain that you can meet all these financial, emotional and time commitments and requirements, then a dog would make an amazing addition to your family and you should consider adopting one today!
Although fun, adorable and impossible to resist -- a puppy or adult dog may not be the best pet for your family and/or lifestyle at the moment, or ever.
If you can ask yourself these questions and answer them honestly, you will know if a dog is the best pet for you.
Do you have enough time for a dog? There is a lot more to being a pet parent than just playing with your dog when you want to or when it is most convenient for you.
There is training involved (after all, you do not want shoes, rugs, etc.
ruined), routine and proper veterinary care, walking, feeding and grooming.
A dog, or any pet for that matter, is not something that can be cast aside when the "novelty" wears off or when you get deeply involved in your busy life and daily activities.
A pet is truly a 10--15+ year commitment.
Dogs are living, feeling, thinking creatures who crave your attention and companionship -- and are totally 100% dependent on you.
If you are not able to give a dog the attention, time and love he or she needs and deserves, then you should not get one.
Do you have enough money for a dog? In addition to the adoption fee which can range from $75--$300, there are daily, monthly and yearly expenses to dog ownership.
In addition to routine and non--routine veterinary visits, you will need food, treats, toys, beds and monthly flea and heart worm medication.
A small pup might consume $5 a week in food, but what if he or she has food allergies or another condition that will require a special or prescription diet? Then you might be looking at upwards of $15--$20 per week in food alone.
You can triple, at a minimum, this weekly food expense for a large dog.
Monthly expenses include flea and heart worm treatments, which are critical for a happy and healthy pup.
These treatments can range from $30--$60 per month, per dog.
Although never "required," obedience classes or some sort of basic training is always recommended to ensure a well behaved pup.
Whether you choose private or group training, this is usually not a small expense and can range from a few hundred, to a few thousand dollars.
You must also budget for seeing your veterinarian at least once a year for routine shots and exams.
You will also have the spay or neuter surgery expense within the first year of ownership.
These visits are never cheap, and at a minimum will cost you $150 or so for just the basics.
If your pet gets sick or becomes injured, non--routine visits are likely to start at around $200.
Some medical treatments and procedures can range in the thousands.
Also, as your dog gets older and requires more specialized care, you will be making more frequent visits to the vet.
Depending on your dog's fur "type," you might have to have him or her groomed regularly, which can range in price from $30 to over $100 per visit.
You can try to groom your pup yourself which will help with the overall expense, but even dogs with easy to care for hair require occasional grooming visits.
Dogs with very thick and/or curly coats are not easy to groom and it would not be likely that that someone without any grooming experience would be able to handle this on their own.
If you are certain that you can meet all these financial, emotional and time commitments and requirements, then a dog would make an amazing addition to your family and you should consider adopting one today!
