Are you ready for a dog?
Dog ownership is one of the biggest privileges we can have as a human being. Dogs feel emotions like humans, they feel empathy, loss, sadness and happiness. So, its vitally important we do our absolute best for our furry friends. A very wise Dr once said to me ‘Dogs are only human after all’, a phrase that stays with me every day!
This article will tackle the difficult questions that are not always asked or thought of when considering owning a dog. I often find not enough research has been done on the full aspects of dog ownership, and how owners can co-exist with a happy dog. Dogs are often taken for granted and seen as the trusty companion that will fit in with any human they meet. Whilst this may be the case for a small number of dogs, many in reality can find fitting with busy humans daunting and difficult.
Quite often new puppy or dog owners can become overwhelmed and feel that owning their new bundle of joy was not as the books or internet said it would be. Doing your research on the breed type is one thing, but also don’t forget to just research what owning a dog will really mean for you, your family and lifestyle.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself before getting a puppy or dog?
Dog parenting is like having kids, there is no rule book, but there are some key areas that are a MUST to ensure we have
happy, healthy dogs.
- Mental Wellbeing – Have they enough to do?, Do they have human and doggy company?, Are they allowed to ‘be a dog’ and display natural dog behaviours eg Have access to a garden to mooch.
- Physical Wellbeing – Have they a space of their own and freedom to move throughout the day? Are they getting a good balance of exercise?
- Potential of the dog – Always think about the dog you have in front of you. What does your individual dog need? What’s their potential eg could they enjoy sniffing or trick training
All of these factors are very important, and although I hear many people say ‘my dogs fine at home when I am at work’ our dogs crave human company, so It’s really important to research and meet their needs. As a behaviourist, I see first hand the huge difference it can make to your dog if you can meet all of their basic welfare needs. I also know, if everyone asked themselves these simple questions before getting a dog the number being rehomed would reduce. Sadly many are rehomed because they don’t meet their owners lifestyle needs.
If your thinking of getting a puppy you can use our pre-puppy 121 service bookable here
pre-puppy-visit-1hr.
