Lifestyle

5 Mistakes To Avoid When Adopting A Dog

Hello!

Today I want to talk about my favorite animal, which is Dogs.  A dog is a man’s best friend, an angel in disguise, something that will love you more than yourself.  We all have heard these beautiful words about this lovely animal.  In this article, you can learn to avoid mistakes that people do on dog adoption from a shelter.

If you are a dog owner, then congratulations because your life is (at least), never lack fun and love.  If you are thinking to get one, whether because you feel like something is missing in your life, or your kids/spouse have wanted a dog, whatever it is get ready for a whole new kind of life.

You are finally there, after months of struggling with the pro-con list, doubts, and ton of research.  You finally convinced that it is the best decision for you and your family to own a dog.  But, are you ready for these things listed below?

Additional Responsibility

A dog is not just a fluffy and cuddly animal. All those cuteness comes with responsibilities.  You need to walk them a couple of times every day, you need to ensure their well being, you need to stimulate their brain by training or playing, and many other things that you need to do so that they can have a good quality of life.  Are you ready for the commitment required to own a dog?

A Compromise (sometimes even a sacrifice :))

It’s Saturday morning, and you probably had too much fun at the bar last night, all you want to do is to sleep until late.  Well, you are going to have to wake up to walk your dog if you don’t want to deal with the mess later on.  Whether it is raining, snowing, or in my case a storm, you just have to do it.

Oh, that night at the bar thing probably happens only once in a while when you have a dog.  Are you ready to sacrifice your time, your energy, the clean & tidiness of your home to care for them?

Meaningful Life

There will be more laughter, love, precious moments in your life that your dog will bring you.  It is almost impossible to not fall in love with this creature if you share your life with them. Are you ready for the beautiful emotions that you are going to experience?

What are the Five Mistakes you can do when you do a Dog Adoption process?

If you are “All In” for those things I mentioned above and ready to hit the shelter, then let’s move on to the five Mistakes to avoid when you Adopt a Dog from a Shelter.

Ps: If you are still unsure whether to adopt or buy your dog, you can find an excellent argument on why you should adopt in this article.

Not Doing your research.

Before you go to a shelter, make sure you already have in mind what is your “ideal” dog criteria.  Although there’s probably little to none chance that you will find your ideal dog there, it is still important to know what kind of dog that you want.  Things such as energy level, breed, and age of dog that suits your lifestyle are crucial in finding the perfect dog for you or your family.  

Decide out of pity

It is difficult not to feel emotionally involved with the dogs in the shelter.  However, it is essential that your decision is not affected by it.  There will be dogs that come with heartbreaking backgrounds,  heartrending appearance, but don’t let it be the factor of your decision (unless you have a lot of experience handling difficult dogs).

What is important is that you choose a dog that is best suited to your energy level and lifestyle.  If you are a low energy person, a dog with a high energy level will be hard for you to keep up.   

Not Ready for the Expenses.

Owning a dog can be expensive.  You might think that Food is the only expense that needs to be added to your budget.  Food is only a part of it; there are medical costs, grooming necessities, training, Bed, Colar, Leash, and Toys to be added into the calculation.  Yes, there are ways to minimize the expenditure, but not that much.  Make sure you are aware of this and have the capacity to bear the financial responsibility to own a dog.  This is not only a case for a shelter dog but the cost of owning a dog in general.

To get an idea on how much it costs to own a dog click here, but bear in mind that it also depends on where you live.

Rushing into a Decision

You found a dog that you like and seems to match your criteria.  Everything went well when you walk him for the first time.  You decided that day to adopt the dog.  

For you and the dog’s sake, please take your time to decide. Ask the shelter if you can take them home for a couple of days or even to foster them first.  It will look bad on their record if you return them to the shelter because you realize much later that they were incompatible with you.  

Wrong Expectation

Unless you get a puppy or a very docile dog, don’t assume that your dog will instantly bond with you.  An adult dog has already developed a character, habits, and in most cases prejudice about human.  A bond will grow with time, routine, and lots of patient.

In the beginning, there will be a lot of adjustments to figure out what is working and what is not when they are adapting to the new environment.  It is a stressful situation for the dog; therefore we need to have compassion, empathy, and patient during this time period.  It will get better though.  One tip from my experience, A routine is a key to speed up the adaptation process.

Disclaimer: There are many cases where the owner just knew right away the first time they saw their dog that it was the perfect dog for them, but that’s destiny playing a part.  Most of the time, it wasn’t that easy to find the right dog.  This article is not meant to scare you away to adopt, on the contrary, it is to give you insight on what is the reality behind those happy stories of before and after adoption ad that we saw in social media.  That it is a work in progress.  When you finally see that your dog looking at you with love and trust for the first time, you’ll know that its all worth it.

So, that’s it!  I know there are many things to take into consideration on deciding to own a dog, but it is necessary.  Be a responsible and caring dog owner.  Bear in mind that it is a long commitment, they are part of your family and not just something to throw away when you no longer need them.

I wrote my dog adoption story in another post, make sure to check it out.  Last but not least, please write in the comment your dog adoption story or if you find this article is helpful, do share it.

Thank you and stay positive!

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