Adopting is an experience and a lifelong commitment. It gets hectic, nerve-wracking and, in most cases, a bonding experience. It is a roller coaster ride, and it has its reasons to be this way. You are opening your home and life to caring for a living, breathing individual. It will rely on you for the necessities of life, food, and care. The friendly beast would be counting on you for its well-being, it`s okay to panic, and it`s okay to ask yourself a lot of questions. "What kind of dog breed should you get? What type of food does it require? And many more. Asking the right questions is the answer to being a great caretaker.
When choosing the right breed, you can`t just decide by looking at the dogs` cute faces and shiny coats. Several factors go. Getting a specific species to cater for your own needs is a bit selfish when you are not considering the needs of the dogs. If you want to make the canine creatures feel at home, you should consider the following factors.
Factors To Consider When Deciding On A Dog
- Attention Need: Dogs are attention-craving creatures. They need the appropriate amount of attention to act playful and healthy. And as a pet parent, it is your responsibility to provide the optimum level of attention essential for their health and well being. Each breed requires a different level of engagement. A puppy might require some basic training, whereas a giant dog might require some fetching time and daily walks outside if you cannot cater to those needs. You will see some weird behavioral changes in dogs.
- Activity Level: Activity time is bonding between you and your dog. It would be best to find a dog breed that compliments your activity level. A high-energy breed is likely to exhaust a low energy dog parent in no time. Our active pet parents might find low energy frustrating since they are rarely up for anything. It is crucial to analyze the activities you like to do, whether you are outdoorsy or want to stay indoors. Do you enjoy adventurous activities such as hiking, camping or running or prefer leisure walks?. Refer to this chart published by the national library of medicine after a brief study of over 17000 dogs of mixed breeds to determine the activity levels of different dogs.
- Please get familiar with breeds: As we have talked earlier about different dog breeds, now we know that they have different energy levels. It is essential to familiarize yourself with the kinds of dog breeds. American Kennel Club Believes all the 450 species of dogs can be classified into seven major groups, i.e. Herding, Hound, Toy, Terrier, sporting, non-sporting and working). Classification of each group is made based on resemblance in personality traits.
- Age: Just like humans, dogs` personality changes over the tenure of their dog life. Puppyhood, adolescence, adulthood and senior- your furry friend`s personality is bound to change during each stage, which means a change in medical conditions. It is a lot less of a gamble with older dogs since you already know about their medical conditions, which means spending less time with our pets. Whereas a puppy ensures many memories, you do not have to have a traumatic experience. A phenomenon common with older dogs makes them less friendly around kids.
- History: While adopting dogs from dog breeders, there is not much about the past except for the genetic lineage. However, in the case of going through an animal shelter for adoption. The dogs might have suffered animal abuse or experienced traumatic experiences, which can affect the way they behave and their overall personality. But that doesn`t necessarily indicate that the dogs will not be the perfect fit for you. You would just have to put in the extra effort.
What Are The Right Questions?
We have created this list of questions that everyone thinking about getting a dog should ask themselves. Carefully assessing before making a major life decision is the key to a happy life. Here is what you need to ask yourself.
- Where is the dog going to live? Do you have a house or an apartment?
- Will the accommodation have room for it to roam and play?
- Do you have kids, or do you plan on having kids?
- How much time will you be able to allocate to the dog?
- Do you have other pets at home that will accompany him?
- What kind of personality do you prefer in your pets?
- How much barking would you be able to tolerate?
- How much of the time will the dog be spending alone?
- How much time will you have to train your dog?
- Do you need a small, big or medium-sized dog?
What About The Rest?
Once you have asked all the right questions, you need to make an appointment with the vet and make sure to get the proper nourishment for the dog. While there are various service providers in the market, I have always sought a store that can cater to my dog`s needs at multiple stages of their lives, a one-stop solution, and I have always found chewy to be my savior in such instances. When it comes to dog feeds, booking appointments for vets, various medications my furry beast would and even the toys they should boost their mental capability. They have everything available under one Umbrella.
Taking on a dog is a responsibility, and we all want our canine beasts to last as long as possible. The only way to make sure that`s happening is by providing them with top-notch nourishment and care.