New Year, New Beginnings
A new year is now upon us and, for some of us, it may mean a new year to start a new adventure, career, move into a new home, or perhaps bring a new family member of the furry, four legged variety into your life.
If you have recently moved or are planning on a move and feel this is the right time to get a pup, please do your homework first and don’t just rush out to either purchase or rescue a new pet.
Before you consider getting a pet to share your life with, you need to take the time to seriously consider your lifestyle. Do you have a secure job or is there a chance you may lose your financial stability, in which case an extra mouth to feed would not be a good idea. Is your job a regular 9 to 5 situation, do you have unpredictable shifts to do, or do you need to travel with your work on a fairly regular basis.
If so, pet ownership is not your best option. When doing shift work or having to travel for your job, you will have to have someone available to walk, feed and care for your pup while you are away. If there are no family members living with you, this can become costly and, depending on the care you get for your pet, can be hard on the pet also.
However if you are financially secure and have a relatively regular life style, pet ownership may be a good choice. But again, before rushing out, make a list of what you want in a pet and what your living conditions will accommodate. Are you active, enjoy walking, running or hiking? If so, a younger pup of medium to large size would be a good option but again, research the breed first.
If you are older, remember puppies are a lot of work. You may be better suited to adopting an older dog that has mellowed, is fully trained, and is a small breed that you can easily pick up if necessary. You must also consider the fact that a lot of small breed pups require regular grooming and this cost should be factored in when choosing a new pup.
If you are younger and have children, be sure that they are old enough to help care for a dog and will not be poking and pulling at a pup. You should consider the fact that if the dog you choose is a large breed, there is a good chance little ones can accidently get knocked over or pulled down and get hurt.
You also need to consider your lifestyle. If you are living in a small apartment or condominium unit, a small breed dog is your best choice, provided however those pets are permitted in the building. The other thing to consider here is that certain smaller breeds can be yappy and bark a lot and, if not trained properly, will not be happy left alone. This can cause some serious problems if your pup is left alone and is constantly barking or yelping.
If you are living in a single family dwelling and have a yard, you may want to consider a medium to large size breed of dog. But again, you must be respectful of your neighbours and not leave a pup outside for extended periods of time, barking and crying.
Perhaps you have moved to an area where you have lots of property for a pup to run around. This is ideal; however, you still need to have your dog properly trained to return to you when called. He should never be allowed to be loose in a country or farm like setting where he could get lost in a wooded area or be attacked by wild animals.
The pets which we rescue or adopt today are domesticated and not able to fend for themselves and depend on you to stay alive and healthy. You must also consider whether you have access to emergency vet care if needed.
While getting a new pup in your life is generally a happy and rewarding experience, if you don’t take the time to research and choose the right breed of dog to suit your lifestyle and financial situation, you will find you and your pet will not be happy.
So take your time, make sure that everyone in the family is in agreement, then start looking for that new furry friend to share your life with and enjoy all the benefits pet ownership has to offer.