I received product/compensation in exchange for sharing my honest opinion.
We don’t have any dogs at home, yet, but my family does have two furbabies that live with my parents. My parents have two chocolate labrador puppies but they keep on getting bigger and bigger. Not sure I am ready for big dogs at our house or if I want to start with a smaller dog. My kids ask constantly for a dog and I know one day I will give in.
To prepare for adopting a pet, I have come up with 5 Things to Think About When Adopting a Pet:
- Consider allergies. Even if you or your family members have never been allergic to dogs before, an allergy can appear. I am not allergic to all dogs but some dogs with certain dander, hair, species do bother me. When we do adopt a dog, I will definitely be visiting the dog a few times to see if my allergies act up as well as my family members.
- Do your research. Research your breed you are looking at so you know what to expect. A Chihuahua, for example, is easy to keep clean and groomed, where a big, hairier dog is going to need extra care with baths and grooming. Chihuahua’s also are typically smaller and lighter dogs.
- What will you do if your pet gets sick? You never know what will happen once you bring a pet home and costs can add up. It is important to have an idea of what you will do if your pet gets sick – will you get pet insurance right away, use your savings or would you consider putting your pet down? I have a friend who after she adopted her puppy she discovered he needed hip replacement which would cost $10,000 – she opted to do the surgery despite the cost.
- Is your home pet friendly? If you get a puppy, they are worse than toddlers as they have sharper teeth and literally chew on everything! After seeing what my parents are going through with their puppies, I have decided that I’d rather start with a little older of a dog. Not that I have nice things but I do prefer my furniture and stuff without chew marks.
- Do you travel a lot or away from home for long hours? It is definitely important to take consideration of the breed you have in mind and how well they do alone during the day and who will watch him/her when you travel. Would you travel with your pet? I luckily have two sets of parents that would gladly watch our pet when we travel.
Have questions about pet adoption, best dog food for allergies or looking to adopt a pet locally? Get Your Pet is a great resource to check out and to connect with other pet owners.
Tabitha says
What breeds are able to stay at home longer?
Dani says
Wow, such a great read, these are things i never realized were importsnt to look our for until now!
Madison says
These were some really great tips to consider when adopting a new puppy! My family definitely needs to work on making the home pet-friendly before we decide on a dog.
Paul says
I cannot stress enough how important point #4 is. You HAVE to make sure your home is pet friendly since your dog will explore every square inch of their new place. Informative post!
Jessse says
Research is a big one. With so many people who have always had small dogs are now getting big dogs and people who have always had big dogs getting small dogs. You got to know what area of dogs your getting into. But the information is out there.
Allison says
Preparing ahead and researching different breeds is very useful before adopting a pet! A healthy environment is super important for both the pet and owner!
Carolyn says
I am considering adopting a dog with my sister for my niece and these are great tips to consider and research! Thanks for also recommending Get Your Pet as well.
Avery says
Researching about the kind of dog you are looking into is a key aspect in the adoption process. When I get my first pup I will make sure I know what kind of breed I’m going to be dealing with. Great advice!
Andy says
This is great advice for anyone looking to adopt!
Michael says
This is an excellent guide for future pet owners. I myself know people who don’t take everything into consideration when looking for pets, and honestly its sad. However these tips are surely going to help pet owners.
Fiona says
People often just get a dog and expect everything to be okay. They forget that doing research before is a very important part!
Giulianna Claricurzio says
These are great tips to keep in mind for searching for pets. Too often people forget and pets end up in the wrong homes!
Sarah says
This was awesome information!! Didn’t even think about some of those ideas when adopting a pet!
Laura says
This is good information! We adopted our lab from the animal shelter years ago. She’s now a spoiled dog. 🙂
Lana simanovicki says
Good article we are b.last thinking about adopting a pet