I spent my whole life with dogs and I just adore them! As soon as I graduated college, I was itching to get a dog. I met Oliver four months after graduating and I just knew I had to have him. He is one of the best things that has ever happened to me, but he hasn’t been easy! I am going to list some ups and downs and generally just things that I believe you need to consider before getting a dog. Getting your first dog is very different than living with a family pet that your parents look after. These are all things that I’ve picked up on from my own precious boy.
Know the Breed
Certain dog breeds have certain traits! For example, my dog is of a breed that is very high energy. He wants to run around and if it were up to him, we would go on 1 hour walks every other hour of the day (which, unfortunately, I just don’t have the time for with a full time job). I am also admittedly a pretty lazy person and my perfect night back from work would involve laying on the couch and watching TV for the rest of the night, but Oliver wants to go out every hour. Of course I take him out, because as a responsible dog owner, I owe it to him. However, not getting to be lazy like I want is a sacrifice I make for him. He is also crazy smart, which was nice for when he was being trained… but also a big pain in the butt. He’s figured out how to open doors, how to sucker me into giving him treats, etc. He’s a little too smart for his own good, if ya know what I’m sayin’. All of this being said, I wouldn’t trade him for any dog in the world.
Be Prepared for Expensive Vet Bills
Maybe you’re like me and think, “I’m adopting a perfectly healthy dog, so I won’t have to pay any high vet bills!” Oliver is such a klutz and he’s also prone to eye infections. I can’t tell you how many times over the last year I’ve taken him into the vet for eye infections, scratches on his eye, a sprained shoulder… I could go on and on. The bottom line is no matter what kind of dog you get, sooner or later, you are going to be hit with some high vet bills and you need to make sure you are financially ready for that.
Rescuing is the Best Feeling in the World
I have nothing against those who decide to adopt their dog from a breeder. Growing up, nearly all of my family dogs were from breeders. However, nothing beats the feeling of adopting from a shelter and knowing that you are providing a loving home to a dog who may have otherwise spent a very long time in a loud, cold shelter. Oliver was only two and a half months old when I adopted him and he was cute as a button! Sometimes, I think he’d be snapped up the next day if I hadn’t come along. Regardless, I met him four days before I actually adopted him and nobody had adopted him in those four days. Also, he had a quarter-sized bald spot on his back caused by mange (which took three months to kill with antibiotics). He was scared when I brought him home, but we fell in love with each other pretty soon after. It felt particularly good when I would give him his mange medication or when we would fall asleep spooning on the couch together. Rescue just fills your heart!
Try to Understand Their Past
When I adopted Oliver, nobody had a clue what his past was. The shelter stated that they got him from Animal Control and that they did not disclose where they got him from. Based on his behavior as a puppy and the fact that his DNA test said he’s technically a bit underweight “probably due to a lack of mothers milk”, I can only assume he was either rejected by people or by his mother. Either way, I don’t think he was with his litter for very long, if at all. Because of this, he didn’t know bite inhibition. In case you’re unfamiliar (as I was in the beginning), bite inhibition is something puppies learn from their litter mates. They learn to control their bite and not use full force. They learn this because they would accidentally bite a litter mate too hard, the puppy would yelp, and the biting puppy would realize he bit too hard and adjust for the future. Guess what? I was Oliver’s “litter mate”. That meant I had to deal with three months of Oliver biting me as hard as he possibly could, and it was up to me to be the one to teach him how to bite softly. Now I can stick my hand in his mouth and he won’t bite me at all! If he bites me in play, it is the softest bite ever – there is almost no pressure. For those three months that he was learning, however, I was covered in bruises and scratches. If you don’t think you can handle something like this, you may be better off getting an older dog who already knows bite inhibition.
How Will Having a Dog Go With Your Work Schedule? Plan Ahead
If you work 40 hours a week, it’s probably not a good idea to adopt a dog who has separation anxiety issues. Also, don’t adopt a puppy unless you are willing to pay a dog walker to come three to five times a day while you’re at work. However, adopting a puppy can be beneficial for work schedules. When I adopted Oliver as a puppy, I was working part time only, which worked out great. Puppies need to go out more frequently (every two to three hours) and I was able to meet this need. As he grew up, he was more adaptable than an older dog who maybe would be more set in their ways. He adjusted to my full time job schedule pretty quickly. If you’re adopting an older dog, maybe go with a dog that is comfortable sleeping all day or doesn’t have separation anxiety. Also, consider a dog walker. I purposely picked an apartment only ten minutes from work so that I can come home on lunch breaks and walk Oliver. It saves me money and he understands the routine, so he’s always patiently waiting for me at the door come lunchtime. If you work, be sure to look up the cost of dog walkers in your area.
Understand the Commitment
Dogs are a huge commitment! Please do not adopt a dog on a whim. It breaks my heart when I see dogs get returned to the shelter (or when I see dogs that were adopted from a breeder get turned in to a shelter) so I believe it takes a lot of thought. Every dog has feelings and they will love you right away. They won’t understand why they are being returned to a shelter and this can create fear. If you are adopting a dog from a shelter, the dog may already have some fear, therefore there will be a lot of work for you to help them get over said fears. Don’t give up on the little pup! Work through those fears with them. If you know you don’t have the patience to potty train a dog, get a dog who’s already potty trained. If you don’t think you can handle building confidence in a fearful dog, adopt an already confident dog! If you want a dog who is a bit of a project, go for the puppy who isn’t potty trained, or the fearful dog or the aggressive dog! Helping a dog through their issues is so rewarding, but just be aware of the work that has to go into it. In the end, do what’s best for you and the dog.
Remember That There’s an Adjustment Period
Going off of the commitment point, you need to know there’s an adjustment period. Things won’t be perfect right away. It took Oliver and I about two months to hit our groove. I could’ve gotten annoyed with his lack of bite inhibition and lack of potty training and returned him to the shelter after a week. However, I knew both of these things wouldn’t last long and that once we got past them, we would have the best relationship. Oliver is three years old now and he’s grown into such a wonderful pup! He’s always been wonderful, but now he’s perfectly behaved, understands our routines, and even has his own walk/potty schedule that he follows every day. Remember that adopting a dog is a pretty big change in your life, and all change takes a bit of adjusting to.
Be Prepared for Accidents & Know How to Discipline Properly
This can be for potty accidents in the house, but also general accidents. When Oliver was younger, he would chew on my shoes or even the molding on the walls! One time, I came home from work and he greeted me at the door. This was bad, because when he was younger, I’d keep him in his crate during work hours and he had somehow gotten out. My bedroom looked like a tornado went through it. Books and shoes were chewed up and destroyed, my favorite travel bag was torn to shreds, my comforter was destroyed (and peed on), and he even got into some of my medication (so the first thing I had to do was rush him to the Emergency Vet to make sure he’d be okay – he was). Was I upset he ruined so much of my stuff, including my favorite pair of booties? Yes. Did I yell at him? No. In the end I just laughed it off (he took a literal shark-style chomp out of my exes shoe – pictured below). It’s okay to scold your dog, but only if you catch them in the act of peeing/pooping in the house or destroying something. If you discover the accident after the fact, they won’t understand why you are scolding them. At that point, it’s best just to let it go. That’s a little training 101 for ya!
Be Prepared to Sacrifice Your Social Life
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone home early from a night out with friends just so I can get back and walk Oliver. If I could pay my dog walker to come out all the time, I would. The reality, though, is that if you’re out for drinks with friends or you’re seeing a movie, the drinks, movie ticket & snacks, plus the dog walk add up financially. It’s easier to plan ahead to go home early and save myself a little money. Occasionally, I will pay my dog walker to come out so I can stay out late, but it’s not something I can do all the time. I also tell my friends at work that if they want to get lunch during work hours, that I need at least three days notice so I can prepare financially for buying my lunch and paying for my dog walker to come walk Oliver. It’s just another thing to keep in mind!
Get Ready – Your Life is About to Change for the Better
Dogs can be a huge pain. I tell Oliver every now and then that he is a giant pain in the neck and that he drives me crazy, but I wouldn’t give him up for anything in the world. I feel blessed for every day that he’s in my life. He’s my rock. When I get sad and cry, he sits at my feet and cocks his head to the side in that super cute way dogs do to make me smile. He also will crawl into my lap and cuddle me until I feel better. Sometimes he even does his derpy little zoomies to make me laugh! Even on a good day, he does the zoomies and makes me laugh so hard my stomach hurts. Dogs are so in tune with everyone’s emotions! As hard as they can be sometimes, they are so worth it in the end. Let me know if you adopt a dog in the comments below! If you’ve already adopted a dog, what was your transition like in the beginning?
Cameron Butler
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