Before You Get a Dog, Consider These Points

Oh Fido, we love you. Dogs are cute, dogs provide love and comfort, but if these are the reasons you want to get a dog, it is not the right ones. Carefully consider the following points before irresponsibly getting a dog to fulfill personal needs such as being a ‘dog parent’ Sidenote: dogs are not babies but that is a different story. The dog does however have needs too and it is not fair to him or her to be purchased on a whim. Ask yourself:

• Is your currently lifestyle conducive to having a dog? If you like to go out alot or travel often, there are arrangements you will have to make each and every time you need to do these things, and your dog should not suffer in the process.
• Will you be able to walk the dog daily, at least two times a day? That includes Canadian winter times and whether or not you work. All breeds need regular exercise and it is not enough to crack the door open to the backyard, or worse a balcony door. Don’t forget to pick up it’s poop every time, which to me has always been a factor for not getting a dog. Even with a baby you need not actually touch the poop, only clean the baby, and this is only for a few years. The dog will require you to touch its poop for the duration of its life, each and every day, several times a day. And the bigger the dog the bigger the log.
• Do you live in a condo/apartment? If the answer to this is yes, I am personally of the opinion that you should not get a dog all together as it really isn’t fair to the dog, particularly if it is a larger breed. But I know this is asking too much since people need companionship out in the concrete jungle. You should at least refrain from getting big dogs who need a yard or very active breeds that need to expel energy each day, otherwise it may go a little haywire all because you just needed a dog.
• Is your lifestyle likely to change in the near future? Will you maybe be changing or getting a new job where you will not be home to care for the doggie? Planning on a family? Yes there are dog walkers I suppose, but any change like this will have to take the dog into consideration. If your life is not stable or on uncertain ground, its advisable to refrain from diving in the deep end with responsibility. While I was an expat in Dubai, the number of abandoned dogs and cats was through the roof because people didn’t think past the next few weeks and do not know what to do with their pets if they have to leave the country or relocate to where pets are not allowed. This is sad. There is no contingency plan really besides a shelter or dumping the poor pup onto someone else who doesn’t want to see if euthanized. In any case, its not fair.
• Can you afford a dog walker if you are working? This will be an ongoing cost that you need to factor into your budget, and it an rack up quickly. Its practically the cost of a nanny. Or consider it like an employee that you need to pay consistently. Do you have that kind of cash flow, or will you be leaving your dog alone for more than half the day. Again, unfair.
• Does the dog have any medical conditions, or could the dog have any conditions? What if you get the runt of the litter and it turns out that he has a leaky eye that needs medication each time it flairs up. Sounds unlikely, but its not really. Some dogs are prone to greater medical issues, and not too far into the future. What will you do after you purchase it and discover it has a bum hip and needs corrective surgery?
• Is the dog a rescue? If yes, do you have experience with potential emotional problems or aggressive behaviour? Basically can you handle it or will you get sued because your dog bit someone? First time dog owners should especially stay away from going for a rescue dog whose history they have no idea about. I understand its the more humane thing to do in peoples minds, rather than going to a breeder. But alot of the times with these dogs, the full extent of their history is unknown and even hidden. Yes even from shelters. There was a documentary on how they get bounced around from shelter to shelter to drop its track record, or shipped across the borders etc. Its a messy surprise to some people.
• Dog breed appropriate? If you are a couch potato, you cant be getting an active breed like a doberman that requires tons of attention and exercise. If you need your house to be quiet because you have small children for example, you shouldn’t get a yapper like a chihuahua.
• Dog temperament in general work for you? No matter the typical behaviour of a breed before you purchase it, once the little pup starts growing they develop their own personality. So a big dog can be yappy and a small dog can require extra exercise. Can you accept this even if was unexpected?
• Are you ok deciding whether or not to neuter the dog? This is a difficult decision and some may consider it animal torture to chop off what nature intended to be there. Will you be ok with your decision or might you feel guilty? If you don’t neuter and the dog displays very aggressive behaviour as is typically the case, will you become irritated with your faultless doggie?
• Can you afford food? Its an extra mouth to feed.
• Can you afford toys? They’re expensive and take up space. For condo dwellers this may become an issue.
• Can you afford the dog itself? Typically new puppies from a proper breeder is around 2k. For the love of God don’t buy a dog off kijiji or a puppy mill. Those puppy stores shut down for a reason. Inbred dogs for profit would be one.
• Can you afford grooming? Haircuts and nail clipping costs can really add up and not all dogs can be groomed at home.
• Can you afford vet bills? OHIP doesnt extend to your pup, its $85 each visit plus what you may be gouged with in the event of an issue.
• Will you purchase insurance? Do this right away because if the dog has a condition that is later discovered, you will never be able to purchase insurance to cover those costs.
• Do you have furniture or expensive items you can live without in case the doggie destroys it? Silk curtains or a really nice couch you don’t want to replace right away anyone? Puppies are notorious for ripping everything up from your underwear, to shoes to scratched floors, so you really have to be ok with the potential destruction of your home. Accidents on carpets will also be there basically forever so are you ok with urine soaked carpets? Not I.
• Will you be getting dog training programs? This is probably a good idea, but again requires time, energy and money that needs to fit with your schedule.
• What kind of training are you willing to implement? If your dog is yappy, would you be ok putting a collar on it if all else fails? I personally wouldn’t be as it seems like torture. But then you have to deal with your neighbors. If you’re in a condo and people complain, you may be asked to get rid of your dog. Enough noise complaints and you may have no choice.
• Can you afford a license? Another overlooked item that people forget about. You’re supposed to have approval from the municipality to have a dog.
• Are you allergic? You may want to get a test done in advance to make sure you aren’t allergic to the fur. This happened to another friend of mine and she had to live with allergies that were coming from her pet because she wasn’t able to get rid of the dog, and only discovered the allergies after several months. Allergies can also spontaneously arise, so are you ok with constant sneezing and allergy medication? If yes, cool…kinda weird but ok.
• Shedding alright for you? There will be hair or fur everywhere, that you have to spend extra time cleaning off of your floors, furniture and clothes. You cant just leave the cleaning for an extra week if you have a pet, its something that needs to get done as dust and dirt will accumulate much faster with Pooch around. I like my place clean but daily cleaning is not something I really want to do to be honest. If you get a cleaner, super.
• Dog smell ok? For you and what you subject others to? Some dogs smell more than others no matter how well you bathe them, so are you ok with how you will eventually also smell if you live in tight quarters? Especially in the rain… not sure why it happens but a wet dog is a stinky dog and its all one smells in for example an elevator . Its pungent and gross but you’re supposed to deal with it because its someone’s pet. Not to mention their wet bodies can rub up all over you in an elevator, but its ok, you can clean your clothes because someone decided to buy a giant dog in a condo.
• Access to a kennel or dog sitter? Where will you leave your dog when you need to go away? Is the kennel a good place, is it accessible to you, and are you ok to crate training if need be? I think all these things are torturous for the animal.
• Can you commit for 10+ years? If unsure, don’t get one and spare the innocent little dog from a life of hardship.

So you see, there is more to consider besides your needs when it comes to getting a dog. Getting a dog for a boyfriend or girlfriend as a gift is also not a great idea because if you get attached and you guys break up, you will have a hard time when its time to decide who keeps the dog. This happened to a friend of mine and the relationship was unnecessarily dragged on for months because of visits and the inability to let go of the relationship mainly due to the attachment with the pet. What couldve been a clean cut off turned into a prolonged and painful dull-knife cutting like that guy from 27 hours who had to slice through his own arm with a mini pocket knife. Its just more painful is the point here.

On that note. Think long and hard if your reaaaaally need a dog or just want some companionship and think its a good idea for the moment. The amount of headaches you may spare yourself are very numerous and future you may thank your smart current you for not creating these unnecessary situations. Ideally your life should be stable, and you should be able to give this dog its best life knowing the costs, time and sacrifices you will have to make. From the above I sound like an animal hater but infact I love animals, especially dogs. Its just something I will only get if and when the time is right. If you aren’t prepared for most of the aforementioned points, then get a plant. Your welcome in advance.