Choosing whether to get a dog is a huge decision, especially if you haven’t had one before, like us! Well like me, Matt grew up with lots of animals but I’ve never had a pet. It is something we’ve been talking about recently though as I can see how beneficial it can be for children to have a dog.
Lockdown was a time when lots of people decided to get one as all of a sudden people were at home with nothing to do, unfortunately because of that though when people had to go back to their day to day life the realised the dog didn’t actually fit in with their lifestyle any longer and a lot of them now need rehoming.
So it’s definitely not a decision to be made lightly which is why we will probably never decide what to do about it. There are so many things you need to think about such as…
The breed
Different breeds of dogs are best suited to certain people, for instance large dogs typically need more exercise so as an owner you need to be committed to providing that so they don’t end up causing problems in the home. Some dogs need a lot of company whereas others are happy to be left, this is a big one if you have a job that means you will be out of the house all day. Some dogs shed their fur which means a lot of hair loss, this might not work for people who don’t want to be cleaning it up all the time.
Whether to rehome
I love the idea of rehoming a dog but after doing some research we discovered that a lot of dogs can’t be rehomed with young children. I spoke to a rescue centre who said to keep an eye out as dogs do come up that are good with children but obviously the competition for those dogs is very high! Some rescue dogs can also have more complex needs which for first time dog owners might be a problem. On the flip side puppies are mega hard work and need a lot of time and attention, especially if you want to train them well.
The cost
High demand for puppies during lockdowns has resulted in the price of puppies going through the roof, we had a quick look and they cost thousands! So much that we actually couldn’t afford to get one even if we wanted to. This is why rehoming is great as it’s a lot more affordable.
What to feed them
I know a lot of people with dogs are choosing to stay away from the standard tinned dog food and instead feed their dogs more natural options like raw dog food. Feeding them a more natural diet can reduce their risk of health conditions such as allergies, skin conditions and stool problems which are all things you would want for an animal you love.
The size
We live in a tiny house so if we got a dog then it would have to be small but I know that Matt wouldn’t want a little dog! So deciding on breed within our family would be a really difficult decision let alone before deciding on anything else.
Health issues
A lot of dogs now have been bred to have flat noses which can result in them having health problems, this can end up costing a lot of money so you need to know this before choosing certain breeds.
I definitely don’t think it’s an easy decision to make but when you see the bond dogs have with their owners it’s clearly well worth all the negatives if you do choose to get one.
‘Collaborative post’
