When it comes to family, many parents are always looking at ways they can enhance their family life. It might be planning different days out or vacations away. It might be considering homeschooling or deciding on the best establishments to send your children. In some cases you may be looking at the experience in the home, or wondering if there are any ways you can add to it and a family pet dog is one of the more common things parent sconsider.
Adding a pet to the family can be a real rewarding experience. For your children, it can teach them things like responsibility and empathy, compassions and love. For parents, it can be company during the day, an excuse to get out of the house and have some fresh air everyday, take exercise or simply just enjoy having a family pet around the home. There are some amazing positives for adding a pet dog to the family dynamic, however, where do you start of this is becoming a serious consideration for you? I wanted to share with you some of the advice that you can take in order to ensure you make the right steps and moves for you and your family.
Decide on what type of dog is best for you
One of the first things to think about would be deciding on what type of dog is best for you and your home. Firstly, you may want to consider the size of dog. This would probably depend on the size of your home and how much space you do have. You may want to go for a smaller breed if you think that would be easier on your home. You also need to think about the temperment of certain breeds and this is when a bit of research online to read up on other people’s experience would help you out. Of course, you might also want to think about whether you are going to rehome an older dog or have a puppy to train. Sometimes a puppy might be a little harder in terms of the amount of training needed straight away, for example, toilet training. Whereas an older dog may take you time to get to know it and also build up trust, depending on the history of the dog. There are plenty of options to explore.
Figure out where they will sleep
Next up you need to think about some of the domestic decisions that need to be made and one prime example would be where the dog is going to sleep and stay when you are not at home. Many people are real animal lovers and don’t designate areas for their dog, allowing them to sit on the furniture and even on the bed at night. Others like to be a little more stricter in terms of that, and this is when having a dog bed in a specified area will teach the dog to realize that the bed and where it is, is in fact, their own personal space. Dogs like that.
Can you afford the additional financial pressure?
We can all be guilty of approaching ideas like this and thinking about all of the good things that will come along with it. A new addition to the family, going out for family walks and spending time with the new dog. But there are some drawback s that do need to be considered, niot just before getting a dog but also for the long term future. After all, once you have a new pet it is for life. There will be financial pressure to consider. The additional food you will need to buy each week, the things they need such as beds, collars, etc. YOu may even find that in the future they have issues which will require additional training aids where websites like dogable can help, or unforseen trips to the vets for medicines and even more expensive treatment slike surgery. You can learn more on affordable food brands that do not compromise on quality. You can’t predict the future, but there will be financial pressure to consider, and you need to ensure that you can afford it.
Training your dog
Training your dog might be harder than it sounds. It takes time and perseverance so you are going to need to factor that into your life and routine moving forward. Training essentially means all aspects of the dog life. From where to go to the toilet, to training to listening your commands and obeying them with things such as “sit” and “stay”. Do you have the time to really help bring your new dog along? Of course, training doesn’t have to be negative and it can all be part of the fun of getting to know your new dog. If you get a puppy you are starting from scratch, however if you do decide to rehome an older dog, they may have had some of the groundwork already in place, making it a little easier to ensure that you get off on the right foot.
Delegating responsibility
Sometimes when you decide on getting a new pet, the sheer excitement means that everyone wants to join in and help, at first. But then the enthusiasm can dwindle away and you can then find that you are left solely the main carer. Delegate responsibility right from the start to avoid this issue ever becoming a problem. Allow bigger children to look after the dog in terms of walking and feeding, enable younger children to do smaller tasks like changing water or being there for the walks. Having the expectation there right from the start manages the expectations not just of your new pet but also the family.
Making the most out of the positives
Finally, don’t let the negatives put you off, it can be a real positive experience having a pet in your family dynamic and routine, and sometimes you just need to make the most out of the positives. Embrace the opportunity for daily walks and exercise, enjoy the company you get when the children are all at school and the house is a little empty, and even enjoy the training side of things, because, let’s face it, sometimes it might just be the dog that only listens to your voice.
I hope this has given you a better insight into getting a dog and what you should be thinking about.
