10 things you should know before adopting a dog

Adopting a dog is like welcoming a new member into your family. This implies a certain number of responsibilities and notions to know.

10 things you should know before adopting a dog

Are you nervous about adopting a dog?

You open the door and there is a horrible scene... It's a nightmare! Damaged pillows, broken vases, toys in shambles and ruins, your cuddly companion ruined your living room. Do not be upset anymore and correct this harmful behavior that is reflected in the dog's feeling of distress. Discover all our tips for calming and disciplining your pet.

 What I wish I knew before adopting a dog?

Depending on your dog's age or what has happened in his life, the reasons for this messy behavior of your friendly dog at home can be multiple.

1. Your pup is teething or wants to explore a new world around him.

If you have a small dog, this is the most likely cause. His teeth are growing and unfortunately, it hurts him. To pass this unpleasant moment, he needs to chew everything around, even if it's a newly purchased pair of shoes. Buy him an artificial chew bone to try to satisfy his chewing needs and train his teeth!

When a puppy is young, he loves to explore the world around him through touch, smell, and taste, too. Your couch, your shoes, and your belt too, this puppy loves to chew on everything new for him to understand what is edible or not. Unfortunately for you, this normal phase definitely comes with damage.

2. Your dog is bored/or not feeling well psychologically.

Sometimes this is the only way to express his dissatisfaction with the situation at home and express his desire to be active and change the routine and boredom that surrounds him. As long as you are absent regularly or not taken out as often as necessary, your dog will attack the furniture and everything around it.

10 things you should know before adopting a dog

He may also suffer from separation anxiety from his old surroundings or after a long period of remote work, for example.

He may be subjected to psychological trauma when he arrives at your home if he lived before with other animals, he may become aggressive and his behavior chaotic and this is caused by the sudden change in his lifestyle and his feeling of loneliness, and, the loss of his friends.

In general, the dog can no longer control itself and allows its emotional distress to speak its fangs. If you notice your dog's destructive behaviors, it's also because he associates your smell with his discomfort.

3. Your dog may be trying to get your attention.

Through your dog's strange behavior or immediate reactions from it! Whether you are present or not, your dog is well aware that doing something stupid may cause you to take care of him and pay attention to his needs, even if it harms him and leads to his scolding.

Therefore, it is appropriate to break this vicious circle and not punish him when he destroys something. This brings us to the next point!

Dealing with a dog in the act.

It destroys everything around him, trying to get your attention with all the reasons available to him, maybe your dog is uncomfortable. However, he didn't necessarily understand that what he was doing was wrong, so there was no need to punish him.

Our four-legged companions may be very smart, but they don't know what the consequence of their actions will be. For them to chew on a shoe or belt lying before them is good for themselves, and responds to an immediate need in themselves.

In addition, if your dog causes harm in your absence and you systematically scold him when you return, you are rather causing him to react negatively towards you. Instead of burdening the dog with guilt that he does not understand, you may also find other solutions.

10 things you should know before adopting a dog

How do I stop my dog from destroying my things?

This messy behavior of your dog must stop. Not only is it starting to cost you a lot by chewing everything around it, it may end up swallowing something toxic to it and you may have to carry it to the vet!

If you intend to adopt a dog, you should pay attention to its diet, moral and physical health. In addition, you must be prepared to handle any difficulties that you may encounter while educating your dog. You must show pedagogy, patience, and sensitivity toward him.

How do you know if a dog is good to adopt?

We have selected, for you, 10 facts that you should pay attention to if you intend to welcome a dog into your home...

1. It must be offered the necessary care and maintenance

A dog's life is filled with adventures (sometimes messy). Thus, he will need regular baths, brushing, nail maintenance, and other grooming acts to ensure his hygiene. It will also be necessary to maintain his ears, clean his eyes, and wash his teeth from time to time. These are necessary and important acts to keep your dog in good shape throughout his life.

2. You have to have patience

Dogs are excellent companions capable of bringing you joy and tenderness. However, you must ensure them good training and this is not without frustrations. You may see your dog disobeying you, destroying your shoes, or other objects. These kinds of facts should not irritate you.

See these trials as a test for you and your abilities to educate him without giving in to impulsiveness. In short, a responsible education is based on harmony and patience.

3. It is necessary to devote a budget to it

A dog will need a specific diet, provisions, and toys so as not to be bored alone and to externalize its energy. You must also take into account regular visits to the veterinarian, illnesses, and unforeseen accidents. This represents several hundred or even thousands of euros (depending on the size of the dog) per year.

This factor, which is often not taken into account, is often the first responsible for dropouts. Some adopters welcome a dog without considering the financial aspect and find themselves unable to ensure the maintenance of the dog. The dogs, therefore, find themselves trapped in a situation that they did not choose, the fault being an ill-considered decision from the start.

4. It is necessary to give importance to the socialization of your dog

You must accustom your dog to seeing conspecifics, but also humans and other species so that he retains his calmness at each encounter. These meetings must be frequent and of high quality.

This point is very important for the social development of the dog since it is what will define its ability to accept others (children, strangers, and animals) to ensure a good life together. So avoid meetings with aggressive or too-shy dogs, it would not be constructive.

5. You have to be careful with your food

Before buying food, check with the veterinarian to choose the products suitable for his specifics: size, state of health, and age... The dog's diet is the main item of expenditure for dog owners. It is a complex universe where the offer has become enormous.

10 things you should know before adopting a dog

It is not always easy to find your way around it, but it is advisable to give preference to premium food to avoid many health problems for your dog. Also, take care to respect his needs according to his age, his morphology, and his characteristics.

6. We need to find a reliable veterinarian for him

Your dog's relationship with its veterinarian is almost as important as the one you have with your doctor. Like the latter, it will follow your dog throughout his life. It is therefore necessary that a relationship of trust is established between them.

It will be necessary to take into account other very important criteria to choose your veterinarian. Among them: the proximity to your home, the opening hours and the prices applied will help you make the right choice.

7. It is necessary to respect the law: leash, muzzle, cleanliness

When taking your dog in public places, you must respect the law by making him wear a muzzle (if he belongs to categories 1 and 2), by keeping him on a leash, and by collecting his droppings in particular. In some cities or states across the world, for example, non-compliance with the collection of dog droppings can cost you a fine of several hundred dollars.

8. it is necessary to make him practice exercise

Offering games and exercises to your dog allows him to be stimulated physically, mentally, and at the level of the senses. In addition, it will prevent him from all the risks associated with being overweight, obesity and increase his life expectancy. However, be careful not to make him do anything with unsuitable sports sessions.

Too intensive or inadequate practice with his morphology and his age can, on the contrary, have serious consequences on his health. There are many dog sports that, among this list, should make the dog and his master happy: agility, canicross, can mountain biking, or flyball. Remember, sports must remain a pleasure for everyone. By respecting this, you will seriously consolidate the bonds that unite you with your dog.

9. It is necessary to organize your time

A dog, especially if it is dynamic, will not remain sitting on the sofa. He needs exercise and a good education. You need to give him all the necessary attention and time. The important thing is to be able 

to reconcile private/professional life and the moments that you will be able to share with your dog. Failing this, your dog may become bored, no longer be happy and even develop behavioral disorders.

10. Offer your dog adequate training

If you have just adopted a puppy or an elderly dog, it is advisable to offer him a quality education. If you already have successful experiences with other dogs, you will be able to take care of them yourself, otherwise, it may be useful to call on a professional. Indeed, many people think that raising a dog as a child is the solution, but this is the most common mistake.

Between good and bad practices and lack of patience, you must be able to teach him the elementary commands (sitting, lying down...) or cleanliness. The basics of education must be ensured to guarantee harmony between you, your dog, and those around you.

10 things you should know before adopting a dog

What is the first thing I should do when I get a dog?

A) Before adopting a dog, ask yourself the right questions

Take the time to answer each of these questions before you start.

1. ) Do you or a member of your family develop allergies in the presence of a dog? -If one of your children is allergic to dog hair, for example, it becomes almost impossible to adopt one, for the good of your child.
2. ) Do you regularly have problems at home? -Indeed, your future companion will only be happy if he feels that you are. Dogs are very sensitive to stress and manifest it in one way or another.
3. ) Are you ready to take care of a dog? -A dog is like a baby. It needs to be taken care of. For this, your habits must allow it. Your social and family life will be completely disrupted and you must be aware of this. Caring for a dog takes time and attention.

B) How to choose your dog?

Before adopting a dog, you must know what you actually expect from him. Will he be a full member of the family or just a caretaker for your home? You should know that domestic canines are life companions. But unlike children, you can choose their size, color, and anything you like. So remember to choose one that you like.

• 1) Consider the size of your dog
• Size does matter a lot. Ask yourself the following questions: What size dog fits my house? What size dog am I willing to travel with? What size corresponds to the place I reserve for my new animal? What would be the ideal size of my companion, so that I feel comfortable?
• If you adopt a puppy, be aware that it will grow, so take into account the maximum size that your future roommate can reach so as not to have any surprises. Research the adult size of the dog you have chosen to adopt.
• 2) What breed of dog to adopt?
• The breed of dog usually determines the size. If you already know which breed of dog to adopt, just take the time to learn about the particularities of the latter. That said, every breed of dog is different. Each of them has their needs, their requirements, their whims, and even their food preferences, think of everything.
• Most are bewitched by the beauty of certain dogs, especially when they are small. Beware of their charm and their gaze. They whisper to you in your mind: “Choose me” and make you take a dog that does not suit you. Be objective and concise, your daily life depends on it.
• 3) What age of dog to adopt?
• For this question, you should rather think about the companion that corresponds to your age. It is clear that for an elderly person, adopting a puppy is not the ideal choice. If there are children in the house, choose a dog that likes children, or a puppy that can adapt and grow with them.

  Obviously, it is not advisable to leave your children unattended with the dog. If you adopt a dog from a shelter, you are giving it a real gift. Under these conditions, the age of the dog could well be advanced, but that does not prevent him from being a good partner for your family.

What are the things you need before getting a dog?

C) How much will I spend on a dog?

For your new dog, it will not be enough to have a medal engraved with his name and your telephone number. As you know, a dog entails certain expenses, think about it.

1) Compulsory expenses when you have a dog

When adopting your dog, you must provide:

• A necklace
• A leash
• A bowl of dog food
• A dog bed
• The food
• Veterinary care
• Permits or authorizations
• Dog grooming equipment and supplies

Compulsory expenses can sometimes cost you two hundred Dollars. Think long-term. In addition, adoption costs are to be expected as well as the necessary vaccines and sterilization. Once budgeted, you will know better what to expect.

However, if you have alternatives for each of these expenses, such as sleeping or food, these are options to exploit.

2) Necessary expenses for a dog

These expenses vary from owner to owner. We'll list them for you anyway, in case you want to get it right.

1. Dressage lessons
2. Grooming fees
3. A dog microchip or tattoo for permanent identification
4. A transport box

If your dog gets professionally washed, you will have to pay for it and it can cost you hundreds of dollars. In addition, training courses are recommended especially when you have just adopted a dog. To train his aggressiveness, teach him to love and respect you.