Thinking about buying a dog?
What you should think about before buying a dog
Before you decide to bring a dog into your family, it’s important to consider the responsibilities that come with it. A dog can change your life completely, and you will be responsible for taking care of him throughout his life, which is usually about 12 years on average. During that time, your situation may change a lot, but he will still depend on you.
Living with a dog means assuming the costs of caring for it, whether the usual ones like vaccines, deworming, feeding, etc., or those that may arise suddenly like veterinary expenses due to accidents or illness, trainer fees, and more.
Furthermore, it’s possible that your coexistence may not be easy at times. Problems of fear and anxiety may arise, he may break things, bark, and more. You will be in charge of helping him on those occasions and seeking help to remedy it if necessary.
Also, remember that he will need his walks whether it’s sunny, rainy, snowy, or any other weather condition. At least 3 daily walks are recommended in which he relieves himself but also covers his needs and exercises, sniffs, and more.
But hey, if you have already considered all this and are determined to expand your family with a dog, I assure you that he will be an incredible life companion, and those years together will feel too short.
Why adopt?
Have you considered adopting a dog? Shelters are full of animals looking for a home, and among them are dogs of all sizes and with characters and needs of all kinds. If you’re looking for a good association, they will know all their animals perfectly and will be able to advise you on which of them best suits your family and your way of life. This is much more important than choosing one breed over another because each animal is unique.
If you’re afraid that problems may arise when adopting, I’m sorry to tell you that this happens in both adopted and purchased dogs. Everyone can have fears, suffer from separation anxiety, be reactive, and more. But everyone can also achieve balance if you help them.
According to the Affinity Foundation’s abandonment study, some 168,000 dogs were collected last year, of which only 52% were adopted. Of them, 29% were purebred. As you can see, dogs of all kinds are abandoned. In addition, some breeders take great care of their animals, have few litters, do genetic studies to avoid diseases, and more. But unfortunately, this is not very common. When you buy, you encourage the existence of “dog farms” where there are many animals in terrible conditions.
My new best friend
Some people choose to buy a dog because they are unaware of the alternative, adoption, or because they don’t know where to find one.
Would you consider giving a home to an animal in need?