Guide to Adopting a Dog of Puppy 2019
When you are adopting a new dog, it can be one of the most rewarding and exciting times of your life. In fact, it is actually the only time that you will ever be able to really choose exactly who you are going to be welcoming into the family, and finally getting them is thrilling.
With that being said, for the first few days and into the first few weeks, your new dog is going to be going through a huge adjustment. You should plan on their being all kinds of different annoyances, miscommunications, and even accidents. However, to help eliminate as many of these annoyances, miscommunications and accidents from occurring as much, you should come prepared with some type of game plan for about the first month after you have selected a dog to adopt. So a game plan to help you find your perfect dog is one way to get off in the right direction.
Now keep in mind that the timelines that are used in this guide are not set in stone. Just remember that each dog is also an individual, and each home and family situation is also unique. This means that you are going to have to remain flexible throughout the entire adoption process and while you are going to be taking leaps forwards, you will probably be taking some steps backwards as well.
What You Need to Consider Before Adopting a Dog
Before you even start thinking about what breed of dog you think you’ll look the cutest with, it is important to remember that you are trying to also find the dog that is going to fit well with you. This means that you may not necessarily be able to get the exact breed of dog you think you want, as they may not necessarily fit in with you. Essentially you are looking for the ying to your yang.
So first thing is first, you never want to try and choose a dog based off of their looks. Rather, you should choose a dog based off of your lifestyle.
Yes, it is possible to have a border collie that is also a couch potato, or a basset hound that is super-active, but keep in mind that most breeds of dogs were created with a particular purpose or goal in mind. You are actually going to have to put in a lot of time to think about what type of breed you should get, as well as soul searching in order to come to a decision about the perfect breed of dog that will be the absolute best fit for you and your family.
With that being said, there are several different factors that you are going to need to take into consideration prior to bringing home your new pup.
Financial Obligations
Before you even consider adopting a dog, be sure that you are financially secure enough to afford one. It is very important to factor in how much bringing home a new dog is going to cost.
For example, the average dog budget is roughly about $100 every month, for each dog that you have. And no, this does not include things such as doggie daycare or dog walking, which is easily going to cost you about another $100 each week. And with a new dog, you always want to budge for more expensive months in the beginning as you are going to need to get caught up with any supplies and vet checkups. So now you are looking at roughly $100-200 per month for each dog.
Another thing to keep in mind is whom you are going to get your dog from. If you get them from a breeder, you can expect the cost to be much higher right out of the gates. On top of that, there are normally many more fees that will need to be paid up front, such as spay/neutering, vaccines, etc. With that being said, this does not mean that if you get an older dog from a shelter that it will be cheaper in the long run. Both young and older dogs are both more susceptible to unexpected accidents or illnesses that can easily eat up any type of rainy day fund that you may have had set aside.
Just a helpful tip, if paying for a $5,000 emergency surgery somewhere later on is not necessarily in your current budget, you may want to look in to getting some type of pet health insurance, as it will help you with any of these unexpected expenses that may spring up.
Time Obligations
Keep in mind that dogs don’t just require a monetary investment, but they require a time investment as well. Are you ready to start waking up 45 minutes earlier than you are now so that you can take your new dog on a walk every morning?
Don’t forget that you are going to need to head straight home after you get off work so that you can let them out to do their business and take another walk. On top of that, you should also spend some time playing with them every day on top of the time spent taking them for walks. Dogs require a lot of physical and mental stimulation to stay healthy, so be sure that you have the necessary time available to help them train and get the exercise that they need.
Before you do bring home a new dog, do yourself a favor and consider what the sacrifices that will need to be made are. Your schedule flexibility is more than likely going to get lost as you will no longer be able to go out on one of those last minute happy hour plans with your co-workers anymore or any of the other many spur of the moment activities that may come up. So really take a minute and consider if you are ready to take on the responsibility of a new dog and give up on spontaneity.
Dog Training Classes
No matter what breed of dog you decide to get, they should go through some training classes. If you are bringing home a puppy that is younger than 16 weeks, they must be taken to a class that has good socialization. If you don’t take them to one, you will, unfortunately, suffer for that for your dog’s entire life.
Even an older adult dog with little to no manners is going to benefit from attending a good basic obedience class that uses some type of positive reinforcement based curriculum. If your dog already has pretty good basic canine manners, they are going to benefit more from something that is a little more fun, such as a dog sport or Canine Good Citizen courses.
While attending dog training classes is not mandatory in any sense, it is a part of raising your dog to be healthy both physically and mentally. Training with your dog is going to strengthen the bond you have with them, as well as give your dog something fun to do. When you factor in the fact that your dog is more than likely sleeping the entire day that you are out at work, they are going to be more than desperate for any type of activity the moment that you arrive home.
Factor In Your Home’s Layout
When you are considering a dog, you always want to keep your current living situation in mind. First off, be sure that you double check your lease agreement to make sure that you are even able to have a dog, and then be sure that you budget in some additional cost for pet rent and even a potential pet deposit. Another thing to find out is whether or not your lease is going to limit the number, weight, or even the breed of dog that they will allow their tenants to have while living there.
The good news is that both lazy and active dogs can easily thrive whether you live in a nice house with a big yard, or in an apartment with no yard at all. No matter where you are currently living, you are going to need to take your dog outside to some type of grassy space multiple times per day, every single day. This is going to need to happen rain or shine if they are healthy or have fallen ill, you are going to need to put your shoes on and take your new dog outside. Even if you live someplace that has a nice big yard in the back, this is not a ‘free pass’ that gets you out of taking your dog for exercise. Every dog is going to need to go on at least one good walk each and every day, no matter what.
After you have gotten a sense of what it will actually be like to get a new dog and what the sacrifices you are going to have to make will be, you are then going to be ready to start finding the perfect dog for you.
When you do finally start the process of adopting a dog, there are going to be questions that will pop up throughout the entire process. Some of those questions include:
What Is The Best Time Of Year For Adopting A Dog?
While there is no definitive answer to this question, it is like asking a doctor when the best time to have a child is. Just keep in mind that dogs that are adopted in the later months of spring are going to be more likely to get exposed to thunder, water, fireworks, and everything else that comes with the outside world. Remember that socialization is an absolute must before your new puppy is 16 weeks old. With this being said, May is probably one of the best times of year that you can adopt a new dog.
With all of that being said, keep in mind that another huge factor when it comes to the timing of adopting a new dog is going to be having the free time to spend with them. You will ideally adopt a dog when you have some free time to spend with them at home or even to take a couple of weeks off so that you and your new dog can get adjusted together. For example, if you are a teacher, the beginning of summer is a great time to adopt a dog as you have the next few months off from work.
If you are planning on adopting a dog that is already older, the timeline benefits start to become less clear. However, if you are able to plan adopting your new dog when you know your expenses are going to be lower (for example after you get back from a big trip, or after you have spend all your time and money on that impressive garden in April), it is better to simply wait until after that event to bring home your new dog.
Speaking of trips, if you decide to get your new dog right before going on a big trip or even before the holidays, it can become very overwhelming for your dog. This means that you are going to want to try and avoid any kind of Christmas adoptions, as they are simply not going to be ideal for the dog. Just remember to think about what you have going on in your life and try to work around anything that can potentially be more stressful for you new dog.
What’s The Price For Adopting A Shelter Dog?
If you are looking to save some money when adopting your dog, a rescue dog is going to be much less expensive than trying to find a breeder to get your puppy from. On top of that, a better rescue center is only going to allow dogs that have already been spayed or neutered to be adopted, which is going to save you a few hundred dollars right off the bat. They will also be up to date on any and all the vaccines that they require, saving you another couple hundred dollars.
However, no matter where you get your dog from, there are going to be expenses that can easily start to stack up, and this is especially true during the first month. Even if you already have toys and supplies for your new dog, you can still expect to spend upwards of about $500 in the first month alone. After that, expect between $100 and $200 per month, each and every month.
Here is a list of fees that you can expect to pay when you adopt a dog:
- Adoptions fees = $100-500
- Initial vet checkup and medication = $150-400
- New dog bed = $30-50
- New dog toys = $30-50
- New leash = $10-30
- New harness/collar = $10-30
- Obedience/Training classes = $150-300
- New crate = $30-150
- Health insurance = $25-100/month
- Food = $50-100
- Dog treats = $10-30
- Water and food dishes = $10-50
- Grooming fees = $0-150
- Odor/stain removers = $10-50
- Pet deposit and rent fees = $0-500
As you can see, the fees associated with adopting a dog can stack up very quickly. While there are some fees that are going to be more of a one time deal, there are also some that are going to be on a monthly basis. Just be sure that you factor all of these extras into your current financial situation to make sure that adopting a dog is right for you.
What Do You Want Out Of Your Dog?
This is one of the most important questions that you can ask yourself before you adopt a new dog. Are you looking for a dog that is going to be a steadfast, loyal companion like a chow will? Are you looking for more of a trail running buddy or something more laidback like a happy go lucky suburbs type dog? Do you care if they enjoy playing fetch or with other neighborhood dogs? What you need to do before you decide what type of dog you should adopt is to spend a few minutes drawing up your dream dog.
Be sure that you think through every single thing that you are going to want your dog to do and what you are going to want their life to look like. Once you have done that, then you can go and pick a dog that is able to enjoy that particular lifestyle. On top of helping you find the perfect dog for your lifestyle, but it will also help you go through your own mental checklist of why it is you really want to adopt a dog in the first place.
And if you decide that you are only looking for an occasional snuggle or two, as the amount of money, time and energy that go into actually owning a dog are a little more than you can provide, maybe you should consider being a dog walker or dog sitter. This way you can still get your occasional snuggle fix, but without having to commit to actually taking care of a dog full time.
Setup The House Rules
Whether you live alone or have a family in the house too, it is always a great idea to have a clear set of rules that states what is ok and what is not ok when it comes to your dog. And on a side note, if you do have a family, it is extremely important to set the ground rules.
If you set up your behavioral expectations on the very first day, it will help your new dog to start adjusting right away. On top of that, the household rules are also a great way to help you find the exact dog that you are looking for. While these may be a little different from the dream dog ideas that you usually think about, they are very practical, everyday expectations that will help make you and your dog’s life as easy as possible.
With that being said, some of the most important things to consider include:
- What’s your dog going to be doing while you are away at work? Are they going to be with doggie daycare, in their crate, or roaming the house freely?
- What are you going to want your dog to do while you eat?
- Where is your dog going to sleep?
- Who is going to exercise your dog and when are they going to do it?
- Who is going to help with your dog’s training?
- Are you going to allow your dog to get onto the furniture?
- How is your dog supposed to respond to guests at your home?
How To Craft Your Doggie Wish List
The best thing that you can do is to make a score sheet that you will be able to reference during the entire dog selection process. If you go into a shelter, it can become very overwhelming, and fast. But if you have a solid idea of the exact dog that you are looking for, it will be able to help you out a ton.
For your doggie wish list, you are going to want to but down a combination of the goals you would like in your dog, as well as the expectations that you would like them to have after you have gotten them home. Once you have your wish list, you can then go and check out several different dogs that are up for adoption, making a note of the ones that check all the boxes on your list. You can then see which dog will be the absolute best fir for your particular situation and find the one that you are most compatible with.
While adopting a dog can easily become one of the most overwhelming experiences you will ever go through, when you take a little time to figure out exactly what it is that you are looking for in your dog, you will be able to save yourself a tone of time and headache later down the road.
