1. How much time do you have for a dog? - Dogs require a lot of exercise and mental stimulation. Make sure you have enough time in a day to spend with your dog so they arent home alone all day and night. When properly taught dogs can learn how to live in their own company while you or your family is at work but it takes a lot of training for a dog to know right from wrong and be trusted to be left by themselves. 2. Where will you be 5-10 years from now? - Life can be a crazy twist and turn of events if you are not already settled down, will you be able to take the dog with you if you move across states, or into a new rental property? Consider all the moves you might make and different life event that may happen and if your dog will be able to be by your side through all of them.
3. How much activity do you do during the day?- If you are a physically active person who goes on walks daily anyways then that is great! It might be nice to add a furry companion to your walks. If you do, however, do a lot of activities where your dog cannot join you then you should also take that into consideration. If you simply dont get enough exercise in the day either you can always consider a dog that doesnt need as much physical activity during the day, but be sure to not get a dog with the intentions of this may "make me get out of the house and go on walks more often" chances are you will do good for a few days or weeks and then fall back into the norm. Look for the dogs whose activity level best suits your own.
4. Do you take trips often? - How often you take trips would be a good thing to consider before getting a dog, will your dog be able to go with you on these trips? Do you have anyone who can watch him if you cant take him? Can you afford to budget a kennel into your trip expenses if no one is able to watch him?
5. Do not buy a dog based on how cute or fluffy they are - I say this in the sincerest way possible, do NOT buy a dog based solely on how they look. They might be adorable as a puppy but how big will they get and what is their breed behavior standards? Take the husky as an example. Huskies are absolutely gorgeous dogs and that makes them desirable for many people but Huskies can be rowdy, unruly and problematic if not given proper stimulation, not properly trained or not properly exercised. Do some research about dog breeds to find one that will suit you or your family Every dog breed has a different characteristics so there are many different types of dogs to choose from. Do your research and follow the guidelines on a reputable website and pick a dog breed that is a better suit for how you live on a day to day bases.
6.Take extra costs into consideration - Does you family have enough money to afford to add a dog into the family? Can you cover important vaccinations and any emergency type of situations that may happen with your dog? There are also food and treat costs, toys, spay or neuter, pet insurance, training, registration fees (depending on if your state requires them), dog beds and kennels, proper supplies such as collars and leashes. Dogs cost a lot and the unfortunate truth is I sometimes see situations where people cant afford to even feed themselves but have multiple dogs, to this I say if you cannot take care of yourself month to month without a little extra on the table then you should not own a dog.
7. If you have kids or are planning to have kids will you take the time to properly socialize you dog and teach your kids how to properly interact with them? Even other dogs? - Dogs need a lot of socialization to be able to know how to properly interact with other dogs and people especially kids. Will you have enough time to take your dog around other dogs and people and teach them how to properly interact? Sure problem behaviors due to "lack of time to teach your dog these things" can be modified when it becomes a problem but that is just going to set you back cost wise and also why would you wait until it becomes a problem if you can prevent it before it happens? When it comes to your children you also need to remember to teach them how to properly interact with dogs. Dogs that are not use to having kids pull on their ears or tail are dogs that are more likely to bite so remember to also teach your human babies how to respect animals.
8. Consider adopting from a shelter - If you read through this and think that another furry friend will benefit your life and are ready to take the next step then consider stopping by your local shelter first. Shelters can offer a wide variety of different dogs to choose from, from pure-bred to mutts, big or small. Most shelters get incredibly overpopulated and its important to do our part to help keep them out of there and also remember to spay and neuter our pets!
If you are considering adopting a (or another) dog then you should consider fostering to get a feel for how things will be with a (or another) furry friend around!
