Taking on the responsibility of raising a dog is a long-term commitment, and unless you are prepared for the level of care and attention your dog will need, you are likely to have some issues. Here are some of the more common issues people encounter when bringing a dog into their home.
- Failure to Understand What’s Involved in Dog Ownership – Far too many people decide to adopt a puppy because they think it will be fun, and while there is a lot to be gained from having a canine family member, it does come with a price. Introducing a dog into the family means you are making a long-term commitment, and, like it or not, there will be times when the dog’s presence affects your lifestyle. A puppy will grow into a fully-fledged dog, and if you had not considered this, it will become an issue, and far too many growing pups are taken to dog rescue facilities because the owner simply did not comprehend what dog ownership involves.
- Lack of Training – You can’t expect a puppy dog to automatically fit into your lifestyle, at least not without the right kind of training, and to be fair to the dog, you need to demonstrate consistent behaviour to allow the dog to fully understand what he can and cannot do. Talk to other family members, before the dog’s arrival, and decide what rules you wish to impose, and how you are going to teach the dog to follow these rules. If the training doesn’t go as planned, enrol in a local dog training program and get some help from the experts.
- Financial Issues – There’s a lot more to keeping a dog than just food costs, and in the event your pet needs medical treatment, you must be prepared to foot the bill. Pet insurance is the best way to provide the right cover, and by typing “Pet Insurance AU” into a search engine window, you can choose from one of the many pet insurance policies that are available.
- Choosing the Wrong Breed of Dog – You might like the way a certain breed looks, but if you are not prepared to give the animal the right amount of attention, you can expect to encounter problems along the way. Large dogs demand wide open spaces and lots of exercise, so only choose a large dog if you have the right living environment, plus you need to be able to devote the time to ensure your dog gets the right amount of exercise. Husky dogs, for example, are very appealing, yet this is a very high maintenance breed that requires a lot of care and attention, and the Husky is essentially a work dog and he likes to pull things for a long distance. A quick walk around the block is nowhere near enough exercise for this breed, so always consider two things; do you have the right environment for such a dog? And are you prepared to spend the time exercising him?
Agreeing to own a dog is not something to be taken lightly, and if you are sure that you can offer the dog the kind of lifestyle it needs, then you should be fine.