Things Everyone Should Do Before They Buy A Dog
By Callum Atherton
9 months ago
1. Research The Breed
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Certain breeds suit the dynamic of your household. The dog should be chosen to fit in without you making too many drastic changes to your lifestyle. Size, hair type and behaviour are all good starting point to find the dog that suits your family. Speak to people who already have the breed of dog you are looking at or dog trainers to get an insight on the breed.2. Consider Children
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For families with children, dogs can be a great addition alongside your little human. There are a few things to consider before you buy any dog for your home. Temperament of the dog and the size of your children are big factors to consider before you buy your four-legged friend. Some dogs are advised against if you have small children and babies, so make sure you do your research.3. Buy Food
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The food for your dog is an important consideration as it will improve your dogs health, growth and overall development. Food will be labelled as to whether they are for small, medium or large dogs. This will control the nutrients that the size of dog should be getting. Also, be careful of additives that are in certain dog foods, especially the cheaper brands.4. Buy Toys
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Dogs have two things that they absolutely cannot get enough of: food and toys! Getting suitable toys for your dog is essential to ensure they are safe and happy pups. Dogs need toys that are suitable size and durability so they are keeping them for a substantial amount of time with the toy and there is no hazard of choking. They are also good to use for training rewards.5. Buy Bedding And Blankets
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A dog will become comfortable in your house as the days go on, but it is important to make sure that the dog has a specific area to go to sleep and rest. Having a designated bed and blankets as a safe haven for the dog is important as they will know this is their place if they ever get frightened or stressed. Having blankets with the bed will hold their scent to ensure they know this is their area.6. Register With A Vet Practice
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Your dogs health is the most important thing. Making sure it is signed up to a vet with the adequate insurance is important in case your dog falls unwell. Making sure that this is accessible to your house and that they offer an out of hours service in case of emergencies. Additionally, looking at information online from reputable sources can help you care for your dog when they need it.7. Check Your Dog Is Chipped
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Getting your dog microchipped may seem like an unnecessarily expense however, it is essential to ensure your dog stays safe. If you ever lose your four-legged friend, then they can be identified through scanning of the microchip inserted under their skin. Losing a pet is the worse case scenario but having this measure implemented can help put your mind at rest.8. Get Pet Insurance
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As mentioned earlier, ensuring your dog is insured correctly is essential for your dogs health. Making sure it is the right policy for the breed as some breeds are susceptible to different injuries. For example, this Labrador is a breed that has an increased chance of joint complications, so making sure this is covered in their insurance is paramount.9. Make A Training Plan
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Training your dog can make the companionship with your dog even stronger than it already is. Whether that is training to be apart of your daily routine or getting to 'sit' or 'stay', it will improve the overall behaviour of your dog. Lots of training can be done from home but there is lots of specialist trainers specifically for different breeds if required.10. Puppy-Proof Your Place
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Puppies are lovely bundles of joy but in their young phase, they are sometimes a danger to themselves. Puppy proofing your house would include buying rubber edges for any counters that have sharp corners, moving any valuable objects that could be knocked over and any objects that could be chewed or swallowed that could harm your dog. This may be tedious but it will be beneficial in the end.11. Plan For Being Away
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Your puppy has got to fit around your routine instead of the other way around. Whether it be work commitments or holidays it is important for you to organise what will happen to your dog during these times. Whether it is training the dog to be on its own for short periods or a dog sitter during long periods, its important that your dog is trained and comfortable for these changes.12. Puppy or Adult?
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There are positives and negatives to getting a puppy or an adult dog. Puppies are more malleable in terms of training but that does require more effort and potentially more 1's and 2's in the house. Adults dogs are often adopted from dogs homes where they have been in unfortunate circumstances which may require retraining to suit your routine. Definitely research both options before you choose.13. Male or Female?
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Another choice which is often overlooked is whether a dog is a female or a male. Behaviour should not really be a difference maker in the majority of breeds but there is some aspects to consider. One is certain bodily process that differ between male and female dogs and how these need to be cared for. The other is if you want to become a breeder, researching what is needed and what is required.14. Adopt or Work With a Breeder?
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As touched on earlier, you can either purchase your dog through a breeder who has nurtured the dog (usually puppies) or adapted from a dogs care homes where they have been rescued from dangerous or unsafe situations. Both have many pros and cons and require a lot of research in each. Speaking to dog centres and breeders to find out more is always the best way as well as online information.15. Find a Groomer
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We all want out perfect pooch looking gorgeous for their daily walks, but finding a dog groomers for your dog may be harder than you think. Some dogs are cut in a certain style depending on their breed. Most groomers can cut all dogs but some specialise in cutting particular breeds. It is important for some breeds to have regular cuts due to the warm weather whereas some may not need any at all due to their fur type.16. Find a Pet Sitter
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During working hours or days out, the dog may be left for a long period of time unattended. Although this may be fine for trained, older dog, excitable puppies may not be so trustworthy. Having a dog sitter who is known by the dog, is comfortable with dogs in general and knows your dog routines is perfect to be a good dog sitter for your pouch. Make sure this is implemented in advance of the day away.17. Get a Crate
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One of the best training tools for dogs in the house is a crate. It is similar to a bed where they will know where their space is but it will keep them in their through the night and when you leave the house. This is perfect for dogs with a tendency to chew but this has to be taught during the puppy phase. It is important that dogs are not kept in their for too long as they will get distressed.18. Lock Away Products From Dogs
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Some products that we use in our daily lives can be poisonous or harmful to dogs. Other items can just be a massive mess if our dog gets hold of them! This is why any products that we don't want out pooch getting their paws on needs to be away from the dogs reach. As dogs can be very cunning, simply putting the stuff on a table may not be enough with doors and maybe locks needing to be used.19. Secure Yard
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Dogs love to run around and explore their own space. To do this, you need to make sure that the garden/ yard you have is safe and secure. Dogs will love to explore so making sure they cannot escape is very important. Certain bugs such as slugs can be harmful for dogs as well as some pesticides so it is important that you know what's in your garden and what is dangerous.20. Get Dog Tags
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In case your dog does escape and someone finds them, they need to get the dog back to you. That's why dog tags are important to reunite you with your dog. Do not put the dogs name on the collar so they cannot call the dog over as if it was their own. Additionally, do not put your address on the tag as they thieves could steel your dog from your home.21. Create A Routine
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A dog that has a familiar, consistent routine will improve their behaviour overall. Animals (including humans) prefer to have routine than not so it is important that routines are instilled in them from a young age. This is important that your routine before the dog does not massively change after getting the dog. Crucially, the dog should fit around your routine.22. Decide House Rules
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Establishing rules for all humans and canines to follow is essential to be done early. These rules not only maintain a good routine but also promotes good behaviour. Crucially, its important that all members of the household follow the same rule as to not confuse the dog. Everyone's rules are different but you need to be consistent in your approach.23. Install Baby Gates
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Certain people will want to confine their dogs to certain parts of the house. This could be due to people being sensitive to dog hair so may not want to them on their bed. This helps define the difference between the human and dog spaces especially during the night. Baby gates are a good day to keep dogs away from hallways where the door were and stairs where younger dogs could get injured.24. Put Away Some Money
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As you can see owning a dog is a lot amount of money. With toys, bedding, food and upkeep of the dog, the bills keep stacking up! It is important to save up before you buy your dog as well as having an amount saved throughout for any unforeseen circumstances. This needs to be carefully planned to avoid unwanted money troubles while you have your dog.25. Buy Puppy Pads
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One of the hardest aspects of a dogs training is toilet training. Eagle eyed owners will be needed in the first couple of weeks to see when a dog is about to wee in the house. Placing puppy pads towards the door you want to exit to do their business is the best way to train. These absorbent mats will protect your flooring as well as teach the dog to head to a certain area to do their stuff.26. Buy Lead, Collar and Harness
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Buying appropriate leads, collars and harness' is important for your dogs comfort and safety. First of all, certain size of dogs will need different sizes of lead, collar and harness. Secondly, some dogs will require a certain harness so they do not pull as much. This is due to the breeds naturally pulling more than other dogs. Online reviews are the best way to buy the best one for your dog.27. Pheromones
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A dog releases a lot of pheromones, some that we are not able to detect. It is important to keep slightly older toys or blankets so the dogs feel comfortable as they grow up due to the recognition of their own pheromone. Pheromones can be released through diffusers to calm dogs down. This can be helpful while you are out of the house or during the night.28. Poop Bags
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One thing that you can have hundreds of but will always run out when you have a dog? Poop bags! Buying quality in bulk will make it more cost effective as buying them as you need them. The bug-bare for all people is when people leave the mess of the dog on the sidewalk or in the park. It is imperative that messes are picked up so your are not an annoyance in your neighbourhood.29. Water and Food Bowls
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Good water and food bowls can be unnoticed until your dog starts using a good one. Dogs can take some time to get used to a bowl and some are better suited depending the breed. Smaller dogs will eat less so will need a smaller bowl. Additionally some dogs with floppy ear could be better with a anti-drip bowl to stop water dribbling through your home.30. Prepare Other Animals
