How To Prepare Your Family For Having A Dog
At some point, it might be that your kids start asking if you can get a family dog. This is something that happens a lot in many families, and it’s certainly true that it can be quite a good thing to do. It might well be that you are keen to have a dog as well. All in all, it’s something to think about. But when you are thinking about getting a family dog, you need to make sure that you are preparing your family for it as well as possible. That is something that can take a while, and you will need to think about quite a few different things to make sure you do it right.
In this post, we are going to discuss how you can fully and properly prepare your family for having a dog. As long as you have thought about the following, you should find that everyone feels so much more ready for it on the whole.
Finances
First of all there is the financial side. You need to make sure that you are financially ready for having a dog, because it really is the kind of thing that can take a toll in that sense, and you need to make sure that you are going to be prepared for that. Your finances can be significantly influenced by having a pet of any kind, and a dog in particular can be quite an expense. As such, it’s definitely a good idea to make sure that you know what’s coming so that you can fully get ready for it.
The main expenses are the dog itself, the food, and any vet fees that you may need to pay out. It’s wise to set up a savings account so you can start thinking about this stuff and putting away whatever you need to. Once you have done that, you are going to find that you have a much better chance of being able to afford the dog. Bear in mind too that a lot of people are going to find different breeds cost different amounts in the end, because some eat more than others and so on. So this is all something you might want to research.
As long as you are prepared financially, it’s going to make pretty much every other aspect of having a dog so much easier.
Space & Time
You also need to ensure that you are going to have plenty of space in the home with which to look after your dog. This is something that you can’t really ignore, because a dog is always going to need a lot of room to move around. Most dogs need a lot of exercise, which of course means walking them, but also hopefully providing them with a chance to exercise at home too. So think about the situation you have in the home and whether or not you can actually make this work. It’s non-negotiable, so you need to make sure that you are thinking about that.
It’s not only space that you need to prepare, however – it’s time too. You need to make sure that you and your family are going to have the time to walk the dog, feed the dog and so on. As long as you do, that is going to mean that they are much more likely to be healthy and happy, and you’re going to find that this makes a huge difference overall to their wellbeing. So think about getting ready for that too – do you have the time spare to look after a dog properly, or are you going to need to make some changes first? Once you have these two things down pat, however, you’re going to be a lot more prepared for having a dog.
Getting Your Children Emotionally Ready for a Dog
There is no doubt that having a dog can be something of an emotional rollercoaster, and it’s really important to make sure that you are going to get them as ready for this as possible. There are a few main things that you might want to think about here, and it’s important that you are indeed getting ready for them early on, because it can make a huge difference in the end.
For instance, there is the sad fact that the dog is not going to last forever. This is something it might actually be worth preparing your kids for before you even get the dog, even though its death hopefully won’t be until years later. That’s because your child needs to know what will happen, that you’ll have to bury the dog, find urns for dogs, and that it is going to be a generally sad time.
All of that is not to detract from the joy that you will have in the meantime, however. But the more realistic a picture you paint for your child, the better that is going to be for them in general.
Dog Responsibility Sharing
This is another conversation that is definitely worth having when you are thinking about getting a dog. You as a family will need to decide who is going to do what, and that is something that can be surprisingly tricky to get right. However, as long as you have a talk about it, it should get a lot easier, and you’ll find that it helps in knowing what is going to actually happen once the dog is in the house.
That will help to stop future arguments, hopefully, and it’s something you should therefore definitely think about. All in all, it’s going to mean that your family is a lot more ready for having a dog. You should make sure to share the responsibility as fairly as possible, bearing in mind that this is also a good opportunity for making sure that your kids learn about responsibility in general. Making use of that opportunity can prove to be a really useful thing, and it’s something to think about for sure.
Great advice. We’re more cat people here but a lot of this would apply to that! Although cats are much easier.
Having a pet is so much work! It is good to know what to expect. I think with dogs especially, it can be a good idea to have some pet insurance in case of medical expenses.
My daughter has been wanting a dog. This is good info for her.
These are great tips. I need to share this with my son.
Your insights on the financial aspect are spot-on; it’s crucial to be ready for those unexpected expenses. The tips on creating space and dedicating time are practical reminders that will help families like mine make room for our furry friends.
These are such great tips and the financial aspect is for sure the most important for me as you have to ensure you can care for them in the event something goes wrong medically, etc…. this post is perfect for anyone considering adopting a pet 😉
What a nice advice. Because personally, I am really scared in dogs, I wish I can cope this soon as possible because they are really cute.
I really like the tips you have provided here and I think they are very helpful. thanks for sharing!
My family is a natural animal lovers, but I told them some of these tips when we get our first pet! It was very helpful
Great advice! I find that often people jump into getting a pet without really thinking it through. It’s a huge responsibility!
great tips.. definitely need to prepare mentally and every other way so we are ready for this responsibility of having a dog (or other pet)
It is true that welcoming a new dog into the family does take a lot of prep work, within the home and with the family! These were really great tips.
I had a dog when I was a kid so I can guess it aint that easy but yes as you have mentioned a list it gives a rough idea that be it any country more or less having a pet is a lot of work.
You raise a lot of good points here. I have a friend wanting to get their first dog im going to send them this.
You are so right! You definitely need to be prepared for a dog and the whole family should help!
Such a great post! We have two dogs, I agree with so many of your tips! Love them!
Great posts listed in this blog. I can’t wait to become a PAWrent. It’s gonna be their best life every day. Inspiring.
These are great tips! One must be really prepared to having a dog because first of all, it’s a lifetime commitment. It is also very expensive with the food, vet bills, vaccination and all.
Someday if the kids want it, it would be great to have a dog and them knowing the responsibility to take care of one and gain a new family member as well.
I was never a dog person until my ex husband got a chihuahua mix puppy from his sister. Before we hit that puppy, I tolerated the lil dog we had. She grew on me too. Now I can’t imagine not having dogs. Potty training is probably the hardest thing to do though. We got my boxer mix bells to ring at the front door. She will ring them when she needs to go outside.
There are definitely a lot of important things to consider before getting a dog. These are great tips!