Have you been considering adding a new dog to your family? When deciding to add a new dog there are many things to consider.

In my opinion, the most important thing is to make the commitment beforehand to respect and accept your dog for the individual they are. We bring these animals into our homes and they do not have much choice in their daily schedules, so it is important to give them these choices and respect whenever possible.

This is not always easy. My youngest dog, Chloe, is a shepherd mix we adopted from a rescue. I wanted an active, go-everywhere, companion who I could start agility training with. The rescue said she would be perfect and was “just a little shy”. She seemed extremely shy, but it was love at first sight, so she came home with us. Turns out, she had an extreme anxiety disorder and that first year my dreams for her were shattered. Thankfully I let her take the world at her pace, and after years of training (and the help of some prozac) and building her trust, she can go on trips and enjoys competitions with me.

Over the next month, I will be sharing a post that focuses on each of the aspects that one should consider when adding a dog to the family. There are questions you need to ask yourself (and answer for yourself) about YOUR life and lifestyle before adding a pet to the home.

Your current household. Do you have other dogs? Cats? Maybe other animals such as rabbits or chickens? What about the people in your household? Do you have children? Elderly? Is everyone on-board with getting a new dog?
Your activity level. How active are you? Be brutally honest with yourself-- do you find a walk around the block enough everyday? Or do you prefer those 30 mile bike rides?
Your daily schedule. How busy are you, really? What amount of time do you have to commit to training and raising a dog/puppy? Do you work long hours? Do you like to travel frequently?
Your financial capabilities. While I do not feel finances should hold you back from having a pet, you need to ask yourself if you can afford and make plans for the “what ifs”. What if your dog needs a $5,000 emergency surgery? How will you handle that? Vet visits, pet sitters or walkers, trainers, food, toys…. All of these costs also add up. If you end up with a dog with any medical or behavioral issues these costs will be even higher.

Once you have evaluated yourself, it is time to think about evaluating dogs to see what will best fit in with your lifestyle. I will discuss all of the following in the next month.

What age of dog should you get? Puppies, young adults, mature adults, and senior pets all have benefits and different workloads.
What breed of dog is best for you? Consider the breed traits, the breeds need for mental and physical activity, and the health considerations.
Want a mixed breed or “rescue”? Special considerations to take when looking to adopt a shelter dog.
Should you get your dog from a breeder, or a shelter? My next dog will most likely be from a breeder. My current two dogs are both rescues.
The health of the dog. What health history does the dog have? Are there any illnesses that run in the breeds you are looking at? Is the dogs physical makeup and health compatible with what you want to do?

Do you have any other questions or considerations you want to hear more about? Leave your questions in the comments, and the answers will be in the upcoming posts!