Dogs make excellent pets because they are loyal, loving, and a lot of fun. While they can make perfect additions to your family, dogs are a lot of work to look after and so you should always think it through carefully before bringing one home with you. You need to know that you can afford to take care of them, have the time to dedicate to them and that your home is suitable for them, too. If you feel confident that you’re prepared to care for a dog properly, that’s great! You might find the following tips useful, however, to help you prepare to live with one full time.
Teach Your Kids How to Interact with Them
If you do have children at home, particularly young kids, then you must make sure that they understand how to interact with a dog properly. Dogs are usually very friendly and can be playful, but they do get tired and when they are not in the mood to be around people, they will become agitated and potentially aggressive. To avoid your children getting hurt, scared, or your dog becoming distressed, you should spend time with them altogether and teach your children how to pick up on the signs that their furry friend needs time out.
Access to Outdoor Spaces
If you live in an apartment, it isn’t the end of the world, as you will still take your dog outside for walks each day. However, it is ideal if you do have a yard that they can go into throughout the day when they need to stretch their legs or feel like going exploring. You could use a dog door flap so that they can come and go as they please, but perhaps an automated sliding door would be a preferable choice? While they might be more expensive, they can be fantastic upgrades to your property and even add value to it. Your dog can also wear a sensor on their collar so that the door will open for them when they want to go out and come back in. Look at this sliding glass door doggy door as an example of what you can get.
Set Boundaries
As a dog owner, you will need to train them, particularly if you’re getting a puppy. Even adult dogs will need to learn what their limits are in your home, for example, if you don’t want them to sleep in bed with you, you need to be firm and make sure that they stay in their bed. The same applies if you don’t want them climbing on your couches, or a particular room, or sitting on a piece of furniture in the house. Start setting these boundaries as soon as you bring them home to make sure the message gets across.
Easy to Clean Floors
Dogs can get messy, and carpets pick up dirt and become dull even without having a dog dragging in more mud and mess when they come home from their walks. You might want to think about updating your floors to something easier to clean, such as tile, wood, or laminate. This doesn’t necessarily have to go through the entire house, but at least the areas where your dog is going to come in from their walks and where you will clean them off before entering the rest of the house.
Dogs truly make wonderful pets, but living with one can be an adjustment. Use these tips to help you manage this transition a little easier and to make a better living environment for your dog, too.
Photos courtesy Sam Lion and Blue Bird and Anna Shvets
