Of course, seeing the joy on your children’s faces when they receive a puppy with a red bow on it on Christmas morning or surprising your friend who needs a companion with a new dog for the holidays may seem like a great idea full of thoughtfulness and love. But you also must remember that dogs are living and breathing animals that require a lot of care and responsibility, including things like puppy training and dog grooming. Therefore, there are some things to consider before making such a significant and life-changing purchase for your family or friends.
It is Most Important to Consider Who is Receiving the Dog or Puppy
First, you need to consider who the dog is for. If it is for a child, do you know if their family is willing to help with the pet? You also need to keep in mind that some children can be fearful of dogs. So if you are considering getting a dog or puppy for your child, have general conversations with your children about dogs and maybe have them around other dogs to see how they react. No matter what, even if you think it would be the perfect gift for a child, you want to be sure before making the commitment to grow your family with a furry family member, that it is the best decision for the entire family.
If buying for an adult friend or family member, you still need to be aware of some factors that may or may not make them a good fit to become a dog parent at this time. For example, do they work full-time and are gone all day with no way to get home to take their dog for a walk? Take into consideration their lifestyle as well. If they travel a lot or tend to be gone from home most weekends, then they may not have time to commit to a puppy. Also, what season of life are they in? If they are older, they may have trouble keeping up with a puppy and potty training which requires them to go out every 30 minutes at times. And potty training in the middle of Winter versus Spring is a major aspect of having a new puppy in more northern states that you need to consider!
Keep These Tips in Mind No Matter Who You Are Buying a Dog or Puppy For
- Ask first! Surprises are nice, but you need to ask first and ask those questions above to ensure that the pet matches the needs of the person receiving this special gift.
- Make sure they are able to care for the pet. For example, can a child at their age take care of a pet? If elderly, are they physically able to care for a pet?
- Who will be committing to taking care of the pet? Who will bathe them? Who will feed them? Who will be taking the dogs for walks to ensure they get exercise? Who is going to work on training the dog?
- Think about the costs of taking care of a pet. Can this person afford to take care of the pet? There will be vet bills, food, dog grooming, etc.
- Can they commit to taking care of an animal for the rest of their life?
- Being educated about an animal is also important and requires dog training if they have not been trained before. As a dog owner, it is important to understand animal behaviors. Can they commit to working through any bumps in the road?
- Let them pick out their own pet. Make sure it is what they want. It may be a good match for you, but may not be a good match for the recipient.
- Adopt don’t shop! There are so many pets in need of a home, and all they need is a home.
At Bark Avenue Daycamp, we want to help our clients with all their dog care questions, whether it is dog training, dog grooming, or general dog care! If you live in Bartlett, Hoffman Estates, St. Charles, Elgin, or Schaumburg and are looking for dog care near me or dog trainers near me, call us at (630) 289-8470 or contact us online.