Getting a Dog? Here Is a Checklist for a New Pet Owner

Getting a dog or a cat? Here is a complete checklist for a new pet owner of a dog and cat. First-time dog or cat owner? You need to read this first.

Are you a new pet owner? Then you will need to read this first. By deciding to adopt a pet, you are entering into a beautiful relationship that will last a lifetime. While adopting a pet, one chooses to bring about a drastic change in the owner's and their pets' lives. Every pet owner once thinks about having a checklist that someone would have handed them before adopting their furry friend.

Complete Checklist for a New Pet Owner

So, here is a complete checklist (rather it is a list of things) that needs to be kept in mind while bringing your new pet home. Bookmark these collections of lists and your new pet will thank you and love you even more. Do check them out.

Self-Assessment Questions

There are numerous portals that can help with the appropriate information on pet adoption. You can read more on PetCareRx or similar places to know more about them. There are a few questions that you can refer to like:

• Is your home suitable for the dog breed that you are considering adopting?
• Do you have any social obligations that will affect your ability to take care of the dog?
• What will be your options for the dog when you go out on a vacation or trip?
• Are the people who live with you and around you ready for a dog?
• Are there any health problems that you, your family and friends, or your dog can suffer from?
• What is the dog breed that fits your needs?
• Does your home have a stress-free environment? Often stressful homes cause mental and physical problems for the dog?
• Is there someone who, in their absence, will take the ultimate responsibility for the dog?

Popular Small Size Breed Dogs

Popular Medium Size Breed Dogs

Popular Large Size Breed Dogs

Consideration of Financial Costs

When you adopt a dog, the agency is highly likely to charge you a fee to cover the cost of taking in homeless and stray dogs. This is just the beginning of expenses that one will have to spend on the dog for their lifetime. Here is a list of costs that one needs to be prepared for:

• Spaying and Neutering costs
• Specialized Dog Food (Wet and Dry)
• Routine veterinary expenses
• Licenses according to the regional laws
• Collars, identification tags, and leashes
• Standard grooming equipment

Other costs that are not necessary but advisable:

• Toys, crates, and bedding
• Professional grooming or grooming supplies
• Sudden medical expenses in case of accidents or any other deadly disease

Do You Have the Time For a New Pet?

• Dogs have to be fed and watered at least twice or thrice a day; water has to change every few hours in the case of puppies.
• Dogs love attention, and any good owner will give at least one good hour of attention and love to their dogs. They need to be trained, groomed, walked, and exercised, and they have to be taken out to potty and pee several times a day.
• Dogs need at least a 20-minute brushing to avoid matting if they have long coats.
• Hyperactive dogs need a lot of exercise and toys to keep them entertained.
• Sometimes dogs need extra attention; if they have a physical and behavioural problem, maybe it is to give medication.
• If the adopted dog has been abused or is scared, it needs a lot of patience and attention for its human to gain their trust.

Essentials of Shopping For Your Pets

Before you get your precious pooch home, you must ensure that the house is ready with goodies and treats. Make a shopping list of the things needed for the dog after you decide which dog breed you will adopt. Find out the food the dog was eating in the previous home or the adoption home.

After some time, one can make a slow transition from the dog's lifestyle in the shelter to the lifestyle in their home. It is important while adopting an adult dog; in the case of a smaller dog, the transition is easy. Here are the few things that you need to shop for:

• Food- wet or dry
• Food bowls, water bowls, and bedding
• Collar and leash
• Grooming supplies(shampoos, conditioner, combs and brushes, and nail cutter)
• Carrier and crates
• Canine toothpaste and brushes
• Dog toys- chew toys, ropes, and puzzle toys
• Poop bags and poop scooper
• Treats for the dogs
• Medical supplies for the dog
• Barricades in case of puppies and high energy level dogs

Summing up

What is the size of the dog that you are planning on adopting? Do you want a homebody dog like an owner or a pup that can get taken out on your next trip? One has to understand a few things before one adopt any dog.

Having a dog, especially if you adopt a puppy, is a big responsibility. It is almost like having a baby. One has to be prepared for all the furniture chewing and house destroying energy level. Taking the pup out wherever you go, hiking or biking, the dog might be a part of your world, but you will be their entire world to the dog.

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