Raising A Dog Is The Same As Raising A Child. And It’s Not Everyone’s Cup Of Tea.
Making the decision to add a dog to your family is easy. So easy because dogs are cute and the best to cuddle and take selfies with. And who doesn’t want that cuteness all day, every day? But that’s not all they are. Dogs are living, breathing innocent beings that require love, care, attention, nourishment, training, discipline etc just like a child.
Let me say it again: just like a child. Your child.
It is no different than having a human baby. We love our children unconditionally and pay attention to every small or big need they might have. We monitor how much they eat, poop, sleep, play and learn and ensure they never, ever feel unloved, alone or helpless. So let me say this again: it is no different when a new puppy or dog comes to your home.
And if you feel differently or don’t agree with my statement that a dog (or any pet for that matter) is no less than a child and requires the same amount of love, time and care, then don’t get a pet. It’s as simple as that. I don’t say this to sound harsh or judgmental. I state it as a fact: if you don’t see your dog as your child and an equal member of the family deserving of your undivided time and attention, trust me you will never be happy — you will eventually find the dog to be a burden and get annoyed with it and having to take care of it. And the dog, through no fault of its own, will not be loved and cared for in the way it deserves and will become sad, sick and lonely.
If you’ve come this far in the post and still interested to read more, I assume you’re ready, willing and wanting to be a dog parent. Or at the very least curious about what it takes.
Here’s a few things to think about and consider, especially if you’re a first time dog parent to be, before you fully commit:
Becoming a dog mom or a dog dad is a real thing. You will always be the parent. Not your helper, dog walker, neighbor etc
The puppy or dog you’re going to bring home will very quickly see you as their pack leader. Where you go, dog follows. It will turn to you (just like a child) when it is sad, happy, confused, hungry, thirsty and so much more. Other family members or helpers may be able to help with walks and meal times and general babysitting if you are not around, but at the end of the day, just like a child, your fur baby needs to have quality time with you to feel secure, safe and loved. Nothing can replace this bond and trust that your new dog has placed on you.
The first six to eight weeks with any new puppy or dog are the toughest
Bringing a new pup home is one of the most exciting feelings but it is also very stressful. You have to start house training your pup right away to help it understand where it will sleep, eat, and pee and poop. If you have a young puppy and depending on the breed, you usually cannot out them on a leash until they are at least 4 months. Depending on your living situation and the breed you have, different training techniques work. For my Shih Tzu we did not crate train because he cried a lot anytime he was in an enclosed space. He sleeps in my bedroom, eats at his food station by the kitchen and goes to pee and poo in our balcony after 3 months of training.
Be prepared to clean up lots and lots of pee and poo inside the house during the training phase and be ready to repeat yourself over and over
The best way I can describe a puppy or dog who needs to be house trained is it’s essentially like having a baby running loose 24/7 without a diaper. Of course there will be accidents and lots of them until your new fur baby has figured out where his or her bathroom is. And yelling or punishing for these accidents is not the solution. Gentle repetitive reminders and positive reinforcement is the way to go. Trust me on this. Your dog will learn way quicker from his mistakes.
Setting a routine that works for both of you takes a little trial and error but once you have it, stick to it
My dog Milo is a total sleepyhead! I didn’t see this coming at all given that my old dog Furby and other dogs I know are early risers and like to go for walks right away. Milo’s a lazy pup. He will keep sleeping until either my husband or I are up. And he doesn’t like being woken up for a walk unless it’s one of us waking him up. Like I said, did not see that coming. So it works out for us that Milo let’s us sleep in most days but it’s also on one of us (and not a helper or anyone else) that has to take him for his walks everyday because we know he prefers this. His meals times were pretty easy to set up as he eats 3 – 4 times a day. We set out his food at 9AM, 1PM, 6PM and 8PM (if needed). But Milo eats when he feels like it, so I do have to keep an eye to check when he actually eats every day. The key here is that sticking to a fixed routine helps Milo feel secure and he knows what to expect every day.
Health check ups, vaccinations, keeping an eye on allergies and sickness, and going for haircuts and grooming are very much normal for fur babies
The day after Milo arrived home, I took him to the vet to get a health check up and get vaccinated as necessary and understand better what kind of food I should be feeding him. So be prepared to find a vet you will be comfy taking your dog to the day he or she comes home. Milo has severe food allergies, sensitive skin and breaks out into rashes every few weeks. I didn’t realize until he was older because he started eating other foods and going outside the house for walks. Until I could figure out what was causing his incessant itching and rashes, we visited the vet every week and I had to make small changes to his diet and routine until we established the causes and how best to manage it. He now needs to be bathed at home twice a week and visit the groomers (finding a good groomer is also key!) to have his hair cut and nails clipped once a month. I know now it’s a chronic condition he has and I have to keep a very close eye on his itching and scratching every single day. He has a special medicine pouch I always keep on hand just in case. And I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to reach for it. It’s exhausting and frustrating sometimes but it has to be done.
Leaving a dog — new or old — alone is not as easy as you think
Don’t fool yourself into believing that just because your pet is capable of eating, sleeping, playing and going to the bathroom independently, it’s okay to leave them alone or locked up in a small place for long periods of time or frequently. It’s not okay and never will be. Your dog will become sad, develop anxiety, maybe fall sick, stop eating, start showing their discontent by misbehaving and/or having accidents in the house. This can lead some people to think their new fur baby has a behavior or health problem when it’s actually a simple “I miss you” problem and this is how he or she is telling you. Now this is not to say you can’t ever leave your dog alone — you can once he or she is familiar and secure with the new family and surroundings. But getting to this point can take a few weeks or months and you have to be mindful about how long for and when you are leaving pup alone. Will you be gone at a meal or walk time? Who will step in to help if you can’t be there? If you are away for long periods of time such as a full work day or longer holiday then please consider hiring some help or a dog sitter/walker so that your dog never feels like you just left and forgot him or her.
Socializing and establishing discipline with other people and animals is vital
. You don’t want to be the dog parent every other dog parent avoids because of your unruly pup. And believe me when I say undisciplined and unsocialized dogs can be very annoying. Socializing, establishing discipline and setting boundaries starts at day one and the key is using easy commands such as ‘no’, ‘be gentle’, ‘poo here’ etc with a firm voice, following up with positive reinforcement (treats or an ear scratch or a ‘good dog’) if a behavior is done right and if not then repeating the command and training every day until it’s done right. Even after the training phase is over and your dog has learned the commands, you must keep on using the same words every day and teach anyone else who interacts with your fur baby to do the same. Establishing a set of commands your dogs knows well will take some time but it ensures good and predictive behavior.
Don’t assume everyone likes dogs and will love yours the way you do
I am a crazy dog lady. There’s no doubt about it. On my bucket list: to sink myself in a bathtub full of puppies. I am always mindful with new visitors to (a) inform them I have a small dog at home that I don’t lock away and (b) check if they are okay with dogs. If they are not okay with dogs, I will do my best to keep an eye on Milo’s behavior and ensure he doesn’t scare or trouble anyone. Locking him away is not an option and will never be. He is my child and I have taught him how to listen to me and behave properly with others.
Dogs need your undivided attention every single day. Don’t ever take them or your time with them for granted
You wouldn’t ignore your own child’s request to play and/or spend quality time together. So don’t ignore your dog’s request either. Your dog’s health and happiness is directly related to the amount of time, attention and love you give. You are their entire world — every minute you’re away or not engaging with them is a minute they are just waiting for you. Waiting. That’s all they will do when you’re not around. So be sure to make quality time for your dog a priority every single day. Trust me it will also be the best part of your day — there’s nothing like dog cuddles and kisses after long, stressful days.
Give love unconditionally. Even in moments of anger or bad behavior.
I read this quote somewhere about having a dog and it has stayed with me every single day since:
“In this world you have family and friends but I only have you.”
A dog will love you no matter what. If I go to the gym for an hour or out to run errands for the day, Milo will greet me at the door when I’m back wagging his furry little tail and jumping up and down with the exact same level of excitement. It does not matter where I went or for how long, he is just simply happy to see me. He just wants to hang out with his pack — his family — all day. It’s what he was born to do. Don’t forget that. If your fur pup has been bad for whatever reason, don’t yell or show anger, use a calm and firm voice to explain to him what went wrong and what is the right thing to do next time. No matter what, always, always show love. It’s all he or she needs and wants from you. Love. That’s it.
Being a dog mom or dad is not everyone’s cup of tea. I hope this post is helpful in shedding light on what it means to add a dog to your family and how to evaluate for yourself if it is the right thing to do.