Which Dog Is For You?

I have never been one to hide the truth and the truth with me and Sally dog, is we didn’t click at first.

Or at least she decided I was her human and I decided I wanted nothing to do with “the dog”.

For a while, I cried and went into a deep depression – yup from getting a dog.

I’ve never really 100% understood why.

I can only guess it has to do with the fact I suddenly had a dog thrust upon me, with no experience.

However, 13 years later I’m honoured she decided to pick me.

So I guess with the bumpy start Sally and I had it was interesting to find out that Legal and General Pet Insurance had done some research on us and our best friends.

Dogs and Human’s Don’t Always Go.

It is likely there is a breed out there perfect for most people looking to find a dog to complete their family.

However, there is also like a number of breeds, with which you will clash. Which makes it astounding that 31% of dog owners do no research before they buy a dog.

Especially as 60% of those questioned bought their dog, with only 27% choosing to adopt from their local animal shelter. When you choose to adopt, you will usually be giving an adult dog a new lease of life which is a great thing to do.

Make sure you choose a dog for your living situation, ability to be outdoors with them and for how ready you are for grooming and to clean, to name just a few things. These are all big things, both for your own happiness and your future new additions. You need to select the perfect breed for you by energy level, size and temperament.

If you’re out at work all day and there’s no one else in the house, you might want to consider hiring a dog walker to take your dog out during the day. You will then need to factor this in to the costs.

You also need to make sure you have a lot of time to do dog training. You will need to train your puppy or dog to ensure that they know where to go to the toilet (no one likes those indoor surprises so make sure you do house training early on!) and that they are obedient enough to follow simple commands like “sit” and “leave”.

If you have a puppy it’s a good idea to take them to training classes early on. This gets them socialised with other dogs and will help them learn some commands and general good behaviour. It will also teach you how to discipline your dog in the right way. A puppy requires firm guidance to ensure that it knows what good behaviour is.

Think of the Costs.

Caring for a dog can be expensive, there’s not just food and water to think about. There are quite a lot of one-off costs to begin with if you get a puppy or adopt a dog. First of all you’ll have to puppy proof your home and then a puppy needs lots of things like a dog bed, bowls, toys, etc. If you are looking at getting a Kennel Club registered breed, you will also have quite a high cost of buying your puppy in the first place.

As Sally has got older her costs have become more.

Now, as well as a prescription diet of dog food, she has hydro every fortnight, two lots of tablets a day and a number of supplements as suggested by the vets. On that note, it’s very important that you find a good vet!

Her insurance has, of course, over the years gone up by a lot as well but is completely worthwhile having. After all, it means we don’t need to scramble to afford things such as her hydrotherapy.

Being at this point in owning a dog, I know that in future I would very carefully consider the insurance and cost of vets visits over the years. Yet this is a cost very few people think of, with only 11% thinking about the cost of vets and just 7% the cost of insurance.

So it is unsurprising that 29% find owning a dog more expensive than they imagined. The cost of raising a puppy tends to increase as they grow up.

However, what is quite worrying to me is 36% owned up to not having insurance and 46% believing they didn’t need it!

From me to you, I can tell you even if you go years without using it. When a dog gets old it is wonderful to have and you are going to find it very hard to insure a dog later in life. So look for a lifetime plan, early.

Make Sure You Do Your Research.

So I guess the point of this post is me and Sally reminding you to research before you buy or adopt.

Try and match your lifestyle and personality to the breed you are going for. With a fun place to start being this quiz, a quiz to help a dog pick you!

Remember a dog is for life and that is going to include ups and downs for you both. But there’s no better feeling than when you bring home your new best friend.

Do you own any pets, were you a perfect match?

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