Seven Things to Do Before Getting a Dog

Dogs are fun and playful pets, but the decision to bring one into your household should not be taken lightly under any circumstances. By understanding the prerequisites to owning a dog, you and your household can plan ahead and fully understand the responsibilities that come with a dog. Planning ahead can be done in steps, and with some work and effort on your part, you can have a clear picture of the things you need to do before you decide to take in a dog.

  1. Stock Up on Supplies

    • Bringing a dog home with no supplies such as dog food, dog bowls or wooden gates, is a recipe for disaster. Plan ahead and identify what food type your dog's breed needs to eat, any toys the dog may need, and any leashes or extra items you may need to interact with your dog.

    Divide the Chores

    • Talk with the members of your household, and divide up the responsibilities for who takes care of what. Making the responsibilities clear and recording them on a chart will make the transition for the extra work your dog will require a breeze. Without clear guidelines of who will do what, you and family members may argue about who does the less fun jobs, and the dog may not get the proper care.

    Establish House Rules

    • Should you let the dog sit on the sofa? Should you ban it from certain rooms? Knowing the answers to these questions and setting a clear guideline of the rules will help you housebreak your dog by consistently reinforcing good behavior and discouraging bad behavior.

    Dog-Proof Your Home

    • Identify hazards, such as unprotected power sockets and wires, and eliminate them or make them dog proof. Check throughout your house and remove any of these common-sense hazards, but be sure to also remove more subtle hazards, such as chocolate, which in some cases can be fatal to dogs.

    Make It Legal

    • Check with your local city hall and ensure that your dog's species is allowed. Some areas, such as Louisiana and Florida, ban certain breeds, like pit bulls, due to high criminal activity with these breeds. You may also need a permit for your dog in certain neighborhoods/apartments to ensure that you are legally protected from being sued. Most communities require that dogs have licenses.

    Make a Vet Appointment

    • Identify a local vet that you can use as your regular vet for your dog. By doing this, you will have a local and quick option in case your dog hurts itself, and as a plus, your vet will know of any special conditions that your dog may or may not have.

    Agree About Commands

    • When you begin to train your dog, you'll need to be consistent with command words. If you want your dog to sit when you say, "Sit", but other household members say, "Down," your dog will be confused and your training will not be effective. Decide ahead of time what commands you'll use.