What should I prepare for getting a dog? How much does it cost? I believe that this is the most important question that many people want to know before owning a dog, after all, a dog is a lifetime, of course, before you really start to raise, to assess their own in the end is not suitable for dog ownership! This time, we especially for new dog owners to do a series of dog owners guide, such as the need to assess the matters before the dog, the cost of dog ownership, etc., quickly learn about it!
What do I need to prepare for getting a dog?
1. Food & Water
Although some people let their dogs eat human food, those flavored foods are too heavy for dogs, and long-term consumption is not a small burden on their health. Therefore, it is recommended to choose dog-specific feeds, whether it is dry food or wet food, and choose the feeds that have high quality ingredients and that your dog loves to eat, which is the best choice for your dog.
2. Food container
With food, of course, you also need food containers, in addition to food bowls, you can also prepare a special water dispenser for pets, the constant flow of live water can greatly increase the frequency of the dog’s drinking!
3. Potty & Diaper Pad
In addition to taking your dog out to pee and poop, you should also prepare your dog’s own potty and diaper pads at home, so that your dog can get used to going to the bathroom in a fixed location and will not poop at home.
4. Outdoor Supplies
For dogs, going out is a very necessary thing, whether it is to go out to urinate and defecate or exercise, can make the dog happier and healthier, so the special outing supplies are also essential, such as walking the dog on a leash, leash, or outing bag, carrying cage, etc., are all essential items for dog owners.
5. Bedding
For the size of the dog to pick a bed nest of the right size, so that the dog can have a place to rest, and feel more secure.
6. Nail clippers
Dog’s nails need to be trimmed regularly, otherwise the long nails may affect the dog’s walking and increase the burden on the joints, so prepare a nail clipper to trim the dog’s nails regularly is also a must-do!
7. Hairbrush
Choose a hairbrush designed specifically for dogs, and regularly remove the excess hair on your dog’s body, not only to significantly reduce the chance of skin problems, but also to avoid the occurrence of dog hair all over the house.
8. Shampoo
Bathing your dog on a regular basis is essential! Choose a natural shampoo that not only washes away dirt and excess skin secretions, but also washes away the dog’s body odor! If you can’t bathe your dog yourself, remember to take your dog to a professional groomer on a regular basis.
9. Teeth Cleaning Products
Dogs need to brush their teeth just as much as people do, so you’ll need to prepare toothbrushes, teeth cleaning bones and other items to keep your dog’s teeth clean and healthy. Since dental health problems are usually irreversible, removing tartar from your dog’s teeth on a regular basis starting early can help your dog to avoid tartar and stay healthy!
How much does it cost to keep a dog?
The most basic expense is the feed, usually the amount of food for the dog can be calculated by weight, kilogram x 0.2 = the amount of feed needed per month, for example, an 8 kg dog, the feed needed per month is 8 x 0.2 = 1.6 kilograms, about 300 yuan per kilogram can buy a good quality of inexpensive feed, so the dog’s food costs per month will be about 1.6 x 300 = 480 yuan. Therefore, the monthly cost of a dog’s food is about 1.6 x 300 = 480 dollars.
In addition to feed, there are also nutritional supplements, snacks, toys, and diaper pads and other dog supplies, so under normal circumstances, the monthly expenses of dog ownership is about 1500 to 2000 yuan.
Things You Must Evaluate Before Getting a Dog
1. Self-economic ability
Once you decide to raise a dog, there will be a lot of additional expenses, in addition to feed, diapers and other fixed monthly expenses, and occasionally will buy bedding, dog toys and other pet supplies, the dog may also be sick and need to see a veterinarian, and the animal does not have health insurance, every visit to the clinic is not cheap, so to measure their own financial situation can afford, is the most important thing to think about before you raise a dog!
2. Space at home
If you have a cat, even if you don’t have a lot of space at home, you can still install a cat jumping platform to give your cat enough room to move around, but dogs are different. Dogs are not suitable for too much vertical jumping up and down, and they need to have a large enough flat space in order to have a large enough range of activities, and it is difficult for a dog to have a large amount of space to move around in if it is less than 30 square meters.
3. Family / Neighborhood Acceptability
If you live with your family, you need to make sure that your family accepts your dog. Many new owners have caused family revolutions due to a lack of communication, which is not good for the dog or the family, and is the biggest no-no in dog breeding! After all, the dog is brought home for life, good communication with the family is a necessary respect; in addition to the family, the neighbors are also important considerations, the dog will inevitably bark once or twice, or play in the sound, if the neighbor is not acceptable sound, then you should also assess the feasibility of keeping a dog in the neighborhood.
4. Whether you have time to spend with your dog
Dogs need a lot of company. Whether you take him out or stay at home with him, it will take up a lot of your time, so you need to assess whether you can really allocate time to accompany your dog. If you are usually too busy to take a break, you really need to calm down and think twice before getting a dog.
5. Teaching dogs requires a lot of patience
A lot of docile and well-behaved dogs are patiently taught, you need to guide the dog through the correct way to learn step by step, so that he understands what to do, what not to do, and before he learns, you may need to help him clean up the mess (clean up urine and feces, replace new furniture, etc.), which requires a lot of patience, whether it is their own teaching or take the dog to the class, which is the need to understand the things before owning a dog.
6. Whether you are often away from home
Dogs need to be taken care of and accompanied. If you are not at home for a long time, or even if you are away from home a lot, it may not be a good idea for you to have a dog!
Advantages & Disadvantages of Keeping a Dog
Advantages of having a dog
1️⃣. An extra companion in your life
2️⃣. Develop a habit of going out regularly
3️⃣. Heal your body and mind and release your stress
4️⃣. Make friends with dog owners who have common topics of conversation
Disadvantages of owning a dog
1️⃣. Need to set aside time to walk your dog
2️⃣. Increase regular expenses (especially taking your dog to the doctor)
3️⃣. inconvenient to go out of town
4️⃣. Risk of major changes in home environment
What do I need to know about my dog’s home environment?
Enough space: Dogs need plenty of room to move around, so a spacious (30 square feet or more) indoor space with few obstacles is ideal.
Protect fragile items: Dogs can get so excited that they knock over things in the house, so remember to put away any fragile or expensive items.
Keeping it clean: Too much dirt and dust at home may affect your dog’s health through skin contact or licking, so keep the environment clean and use safe, non-toxic detergents to prevent your dog from getting sick from accidental ingestion.
Fixed toilet locations: You need to set up diaper pads and potties in fixed locations so that your dog can get used to peeing and defecating in fixed places, and so that the environment at home will not be a mess.
How to choose a dog breed?
Dogs can be broadly categorized into “breeders” and “Micks”. Breeders refer to dogs like Shiba Inu and Poodle that have distinctive features and a relatively pure bloodline, while Micks refer to dogs that are mixed with multiple breeds, and the following is a brief introduction to the characteristics of Micks and popular dog breeds:
Mix: No need to spend money to buy, innate environmental adaptability is stronger, less prone to disease, many Mix are waiting for a home, if there is no breed myth, it is highly recommended to adopt a Mix home!
Shiba Inu: With its pleasing appearance and personality, Shiba Inu is a very popular dog breed with a large number of people queuing up every time the adoption information is released. The biggest problem is hair loss, especially during the hair replacement season, and a large pile of waste hair can be cleared out almost every day.
Corgi: With its rounded butt and cute short legs, the low-chassis Corgi is also a very popular dog breed! However, short-legged dogs often have joint problems, so owners should be especially careful!
Poodle: Poodles are mostly friendly and tame, and when they are quiet, they are like dolls. However, the Poodle is born with a weak stomach, so owners need to pay special attention to his stomach and eating condition!
Falcon: Small in size, but with a frowning expression, Falcon has captured the hearts of many owners! The Bowfighter’s adaptability to temperature is poor, especially in hot weather, so keepers should pay more attention to help him hydrate and cool down!
Chihuahua: As the smallest dog breed, the Chihuahua’s big eyes, big ears, and small face make it both elegant and crazy, and it’s easy to be neurotic, so it requires more patience from owners.
Husky: Known as “Erha” and “Yue Yue”, the Husky is a very popular dog choice because of its super handsome appearance and extremely cute personality, but the number of people who keep them is relatively small because the Husky belongs to the larger and more active breeds, which requires a larger space to be able to keep them, and the Husky’s strongest specialty is to “tear down the house”, which requires great patience and a considerable degree of financial ability to be able to afford a Husky. It takes a lot of patience and a lot of money to be able to afford a Husky’s naughty behavior!