Dogs are Not Impulse Buys

When it’s time to get a new pair of jeans you head out to your local clothing store, try a few pairs on, making sure the style is to your liking and the fit is good for your body type. Although you might get lucky, finding the first pair of jeans you grab fits and looks great, it’s more likely that you’ll have to spend some time in the fitting room until you find the one that works the best. This can be a lengthy process sometime but since you’ll most likely be wearing these jeans for years to come, it’s important to get the ones that are the best for you.

I’m amazed at how people can scrutinize intently over the purchase of a pair of jeans, while giving very little thought to adding a dog to their lives. The decision to bring a dog home should be home should be a family one that is researched and considered carefully. There are many factors that need to be examined both in dog and in the household.

I’ve had to do too many sessions trying to help people with behavioral issues because they got the wrong dog for their situation, or they rushed into bringing the dog home without taking the time to think out if they had the time, resources and/or desire to take care of a dog.

Puppies tend to be the victims of this much more than adult dogs. You see that cute little face and your heart tells your brain to shut up and just bring the cute little guy home to cuddle. A sad statistic is that over half of the puppies that get taken home won’t be there by their first birthday. The reason is usually that not much thought was given into getting a puppy and once the people realized all the work and effort that goes into raising a pup, they freak out and want a do over. However this is not some book you bought on Amazon – it’s a living thing.

Returning that pair of jeans is easy, but re-homing a dog is a bit trickier – especially for the dog. So think long and hard before you make the life altering decision to bring a dog home. If you do decide to do it, make sure it’s an educated decision so you get the right fit for your family and lifestyle. I give free consultations to help discuss what the best kind of dog is for each individual situation, yet I’m rarely taken up on it. Dogs can be a great addition to your family, but they can also be the very last thing you should get.

Get informed and think long and hard to make sure you making the right choice for both you and the dog. If more people considered the decision to get a dog more carefully there would be more dogs with only one human on their resumes.

Survey: Are you the first and only owner to your dog?