{"id":10350,"date":"2021-01-18T07:00:43","date_gmt":"2021-01-18T07:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.travall.com\/en-gb\/?p=10350"},"modified":"2021-01-08T14:59:03","modified_gmt":"2021-01-08T14:59:03","slug":"new-to-dog-ownership-5-things-to-know-before-getting-a-dog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.travall.com\/en-gb\/new-to-dog-ownership-5-things-to-know-before-getting-a-dog\/","title":{"rendered":"New to dog ownership? 5 things to know before getting a dog"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the 2020 pandemic there was a surge in the number of people who decided to invite a dog to be part of their family.\u00a0 According to research by the Kennel Club, 1 in 5 new dog owners during this time had not considered the long-term responsibilities required. Sadly the Dog\u2019s Trust in just the last 3 months alone has received over 1800 calls from people needing to re-home their pandemic pup.\u00a0 I did not experience the joys of having a dog around until later in adulthood.\u00a0 For our family, welcoming a dog into our home has been a very enriching experience.\u00a0 But, there are still some things to know before getting a dog that I wish I\u2019d been aware of beforehand, so that I could have been better prepared. Maybe they\u2019d be helpful to share, as they won’t necessarily appear in the average puppy handbook.<\/span><\/p>\n

Puppies need round-the-clock care<\/span><\/h2>\n

As a parent, I\u2019d been fully aware of the need to provide 24-hour care to my children.\u00a0 Whether it was feeding my newborn every 2 hours, or helping reduce my 3-year-old\u2019s fever at 3am, I knew that was part and parcel of being a Mum.\u00a0 What I hadn\u2019t fully expected was that I would be getting up around the clock with a puppy too.\u00a0 Fortunately it didn\u2019t take long for our bundle of fur to get used to being away from his mother and he soon settled down to sleep through the night.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chewing comes as naturally as breathing<\/span><\/h2>\n

Before getting a puppy I\u2019d seen plenty of commercials for dog chews.\u00a0 What I hadn\u2019t appreciated is that the tiny new addition to our family would want to chew literally everything in sight. We quickly learned that soft dog toys would be torn to shreds in seconds. If our backs were turned for a minute, chewing havoc occurred – from shoes, to rugs, to the corner of the couch, nothing left within his reach was safe. \u00a0 What did distract him? Hard plastic puzzle toys. So if you\u2019ve got a dog who gets easily bored and is a chewer, a puzzle toy could be perfect to save your soft furnishings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Walking\u2019s not just for the dog<\/span><\/h2>\n

I knew how important it was going to be to give our pup plenty of exercise so that he\u2019d be physically healthy and get the mental stimulation and socialisation that comes with a neighbourhood walk.\u00a0 It was only when our pup had a minor issue with his leg that stopped the daily walk for a couple of days that I realised how important those daily walks had become for the humans in the family.\u00a0 We missed going out in all weathers and getting the fresh air and exercise our bodies craved, we missed the interaction with fellow dog walkers in our local area, and most of all we missed just being with our four-legged friend.<\/span><\/p>\n

Having a well-equipped car is essential<\/span><\/h2>\n

When we knew we were getting a dog, we investigated all sorts of options to ensure that he could travel with us in a comfortable and secure way so we were following the highway code and unlikely to incur fines (really important things to know before getting a dog). There are various options out there, including dog crates, harnesses and universal barriers. However, we were particularly impressed with the potential of having dog travel accessories designed to fit our car.\u00a0 The Travall Guard<\/a> and Travall CargoMat<\/a> gave us just that – a perfect fit for both, which meant the dog guard doesn\u2019t rattle on country lanes and the liner gives full coverage of the boot floor (because even small dogs get very<\/em> muddy).<\/span><\/p>\n

Our hearts would never be the same<\/span><\/h2>\n

The little guy has now been with us for just over 10 years. There\u2019s not a day goes by where he hasn\u2019t made us smile and we hope to have many more of those days. So, from our standpoint one of the important things to know before getting a dog is that the little bundle of fur will capture your heart completely. As Dean Koontz said, <\/span>“Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one is a life diminished.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During the 2020 pandemic there was a surge in the number of people who decided to invite a dog to be part of their family.\u00a0 According to research by the Kennel Club, 1 in 5 new dog owners during this time had not considered the long-term responsibilities required. Sadly the Dog\u2019s Trust in just the …<\/p>\n

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