Unlike some pet parents, I did not experience the joys of having a dog around until later in adulthood. For our family welcoming a dog into our home has been a very enriching experience. But, there are still some things to know before getting a dog that I wish I’d been aware of beforehand, so that I could have been better prepared. Maybe they’d be helpful to share with anyone who is considering adding a dog to their family, as they won’t necessarily appear in the average puppy handbook.
Puppies need round-the-clock care
As a parent, I’d been fully aware of the need to provide 24-hour care to my children. Whether it was feeding my newborn every 2 hours, or helping reduce my 3 year-old’s fever at 3 AM, I knew that was part and parcel of being a Mom. What I hadn’t fully expected was that I would be getting up around the clock with a puppy too. Fortunately it didn’t take long for our bundle of fur to get used to being away from his own mother and he soon settled down to sleep through the night.
Chewing comes as naturally as breathing
Before getting a puppy I’d seen plenty of commercials for dog chews. What I hadn’t 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. What did distract him? Hard plastic puzzle toys. So if you’ve got a dog who gets easily bored and is a chewer, a puzzle toy could be perfect to save your soft furnishings.
Walking’s not just for the dog
I knew how important it was going to be to give our pup plenty of exercise so that he’d be physically healthy and get the mental stimulation and socialization that comes with a neighborhood walk. 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 realized how important those daily walks had become for the humans in the family. We missed going out and getting the fresh air our bodies craved, we missed the interaction with fellow dog walkers in our local area and we missed those special moments of just being with our four-legged friend.
Having a well-equipped vehicle is essential
When we knew we were getting a dog, we investigated all sorts of options to be sure that he could travel with us in a comfortable and secure way (really important things to know before getting a dog). There are various options out there, including dog crates, harnesses and universal barriers. But we were particularly impressed with the potential of having dog travel accessories designed to fit our car. The Travall Guard and Travall CargoMat gave us just that – a perfect fit for both, which meant the pet barrier doesn’t rattle on a ride and the trunk liner gives full coverage of the trunk floor (even small dogs get very muddy).
Our hearts would never be the same
Our little guy has now been with us for just over 10 years. There’s not a day goes by where he hasn’t made us smile and we hope to have many more of those days. As Dean Koontz said, “Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one is a life diminished.”
