Is your family setup right for a dog?
Might it be worth asking yourself this question before you even begin?
To do so can help you assess, clearly and competently, if you and your family are ready to bring home a pet of this kind. Of course, most family and home setups will be just fine, but if not, it can really have been worth asking this beforehand.
Better to absolutely ensure your family home is able to support an animal of this size before you bring them home. It might be that this set of questions can help you assess just where you need to make improvements.
We’d recommend the following:
Child Temperament
It might feel like you really want to bring yourself home a loving dog, but you might not consider your children to be suitable as of now. For example, children that are relatively hostile, loud or dealing with behavioral issues might come into conflict with a pet of this kind, maybe even spurring a sense of aggression from both parties. That isn’t a healthy place to bring a pet into. It might be that you have small children, and bringing home an excited greyhound could pose a real health risk for your children, even if the dog is of a lovely temperament and means nothing but love.
There are also triggers for certain animals. For example, it might be that bringing home a shelter dog with a negative previous owner could be set off aggressively if exposed to the loud noise a child makes. It could be that your disabled child accidentally and unknowingly hits a dog in the process of trying to stroke them, provoking an aggressive response you’d quite rightly love to avoid.
Consider the temperament of your children. If you haven’t any, consider the regular visitors of your household. Could it be that a dog of a select breed would be unsuitable? Or might they be suitable? You’ll only know if you ask yourself and clearly analyze the social setup of the home.
Simply owning or renting a home does not necessarily mean that you are functionally able to look after a pet. For example, you may be a bachelor with nothing but time, and enough money to look after a pet. However, if living in a small studio flat in the middle of the inner-city, it can feel relatively cramp and quite cruel to keep a pet there all day, especially because leaving the home with them might not be considered the wisest solution.
It might be that someone in your family is suffering from health conditions. If your pet has fleas, or contracts some form of disease, could that cause those health conditions from escalating further? For example, a dog molting in the summer in an enclosed space can be absolutely awful for someone experiencing terrible sleep apnea or asthma. If someone in your family suffers from negative skin conditions, it could be that they summer more from having a little furry companion around.
Of course, some family members will suffer from allergies to your pet. It might not be someone in the home who does, but owning a pet might mean that you can no longer invite your in-laws around (which might be considered good in some circumstances!) Consider the health of your family, and if all looks good, then bringing that pet home might be warranted.
If the house cannot be kept clean throughout the week, if many people are at work leaving the home vacant all day, and you aren’t the closest of families, it might be that bringing a pet home is not the best solution. Conversely, if all the opposite is true, it could be that this is the perfect environment for a dog.
Where Do You Live?
Simply owning or renting a home does not necessarily mean that you are functionally able to look after a pet. For example, you may be a bachelor with nothing but time, and enough money to look after a pet. However, if living in a small studio flat in the middle of the inner-city, it can feel relatively cramp and quite cruel to keep a pet there all day, especially because leaving the home with them might not be considered the wisest solution.
Health Conditions
Of course, some family members will suffer from allergies to your pet. It might not be someone in the home who does, but owning a pet might mean that you can no longer invite your in-laws around (which might be considered good in some circumstances!) Consider the health of your family, and if all looks good, then bringing that pet home might be warranted.
Responsibility
If the house cannot be kept clean throughout the week, if many people are at work leaving the home vacant all day, and you aren’t the closest of families, it might be that bringing a pet home is not the best solution. Conversely, if all the opposite is true, it could be that this is the perfect environment for a dog.
It’s absolutely essential to assess your responsibility, from the top of your household to the bottom. Looking after a pet is not just a one and done scenario. You must view your added pet as another member of the family, because of course they are. That means you must not view the pet as a chore. It is a family member you look after and invest in, just like anyone else.
Without the willingness to take care of this responsibility, your pet can easily become neglected, and that’s highly unethical to do. Of course, accidental neglect can be just as bad as willful neglect. It all means that same to your pet.
This article has been relatively cautionary, but it must be in order for you to foster a good relationship with pet ownership. If you can ensure that you do not fall into any of these traps, it’s likely your family setup is perfect for a new pet. Make it a celebratory event, and you’re sure to experience nothing but love with the new family member.
This article has been relatively cautionary, but it must be in order for you to foster a good relationship with pet ownership. If you can ensure that you do not fall into any of these traps, it’s likely your family setup is perfect for a new pet. Make it a celebratory event, and you’re sure to experience nothing but love with the new family member.
