Adopting someone and bringing them into your life is not just noble, it is heavenly. If you are adopting a dog, you are already halfway there to making one of the best decisions of your life. But, with more love and adoration of a pet, comes great responsibility (my dog has quickly become a big-time bluebird predator). With that being said, be markedly prepared for the following if you’re adopting a furry best friend.

1.    Be Prepared to be Confused

While confusion is usually associated in a negative light, we do not mean it that way here. Before adopting a pet, the greatest confusion you will have is with regards to the kind of dog you might want.

Sure, if your needs are something like ‘affable’ or ‘playful’, you’re better off with any breeds per se. After all, the genetic makeup of dogs makes them so friendly, and either way, it won’t be a miss for you. If you want something specific, though, you will have to do a great deal of research.

Ask yourself what you seek. Do you want a police-trained dog? Perhaps a German Shepherd would be more suitable. Are you looking for a more well-rounded breed for both work and play? A Golden Retriever does the job greatly. Are you looking for a real-life plushie? An available Pomsky might just do the job.

Either way, be prepared to be super confused if you are not sure as to what you want specifically. The good thing here is that the greater the confusion, the more dogs you may just adopt. We’re here to also assure you, that the more you adopt, the greater fulfillment you receive.

2.    Be Prepared to See Your Dog Acting Clingy

The idea here is simple. Since you are planning on adopting a dog, there is a high chance that it was abandoned in the first place. You also have to understand that much like in humans, abandonment plays a grave role in the life of a dog too.

This results in your dog being a little too clingy around you. Is your dog making sad noises when you’re going out for work? Is your dog not wanting to let go of you at home? Is your dog always following you, no matter what? Be prepared for the said predicaments.

What you can do here is mildly increase assurance grades for your dog. Assure your dog that you are just going to work and will be back. Assure your dog that you are there for them, probably give them a hug right after you are back home. Spend some quality time at the park—things like that go a long way.

3.    ……Or Distant

The other downside to abandonment is distance. While on one hand, your dog might reflect abandonment issues with clinginess, the other spectrum of staying distant exists too. In a fair number of cases of abandonment, the dog tends to become cold and distant. Not as a protective mechanism, but more like a defence mechanism.

In these cases, you should make it a point to provide your dog as much space as well as affection as possible. Things like not leaving them alone in your cars or homes, things like always taking them on walks—and so on, go a long way in establishing a great deal of re-connection.

4.    Be Prepared to Play the Number Game

There are a lot of other external factors, other than the emotive ones mentioned above. While the said concerns are genuine, you should also not neglect the pragmatic things you should be prepared for—the number game.

Adopting a dog has a lot of numbers involved. You have to ensure to insure, firstly. This is where the first number game you need to cogitate. Pet insurance policy cost varies from offering to offering, and if you are adopting a pet, you have to do a fair deal of research to see which numbers you deem fit. Pet insurance covers a plethora of areas, and you ought to invest in it at the blink of an eye.

The next thing is vet visits, vaccines, and other medications. There is a great chance that your adopted dog is bereft of basic vaccinations and measures from common pathogens. Remember when we said that in modern times, it is less of ‘ownership’ of the dog and more of parenthood?

Be prepared to always be in the number game. From remembering dates of vaccinations, to ensure that you are always aware of dates, times, and other resources of the vet visits, there goes a lot into efficiently taking care of an adopted dog.

To Conclude

Adopting an adopted dog can be a tricky affair. After all, they don’t usually have a fresh start or a clean slate—which implies that you need to put in a lot more effort into ensuring a better quality of life.

Fret not, though—you have already done the greater deed of adopting one in the first place. You’ll figure out the rest as you go along. After all, you’re already halfway there in being a great dog parent.