Adopting a dog can, and should be, one of the most wonderful events in your life. It is proven that having a dog can help improve your mental and physical well-being. They need every day walks, and they can distract you from types of loneliness, certain pains and aches. Having a dog is a great way to meet other people that might lead into friendships.
Other benefits
Loyalty; they trust you and are trustworthy. They love you unconditionally
Forgiving; they tend to forgive you during times that you accidentally stepped on his tail or mistakenly expressed a little frustration towards him when your day did not go as planned
Present moment; dogs live in the present. Your dog won’t worry if he will meet the unbalanced ‘Diesel’ from number 21 again. Nor will he wonder when the fire department will test the fire alarm in your building, which normally will freak him out. Their instinct tells them that if they worry all the time, they will never survive in the wild
When you adopt a dog also be aware of
Vacation; where will Marley stay when you like to explore Asia? Create a plan that includes a budget to pay a credible pet sitter or kennel
Health; there may be some good pet insurances available. However my experience was that I paid $50.-/ month for a reasonable coverage, so I thought. It turned out that no basic visits or minor treatments were covered. The money I paid monthly, for seven years, was all gone. If you do decide to buy insurance, make sure that before you commit, to check thoroughly what is-and-what-is not covered. Alternatively set money aside on a monthly basis. Use it to pay the pet sitter and to maintain his health…you may end up with some savings in the end. In the end you will have to do what feels best for you; when your dog happened to get sick or gets into an accident the moment you got your pet insured, you will be happy that it may cover some of the costs, in contrast of having to build your savings account first...
Time and patience; your dog did not receive training with your house rules and commands before you adopted him. Being a dog owner means that you need to invest time in your dog. He needs time to get to know you, the house and his environment, and to learn your rules and commands. This takes time and patience but eventually it will pay off
Your state of mind
It is something we don’t really think of, but dogs do pick up our energy. For example if you are nervous and anxious, your dog will pick up that energy and will try to protect you (the weak). This can go from bad to worse. Aggressive behavior is unwanted behavior.
Be a responsible dog owner. Before you adopt a dog, check in with your self. Create a plan and work out any personal issues that can be picked up as negative energy towards your dog.
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