What should we consider before adopting a pet?

Dogs and cats are friendly creatures, each offering us, in their own way, unconditional love and devotion. There are a multitude of options, different breeds, each with different peculiarities, characteristics and maintenance needs.

Before making a decision about purchasing or adopting an animal, it is important to evaluate its internal motivation. A pet has needs even more similar to human ones. It requires constant care, food, exercises, visits to the vet and sometimes, in the case of some diseases, expensive treatments.

Making a decision based only on the fact that he is cute and playful is not a wise attitude. The life of a pet is similar to that of a human and is made up not only of moments of happiness and joy, but also of crises, illnesses or other unpleasant episodes.

A pet will offer you, as much as it can, depending on its nature, love and devotion. This leads to attachment. This is why we must understand that the decision to adopt or buy should not be made in times of suffering. Furthermore, the animal should not be seen as a substitute for the person.

The decision must start from joy, from the sincere desire to invite a dog or cat into our life, to enjoy life experiences with a companion and to joyfully become aware of the life lessons that an animal can offer us. This important decision must start from the assumption and responsibility. Many people buy or adopt a dog or cat before they are ready to care for them just because they are adorable.

A moment of reflection and a realistic evaluation of this decision is absolutely necessary. We will have to take into account that this involvement will last 10-15 years or even longer.

First the question arises: what type of pet would be right for me?

Describe your personality traits, characteristics, needs, the diet that you think suits your personality, but also what you don’t want. You will have to take space into account to ensure a comfortable life for the animal. We also need to think about the size, specific health problems, particular care conditions and energy level of the desired pet.

Here are some questions that can help you build an overall perspective:

• How small or big should the dog be?

Small dogs lend themselves to smaller living spaces. At the same time, choosing a large dog automatically entails higher costs in terms of food, hygiene products, medicines and vaccines.

• What energy level can you handle?

Some dogs are very active, have a high level of energy and need a lot of exercise to consume this surplus, while some breeds require little exercise, these dogs being calmer.

• Puppies need to be fed 3-4 times a day.

They should be taken outside immediately after the meal to develop positive habits. In the beginning, small accidents may occur in the house, which require cleaning. Additionally, the dog may need to go out at night to satisfy his needs and cannot be left alone for more than a few hours. Dogs can initially cause a lot of damage in the home, such as chairs, tables or red shoes, up to much more serious damage. This is why it is recommended to start training early to balance hyperactivity.

• Another important aspect is the type of fur.

It is much easier to take care of a short-haired dog than a long-haired one. The latter requires frequent visits to the hairdresser, which incur an additional cost.

• Which method would be better: adoption or purchase?

There are many dogs in adoption centers. Many times we tend to ignore this when looking for a certain breed, but a visit to an animal shelter can make this decision easier. In that place we can communicate directly with the animals. If we want to purchase a certain breed it is necessary to contact a dog breeder.

• How adaptable is the space I live in to guarantee minimum comfort for the animal?

• Bringing a dog into your home and hosting it requires purchasing items suited to its needs.

We will therefore need: a leash, an adjustable collar, metal or ceramic water and food bowls (plastic ones can cause skin irritation), a kennel suitable for his size, some toys, a brush and a special comb.

• The most important step is to provide your dog with the necessary vaccines for both his health and ours.

Bathing, periodic nail cutting and dental hygiene are fundamental activities to ensure the animal’s health as well as ours.

• A good veterinarian will constantly evaluate the dog’s health and monitor its stages of development.

Choosing a dog or a pet in general implies responsibility, commitment and willingness to learn. We must start from the motivation that when we adopt or purchase an animal we want to offer it a healthy life. He will surely reward us by giving us a lot of love, joy and devotion in return.