Two Big Things To Think About Before Getting A Dog

I'm a major dog lover, so you need to know that I
think you should adopt a dog! But, as a dog
owner, I know there are two major dynamics of
dog ownership that many people do not think of
before getting one. They are not problems, but
rather just things to prepare for so that you
can enjoy having your new furry friend even
more!

Scheduling
You've had a long day. There is a game on you're
dying to watch. Your best friend calls and says
she and all your other buddies managed to land a
table at the busiest sports bar in town—and
it's right up the street from your work! How
perfect! This day couldn't have ended any
better! Just zip on over there and…oh
wait! You have a dog who has been at home alone
for 6 hours. He can't be left alone any longer.
He will have an accident in the house if not
painfully hold it in even longer because he is
so well behaved! Not to mention, he needs
dinner!

This scenario is all too common. You'll have to
cut activities short or stop the day at awkward
times to take care of your dog. Establish a
friendship with a neighbor—this could even
be a teenage kid—who is often home and can
take care of your dog for you. Offer them a
small fee. Maybe just $15 each time you call
them up at the last minute to feed the dog and
take him around the block. Make them a spare
key.

My friend, a singing teacher, owned a dog who
would happily sit under the piano as her owner
taught teenagers how to sing better. She would
get frequent strolls in between singing lessons.
Then one day, my friend got asked to start
teaching music lectures at the neighborhood
community college twice a week. She was so
honored! But—uh oh. She hadn't realized
how lucky she'd been to set her own hours and
work from home before. She almost couldn't take
the teaching gig but luckily she arranged to
have a neighborhood kid take care of her pup
during the day.

A tiny accident can cost a lot
I once forgot to close a cabinet all the way
that had my dogs liver flavor (and scented)
painkillers in them. And he ate the entire
bottle. He had to be rushed to the hospital.
Forget the near anxiety attack I had at the
thought of losing my precious pet, that all
culminated in a $600 bill to have his stomach
pumped and get him all sorts of recovery meds.

You need to develop sharp doggy-safety radar.
You need to make sure every cabinet and door is
shut tight. You need to make sure all chairs are
pushed in at tables so the dog doesn't climb onto
them. Make sure you don't have any snacks left in
purses you have lying around. It may seem like a
pain, but it's really just an extra five or ten
minutes before leaving the house, versus an hour
or three at the pet hospital and hundreds of
dollars out of your pocket because you
overlooked something.

----------------------------------------------------
Vera Esther is a healthy living, dating and
luxury lifestyle writer. She has blogged about
everything from organic wine tasting to how to
tell if your first date is controlling and even
innovative ways to pursue hobbies like learning
how to sing online with sites like
http://www.bristowvoicemethod.com

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